November 30, 2009
You can’t beat a steaming hot bath to warm you up; particularly in the winter time as the weather turns bitter and icy.
There’s no greater feeling than soaking in a hot bath, with your favourite book and the scented candles flickering away.
But no one likes the feeling that comes shortly afterwards, as you step out of the hot bath and into the cold air of your bathroom. Even worse, there’s the cold damp towel to wrap yourself in, which doesn’t do anything to help.
However, those who have fitted towel warmers into their bathrooms will know that the warm cosy feeling you have when you’re in the bath can continue, even when you step out of those bubbles. Because towels warmers can warm up your towel ready for when you get out of the bath.
Towel warmers heat up very quickly and they warm your towels so that you can continue your cosy warm feeling even once your bath is over. The bonus is that at the same time as warming your towels, towel warmers can gently heat the room too, so you don’t get that sharp chill of the cold air as you step out of the shower or bath.
Towel warmers are essential for any modern home; particularly as the weather begins to bite.
November 29, 2009
If you have a combination boiler there may come a time when you have to drain the system and then refill it. This might be the case if you want to change one of the radiators in your home for a new designer radiator or perhaps fit a towel rail in your bathroom.
If you have a combination boiler you will need to re-pressurise the system after the new radiator has been fitted. The pressure in these systems usually sits between the 1 bar and 1.5 bar mark and you can usually find the pressure gauge fitted to the boiler. If the pressure drops below the 1 bar mark for any reason you may experience problems with the system and you might not have any hot water.
To top up the system to attain 1.5 bar you need to attach the filling loop hose that sits under your boiler. This connects your system to the mains water supply. Tighten the hose onto the filler connector and then slowly open the tap to let mains water into your system. You should see the pressure gauge rising. If the system becomes over pressurised your boiler will release some water using its safety valve. Remove the loop after filling.
If the pressure in your central heating system keeps falling and you have to keep topping it up, you may have a water leak on the newly fitted radiator so it needs to be investigated further.
November 28, 2009
Now is the time of year when we all need to make sure that our radiators are working correctly. There are a few common problems that all home owners can be aware of and in some cases repair themselves if your radiators or central heating system is not performing as it should
Scenario:
Some radiators in the house are not getting hot enough?
• The first thing to check here is that the radiator valve is turned on. It may sound simple but a simple twist of the valve might solve the issue
• Check if the radiators upstairs are colder than the radiators downstairs or if a radiator feels warm at its base but cold at its top. If this is the problem you most likely have air in the system and the radiators will need bleeding. If you have a combi-boiler you may have to top the pressure up after releasing trapped gases.
• If a few radiators are off and others are on you may have zone valves fitted to your system. If one of your zone valves is not changing over this could be the problem. Check the individual zones thermostat to see if this is set correctly.
If you are unsure about any central heating issue you should always consult a Gas Safe Engineer.
November 27, 2009
A ladder towel radiator is the perfect heating choice for any bathroom. They are practical, efficient and can hold and dry a number of towels at one time.
Ladder towel rails can either come in a round tube format or a square tube format and most have a chrome or polished stainless steel finish so not only look great but can also be wiped clean easily. Some ladder towel rails can also come with a painted finish that can be customised as per the customer’s requirements. This means they can neatly fit into your bathroom décor theme and hence complement your fixtures and fittings.
When you choose a ladder towel rail, make sure you choose appropriate valves and accessories and bear in mind that some ladder towel rails can also use an electric element so you don’t even have to connect them to your existing central heating system. This means they will work independently off a separate thermostat so you can have warm towels in summer as well as winter.
Ladder towel rails can be bought for really competitive prices so everyone can incorporate them into their bathroom design.
November 26, 2009
Choosing designer radiators can really make a style statement in your home. If you are fed up with your dull single panels from the 1970’s there are now many more different styles of radiators you van chose from to add some pizzazz to your home interior.
Instead of using a standard panel radiator you can now use radiators that would not look out of place in the Tate Modern gallery. Some ultra modern designer radiators can be fixed at different heights to create an illusion of not being a radiator at all and instead a piece of art.
Designer radiators can be bought with a chrome finish or modern vertical styling and when added to any room in your home they provide more than just heat – they say something about your personality and can be a real talking point.
You shouldn’t think that these radiators have only been built to provide an aesthetic appeal either. A designer radiator’s prime objective is to heat your room so they can be bought in many different btu/hr sizes to heat even the largest apartment.
Have a look at the vast array of designs online and fit designer radiators into your home redesign.
