Home Q&A: Do radiator covers make radiators less effective?

Radiator covers are installed for many reasons including child safety and aesthetics

The latest adjustable cabinets allow the user to pull and push the radiator to the right size. File picture

Are my radiator covers making the radiators less effective?

ANSWER

Radiator covers are installed for a number of reasons. This would include child safety for traditional central heating with high radiator temperatures that can scald, and cover up an unsightly radiator’s presence. 

On the second count, I would argue that a large MDF box is far more noticeable than a standard mattress-style radiator from the 1980s. 

The latest adjustable cabinets allow the user to pull and push the radiator to the right size, removing the need for a fully bespoke cabinet. 

Even wide open at the base, and with a generous grill at the top edge, interfering with the convection process that allows radiators to head a room floor to ceiling, a radiator cabinet slows this process. Radiant heat will be transferred into the supporting wall and the low-emissivity materials of the cabinet itself, so again, slowing down the heating cycle. 

Just put your hand on a cabinet and you’ll feel the warmth on that top shelf — not good news. The gap between the radiator and the cover should be at least 5cm in width and 3cm in height.

One way to improve loss of performance is to add a foil backing board to the reverse of the radiator (even one on an interior wall) to send accumulating warm air out and away from the cabinet. In the US, makers are experimenting with insulated jackets matched to fans to improve radiator performance. Go figure. 

Meanwhile, another trusted alternative for an aesthetic issue is to paint the radiator rather than shrouding it. Avoid shiny and metallic finishes, which can reduce the efficiency of the radiator and don’t recoat several times as this will just serve to insulate the radiator, again cutting down on radiant heat (20% of its output). 

Always use a robust, heat-resistant radiator paint, reducing any chance of rust. Spray enamels are quick and easy, leaving a thin, dribble-free finish; Rust-Oleum Radiator Enamel white satin-finish spray paint, 400ml, €20, multiple suppliers. For painting pick yourself up a GoodHome long-reach paint pad, €8, B&Q.