SHOULD YOU KEEP YOUR RADIATOR SYSTEM?
Radiators have been around for a long time and are a staple
of many heating systems, especially in older homes. They often provide heat
throughout the winter at a lower energy cost than some other heating options,
since true to their name they allow heat to passively radiate into the
surrounding air. Unfortunately, some older radiator systems can require a lot
of maintenance to keep in service year after year and may not be the best at
providing even heat in your home.
Because of this, some homeowners will consider getting rid
of radiator systems even if they’re still in mostly good repair. If you’ve got
one of these heating systems in your home, you might even have considered it
yourself. Let’s look at the topic and see whether it’s a good idea to get rid of
your system, or if you should keep it around for a bit longer.
Pros and Cons of Radiator Heat
While radiator systems aren’t as common as they used to be, there are definite
advantages to using them in place of forced air or other heating options. With that
said, there are some downsides to radiator heating as well. Here are some of
the pros and cons to consider when trying to decide whether to keep your
radiator system.
PROS:
·
Heat from a radiator is often more humid and
comfortable because water isn’t removed from the air by blowing it over a heat
source
·
Better room-by-room control than other heating
options
·
The modularity of radiator systems makes it
easy to replace individual radiators or other components without having to
replace major sections of the system
·
Very little noise compared to other options
CONS:
·
Radiators typically require a lot of room, both
for the radiator itself and space around it for safety purposes
·
Cleaning radiators can be difficult, especially
around the elements
·
Poor maintenance can result in steep drops in
heating efficiency, especially when compared to other heating types
·
Radiators are much slower to react to changes
in the thermostat than other heating options
If you’re still on the fence, perhaps it’s time to look at
your existing radiator system to see if it needs to be replaced.
Evaluating Your Radiator
There are a few things that you should look at when trying to evaluate how well
your radiator system functions and whether it needs to be replaced as a result.
First, give your radiator a visual inspection and look for signs of damage,
corrosion, or other potential indicators that there’s a problem with the
radiator. Be sure to remove any radiator covers and similar items so that you
can see the radiator clearly. Make note of anything that seems out of the
ordinary, because even small cracks can cause large problems over time.
You should also shut a radiator off and then turn it back on when it’s cool,
timing it to see how long it takes to get back up to temperature. If it seems
to take an excessively long time, especially compared to past performance, then
it might indicate that there’s a problem with the heating elements or other
components. You should also listen to the radiator as it heats up to see if it
appears to be louder than before or makes noises that you aren’t used to.
Keep track of the maintenance that you must perform as well. Do you seem to be
doing some tasks more often than you used to? Are there problems that you keep
having to correct that didn’t used to be an issue? If maintenance is
increasingly an issue, it may be time to make a replacement.
Radiator Replacement
If you do decide to replace your radiator, you might simply go with an updated
radiator system, or you could do a full swap for forced air. Regardless of what
you choose, though, it has the potential to be a big job. If you need help with
your radiator replacement, HomeKeepr can
help. We can aid you in finding HVAC and heating pros in your area who can get
your radiator replacement installed the right way. Sign up for a free account
to get started!
