Do radiator covers reduce heat?

Radiators are often considered a distraction from interior design and because of this, there are many different products on the market to cover them up. Before you think about covering your own radiator, it’s worth considering whether radiator covers reduce the heat in your rooms and some of the other alternatives you can try that won’t sacrifice the comfort of your home.

What is a radiator cover?

A radiator cover is an item that hides your radiator. It can come in different styles and are made from various materials. Some covers are made from wood, metal and even fabric. And while they may at first seem like a great option to hide an awkwardly placed or unappealing radiator, there are some things to consider first.

Can you cover a radiator?

Generally speaking, it’s safe to use radiator covers on wet radiators. However, we would never recommend using a cover for electric radiators as this will drastically reduce the efficiency of the radiator.

We would always recommend that people look at addressing the problem they have with their radiator first before trying to cover them up. Many people choose to cover their radiators because they complain of their noise. Some people prefer to cover their radiators because they don’t like the design or shape of them. In all these scenarios, we would recommend that you upgrade your radiators to a top brand like radTherm, which can solve these issues without reducing the heating of your home.

Do radiator covers reduce heat?

All radiators, whether it’s gas central heating or electric heating, require warm air to flow around the room to create convection.

This warm air is created by heat radiating from the surface area of the radiator, which then heats the air around it. When you cover a radiator, you’re interrupting this process and reducing the efficiency of how much warm air it creates. So while a radiator cover won’t stop all of the heat from your radiator, they will reduce the effectiveness of how well it heats your home, leading to a waste of energy and money.

Alternatives to radiator covers to avoid reducing heat

If you have noisy radiators or find that your radiators don’t suit the decor of your home,  we would recommend that you upgrade your heating. radTherm electric radiators come in over 200 colours and over 60 different sizes, making it easy to fit within any size of room and match any colour you have. Electric radiators are much easier to install and require no additional piping. This means that you don’t need to change every radiator in your home, you can pick and choose which rooms you’d like to upgrade.

If you’d like bespoke heating advice about your home, contact us for a free home survey. During our survey, we’ll take measurements of each of your rooms, discuss your requirements and preferences and offer you the perfect heating solution you won’t need to cover up. Call us on 0800 270 7736 or fill in the form on this page to book your free survey today.