The location and set up of a radiator can increase or reduce the risk of dampness and mould.
Contents hideHeat needs to be balance, across the property and over the course of a day.
Top tips – radiators
- Ideally radiator should be placed on an external wall, into a bay or under a window, below a short curtain or shutter, so as to improve the balance of heat.
- Radiators are feed warm water in a series. The first radiator is the warmest, becoming colder for each successive radiator. To balance out the heat, use a laser thermometer to measure each radiator, and turn down the radiators at the start of the series, so as to ensure there is a balance of heat across all radiator. Note normally the top floor is heated first.
- Avoid placing radiotrs on side walls, they should be place on external walls.
- Avoid allowing long curtains to stop the movement of warm air to cold external walls.
- With underfloor heating, make sure that it comes on when the remaining heating system comes on (otherwise there will be a risk of condensation and mould).
- Ideally underfloor heating should go all the way to the edge of a wall, where it does not there will be a risk of condensation and mould.
- Make sure to have some night time heat so that walls don’t drop below the dew point typically 12°C in winter.
- Taking into account the temperature difference between the thermostat and cold external wall.
- If you choose not to heat a room, then as an alternative close the door and either open a window, run an extractor fan or run a dehumidifier continuously draining safely away.