Modern Building Services

HEATING FEATURE HEATING 26 MODERN BUILDING SERVICES OCTOBER 2021 E lectric pipeless radiators, usually water or silica- sand filled, are widely seen as an innovative heating solution, easy to install and use. End users and contractors like their flexibility, low maintenance and cost-effectiveness. Already popular in domestic settings, they are now being specified for commercial and public sector buildings too. And whereas once they were considered only suitable as an addition to existing gas or underfloor systems, they are now heating entire new or refurbished buildings. Hotels and public libraries are just two successful examples. The radiators generate the same comfortable heat as traditional “wet” systems and, crucially, are energy efficient and benefit from excellent controllability. Furthermore, being electric, they are obviously more sustainable than gas or oil. Compliance There are also regulatory reasons why electric radiators are popular. One is, obviously, the ban on new gas boiler installations from 2025 and another is LOT 20 regulations in force since January 2018. LOT 20 requires any new space heating appliance to be compliant with set energy efficiency standards. Put simply, they need to incorporate intelligent timers, controls and sensors rather than simple on/off settings. Additionally, many are IP44 rated* enabling them to be used in bathrooms. AYorkshire hotel in a magnificent Georgian building recently upgraded its heating system and installed electric radiators as part of a major refurbishment. The existing cast iron radiators and their bulky pipe-work were inefficient and costly to maintain. But installing a new wet system throughout the hotel would have been expensive, creating upheaval for guests and staff. So, the hotel replaced the entire wet system with the water-filled range. Radiators at the heart of heating innovation Nicola Martin , Sales Manager at RadiWarm,® explains why electric pipeless radiators are ideal for many commercial and public buildings.