New column rads - which brand?

brianc89 · 14-02-2023 7:16pm #1

Doing a full house renovation and need to decide which rads. I want decorative style column rads.

With Stell Rad through Chadwicks, the price is 3,300 while Colona rads through TheRadiatorStore are 2,300.

They look very similar but I'm cautious of going for the lower price if the quality or finish is not as high.

Does anyone have any advice?

SuperBowserWorld · 14-02-2023 7:35pm

Have 2 vertical / column rads. And both take ages to heat up. The rest of the rads in the house heat up immediately, including old and new rads. All have been bled and boiler etc checked by plumber.

Maybe they've got some blockage in them. Once they heat up they are fully hot everywhere.

Anyway, don't know if this is a problem unique to my house, or my column rads ... but do double check the rads you are buying.

John.G · 14-02-2023 8:17pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058284286/new-column-rads-which-brand

I would very strongly recommend that you ensure flow diverters are installed whichever brand you decide on, even if they say "theirs" don't require them, those that have them pre installed will have either have a arrow or are possibly marked in/out or flow/return.

These diverters are not exactly cheap at ~ €30 so add that on your rads cost.

You will then have to ensure that you identify the pipework flow and return before installation, the diverter goes to the flow (hot) side.

brianc89 · 14-02-2023 9:00pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120241327#Comment_120241327

Thanks for that. What exactly does the diverter do? We're fully re-plumbing the house with all new pipes.

brianc89 · 14-02-2023 9:02pm

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120241152#Comment_120241152

Thanks for the feedback. I've heard this anecdotally somewhere else, but didn't take it seriously. Not sure why heating these rads should be any different to standard rads.

Hopefully other people have better experiences...

Water John · 14-02-2023 9:05pm

I presume head pressure would be different.

John.G · 14-02-2023 9:33pm

Not sure of the reason, possibly the above, sometime when all (normal panel) rads are on and up to temperature, shut one off and let it cool down for a hour or so then reopen it, its uncanny, but the hot water will rise up for the first say 6 ins or so at the hot end, move along the top and then start uniformly heating the remainder of the rad by falling downwards and out the return, the diverter is just forcing the water to do this for the same distance.

New column rads - which brand?

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