Hybrid radiators?

As in, something that will fit in the same space as my traditional radiator but can also be heated by electricity as well the CH system. Why? Becauase I work from home during the day a lot, I don’t want the whole house heated but a bit of extra boost in my work room would be nice. Of course, oil-filled rads or other plug-in heaters are fine, but there’s no neat place to put a heater other than where the rad is.

They apparently exist, but they look like they are not particularly easy to get. Anyone got any experience or knowledge?

Sounds like a faff and an expensive way to achieve what an oil filled rad would do. You have a desk to work from? Oil filled rad underneath it.

My feet go underneath the desk.

If there was place to put an oil filled rad where it wasn’t in the way, I’d have already done it. I want to know specifically if they exist and if anyone’s looked at or installed them.

We have an electic heating element in the towel rail in the bathroom – means we can still dry the towels when it’s cooler but not cold enough for the central heating to be on. It doesn’t get hot enough to warm the room really (think it’s a 250w element).

Slim panel rad under the desk is the best way of staying warm I’ve found (well that and a spot lamp with an incandescent bulb point at the mouse and keyboard to keep my hands warm). tghis sort of thing are slim enough not to take up too much space: https://www.argos.co.uk/product/9164277

An under desk solution would need to be the size of a 23″ monitor to fit under my desk.

It would be entirely possible to add a heating element to a traditional rad, with a bit of bodging. You could even add it externally, the metal skin would transmit enough heat I’m sure. Hmm……

Have a look at slim infrared heating panels. They just heat “surfaces” rather than the air around so you may find theyre comfortable but more efficient in use. Also , taking less space and very slim.

eg
https://www.amazon.co.uk/CURVED-STANDING-INFRARED-HEATING-PANEL/dp/B071Z3541T?ref_=fsclp_pl_dp_7

1kw – fill your boots 🙂 https://www.diy.com/departments/heating-plumbing-cooling/radiators/radiator-heating-elements/DIY1652556.cat they just go between the existing valve and the rad.

You need thermostatic or they can boil the water in the rad (which is why oil ones are oil filled as the boiling point is higher so they can take and transmit more heat).

https://radiwarm.com/

Not quite what you’re after, but it’s a friend of mine’s business so an opportunity for a plug 🙂

I was looking into just this. I think the largest towel heating element I found was 600w. Most “normal rad” .5″ BSP, some 3/4_ BSP.

This would not fit a type 2 rad, but would a type 1 rad. Ideally you would want you rad to be plumbed top to bottom (either same end or opposite end) so that you could place the element low.

If you have a column radiator this would be better still as they have 1″ BSP or 1.5″ BSP fittings. There are are quite a few 1.5kw to 2.5kw elements once you get to this size fitting. They however are without thermostat control so you would have to rig up your own thermostat. This would probably be used as an interposing relay as most thermostats I have seen would not handle the current for a 1.5+kw element, but that’s easy.

Combining the heat quality of gas central heating systems

I’m intrigued as to what this actually is!!

Hope that mad sense. I m better with a bit of paper I. Front of me.

We have dual fuel towel radiators but we were advised to switch them off in the winter (when the CH is on) and when used in the summer, to isolate them using the rad valves (just opened slightly to allow for water expansion) otherwise the radiator will be trying to heat not only the radiator but much of the water in the rest of the CH system.

Slightly different approach here, but essentially the same thing….
https://www.towelradiator.co.uk/how-to-use-a-dual-fuel-towel-radiator

1kw – fill your boots

Oh, now that looks interesting and might actually be a viable cheap solution. Would also be handy on our actual towel rails as they are cold all summer long.

We have dual fuel towel radiators but we were advised to switch them off in the winter (when the CH is on) and when used in the summer, to isolate them using the rad valves (just opened slightly to allow for water expansion) otherwise the radiator will be trying to heat not only the radiator but much of the water in the rest of the CH system.

Hmm, can’t see how a heater in the bottom of a rad would try and heat the rest of the CH system. The warm water would rise, heating the top of the rad then down to where the element is and then it’d shut off.

would ‘smart’ TRVs not give you the same option without changing the rad? then you can control the temp in each room on a timetable, or from an app

Hmm, can’t see how a heater in the bottom of a rad would try and heat the rest of the CH system. The warm water would rise, heating the top of the rad then down to where the element is and then it’d shut off.

because a standard radiator with a TRV has a temperature controlled valve as the input valve and an open valve at the exit. you are going to be locally heating the water in that radiator but not closing it off from the rest of the system. ok, so it’s not pumped but the rest of the system will be a heat sink.

would ‘smart’ TRVs not give you the same option without changing the rad? then you can control the temp in each room on a timetable, or from an app

Yes that would work, e.g. Evohome system. You could then choose to have the kitchen or whatever warm during the day too. The cost to buy the system does mount up though – ideally need a smart TRV on every rad.

+1 for doing this with smart TRVs

Title sounds a great idea for warm handlebars, saddle and maybe pedals in the cold. 😉

would ‘smart’ TRVs not give you the same option without changing the rad?

I’ve thought about this too. I think that the central heating always has to have a certain load to create enough of a temperature drop between boiler input and output, otherwise bad things. That’s why the hallway rads (three of) don’t have TRVs whereas the rest do. So even with smart TRVs the boiler would be on a lot I’d be heating rooms I didn’t want heated. Also the heat loss sending the hot water through the entire house to my room would be significant.

Plus they are expensive.

ok, so it’s not pumped but the rest of the system will be a heat sink.

Not sure how significant it’d be though. Water isn’t a great conductor, convection isn’t an issue, and the pipes are plastic.