What Are Hot Water Radiators?
Domestic/residential hot water radiators, or simply central heating radiators, are really just ‘heat emitters’ that are used for space heating and although commonly called radiators, only 20% of the heat given off by a radiator is actually radiant heat – contrary to popular belief, in fact 80% is given off through convection. This is simply because the radiator exposes a hot surface in a room that creates convection currents and so circulates the warmed heated air above by attracting colder air at the bottom. Most central heating radiators are water-based. You can however buy stand-alone oil-filled electric radiators but this page refers only to water-based radiators.