November 25, 2009
If you are replacing the radiator in your bathroom with a towel rail there is a good chance that you will need to adapt the pipe work that feeds the radiator.
Any large installation job is best done when you are redecorating as some mess is bound to be created. Drain your central heating system down and remove the old radiator and the old valves. Remove the section of floor boards underneath the radiator area to gain access to the supply and return pipes. Take the copper pipes back to a suitable location for joining new fittings and any extra pipe and clean with wire wool. A good tip now is to use push on end stops so no debris can enter the pipes while you complete the new installation.
Offer up your new towel rail to the wall and follow instructions for your specific towel rail to blank off upper connections and fit new valves to lower connections. Don’t fix the radiator in place at this stage but mark where the new copper feed pipes will need to come up through the floor. You can now make suitable alterations to the pipe work so the pipes can fit neatly to your new radiator.
Finally decorate behind the radiator then fit it to the wall and make your new connections. Refill the system and carefully check for leaks.
November 24, 2009
If you are thinking of upgrading your radiator in the bathroom to a towel rail but haven’t yet because you don’t use the central heating in the summer then perhaps it is time to think again.
Most people don’t change their radiator in the bathroom to a towel warmer because they think the towel warmer will only be used for the half of the year when the central heating is turned on and will then not be used to warm towels during the summer months. If you want warm towels throughout the year most think they will have to opt for just an electric towel rail. However now with the introduction of dual fuel towel rails you can get the best of both worlds.
Dual fuel towel rails
Duel fuel towel rails use your central heating system to provide warmth in the winter when your central heating is turned on and then in the summer you can still have warm towels by switching over to the electric heating option. This means they are incredibly versatile and offer the best power saving option of all bathroom radiators.
November 23, 2009
If you are upgrading the radiators on your current central heating system or are installing a new central heating system then column radiators are an excellent choice.
Column radiators
Column radiators look stylish and can fit perfectly into period homes or contemporary homes. Depending on your heating requirements, your available wall space and the look you want to create you can purchase these types of radiators in 2 tube deep columns up to 6 tube deep columns which mean their versatility is one of their greatest attributes.
Floor standing column radiators
If you like the idea of having floor standing radiators, column radiators are the perfect choice. These types of radiators can either be bought in wall mounting format or floor standing format and look perfect in every room. Some people choose to have floor standing models downstairs and wall mounted radiators upstairs.
Designer column radiators
If you fancy something a little different from the standard ‘white’ look you can buy column radiators with a modern a chrome finish. These look great in modern apartments and also in the bathroom and kitchen. If you want something that isn’t in a chrome finish but still looks contemporary then on a twist to the standard column design, you can buy column radiators that have a block finish so have a modern designer look.
November 22, 2009
We rely on our radiators to heat our homes, particularly during the cold winter months. But sometimes, whether you have designer radiators or not, there can be problems with the heating system which means that the radiator is unable to fulfil its role quite as effectively.
One very common problem is where the top of the radiator feels cold and the bottom is still warm. This normally means that the radiator needs bleeding. This process is fairly straight forward.
You radiator will have come with a small tool called a bleed key. You need to open the bleed valve which is near the top of the radiator, a small amount to allow the air to escape from the top of the radiator, but you must not let the water flow out.
It is best to have a towel ready to shield your hand when you turn the valve. When the water does start to come out, you can close the valve again as this means that all of the air has escaped.
Once you have completed this process, your radiator should be working as normal again. But if it is not, there may be another problem and the handbook might need consulting.
November 21, 2009
Think of radiators and for most people, their heart won’t skip a beat. Radiators are usually seen as a necessary object in the home but they are not things of beauty. That was until the invention of designer radiators.
With designer radiators, rooms can be completely transformed. Whereas before, the radiator got in the way of the stylish, elegant decor, designer radiators can in fact, add to the style.
These radiators can appear as pieces of artwork rather than instruments for heating your home and they can even become the focal point of your room if you want them to be.
Some designer radiators are designed to look sleek whereas others are ultra modern and extremely impressive. These radiators look particularly good when placed in a room with the minimalist look that is so popular these days. Many homeowners find that the tall, slim vertical radiators are extremely beneficial to their modern chic homes as these radiators provide a great heat output, but they won’t take up as much room as the more traditional radiators that we are all familiar with.
Whether you choose a statement piece or simply a sleek modern design, you will never look back once you have opted for designer radiators. They can completely transform your room and offer all the benefits of the old traditional radiators. And you never know, these radiators may actually make your heart skip a beat.
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