BEGINNERS GUIDE

Discover some of the best ways to distribute warmth around your new home

Many self builders will specify a combination of heat emitters to use in the home – perhaps underfloor heating (UFH) downstairs with radiators upstairs. The flickering flames of a stove may take centre-stage in a cosy living room, and towel radiators will often provide warmth in bathrooms. The most efficient route will depend on the heat source you use – heat pumps work better with emitters that have a larger surface area, like UFH, for instance. Meanwhile, modern, airtight homes tend to need much less space heating than what we’re used to.

The emitters should be built into the whole house design, from the ground up. So, make sure a room-byroom assessment of your household’s space heating needs is completed at the early design phase – taking account of the planned insulation levels, heat source and more. And make sure someone is taking responsibility for the overall picture, so you can be confident the complete setup will deliver on your expectations.

RADIATORS

A prime contender, radiators are easy to install, offer speedy response times and most people find them simple to run and maintain. Flexible controls mean radiators are great when you need a quick boost of heat in bedrooms and bathrooms, or in households where people are coming and going a lot. Standard models need a high flow temperature, so are typically paired with gas or oil boilers – though they can also be a good match for biomass systems. If you’ve specified an air or ground source heat pump (ASHP or GSHP), bear in mind that these achieve best performance at an output temperature of between 35°C and 45°C. “Radiators generally need to be bigger to compensate,” says Nick Duggan, director of The Radiator Centre. “There are now plenty of designs out there designed to get the maximum amount of heat from the smallest amount of warmed water.” Alternatively, aluminium radiators heat up faster – so can also be a good fit for low-temperature systems like heat pumps.