How To Know If You Need A New Radiator

Radiators are a funny old thing. We only tend to pay attention to them when something isn’t working. Because of how big they can be, and the fact they’re made of steel, that makes it all too easy to think that your radiators can last for years without having any problems. 

Well, I hate to be a buzzkill, but there’s a good chance that you have at least one radiator in your home which may be very silently crying out for an upgrade. And because they don’t change appearance over the years, or easily give off warning signs that they’re for greener pastures, how can you tell if you need new radiators? I’ll explain everything you should be looking out for which tells you when it’s time to start looking for a new one and finding which radiator style is right for your home. 

Are they old enough to drink?

Got some ID handy to prove how old your radiators are? You might be shocked to know this, but radiators are not made to last a lifetime, in fact, most radiators have a guaranteed lifespan of around ten years. 

Yeah, manufacturers say that once your radiator makes it over the hill in its first decade, you’re quite lucky not to have any problems. Obviously, the main issue here is that how is anyone supposed to know how old they’re radiators are? If they’ve been in your home as long as you have and are ticking along nicely, you should be all right. 

This is a bit of information I feel everyone should have in the back of their minds, especially if you’ve had radiators since Y2K. Your radiators should keep working fine if looked after; otherwise, you might want to think about updating.

Are you getting cold patches?

Speaking of looking after radiators, do you know how to bleed your radiator/ check for sludge/ know if it’s corroding/ know if valves are broken? (The list goes on really). A radiator past its prime will be sending out signals to tell you it isn’t up to scratch anymore. The clearest example would be from cold patches in the top and middle of the radiator. It’s a sign of dirt in there. 

While it can usually be power flushed out if you find all the radiators in your home have cold patches and are showing signs of taking longer than expected to heat up, the inside of the colder radiators could be corroding and pushing rusty water through the system.

Are your bills going up?

Like a good detective movie, if you start following the money and notice energy bills are going up because you’re using more energy, but not using more heating products, it’s a sign radiators are trying too hard.

Think of it like an old car. You need to give it more oomph to keep going, and old radiators will suck up as much hot water as possible to hit the temperature you’re going for. The older the radiator and the longer it takes, the less efficient and more costly it will be on your end.

Fancy a new radiator?

Has all this chatter of radiators got you glancing over at yours and thinking it might be time for an update? Make sure you check out some of the delightful designs and features of the radiators from the lovely folk at Trade Radiators. As an online-only store, they deliver directly to customers, which is ideal during a time like now where the last thing you want to do is queue outside a DIY store.

Feel like redecorating this summer?

Whether you’re changing radiators, want to upgrade what has become your home office, or feel some walls could do with a new lick of paint, have a quick flick through the home life section of the blog. There are some fantastic recent articles covering topics like working from home, staying productive and bathroom lighting ideas.

Trust me, after reading a few articles, you’ll come away with a million ideas for your home.