If you want to reduce your heating costs in winter, you can insulate your radiators by installing insulation panels behind them as heat protection. Poor heating performance can result from heat losses that occur in the radiator niches. Instead, good insulation in terms of thermal performance could be a smart way to increase energy efficiency. Below you will find some tips and important information about thermal insulation in radiator niches in different ways.
How an aluminum-clad insulation board can insulate radiators
This system is the simplest of all and can be implemented even by less experienced people. In fact, heat-reflecting insulation panels are not expensive in large hardware stores and offer a cost-effective option for internal thermal insulation. In addition, there are different thicknesses, although it is advisable to focus on 3 to 6 millimeters. So you can have oneachieve optimal thermal protection. After purchase, you have to cut the panel to size and use it to insulate the radiator niche. The advantage is that you prevent heat loss by insulating walls behind radiators. All existing heat is reflected in the room and stays there for much longer.
Installing an insulation board with reflective foil does not require any prior knowledge. The structure plays the role of a barrier between the heat source and the outer wall surface. This can increase the room temperature by 2-3 degrees while reducing your energy consumption by 5-7%. Since heaters in buildings are most often located under windows, the main goal is to warm up the air inside and create a heat curtain that prevents cold penetration from the street. Additionally, this causes heat to spread from a heated object to a cold one. The wall temperature is correspondingly lower than that of the radiator. In the cold season, the surface behind it warms up to 35-40 °C. This means you can use some of the energy to heat the outside walls.
Advantages of thermal insulation in radiator niches
If you use such an element to insulate behind radiators, you will redirect heat into the interior of the room instead of heating the outside walls. This allows you to increase the temperature in the living space and save on heating costs at the same time. Such installations can also be decorative by emphasizing inconspicuous places. Thanks to the cold air from below, the radiators do not become clogged with dust and are easy to clean. However, the main advantage remains the supply of warm air into the room, as well as the prevention of moisture penetration.
Use expanded polyurethane foam
Materials have different abilities to conduct heat. To reduce energy consumption, the reflective screen must have low thermal conductivity - no higher than 0.05 W / (m ∗ K). However, indoors it is not recommended to use structures made of combustible materials with a loose structure. For example, mineral wool, which emits formaldehyde and microscopic dust, is not suitable for indoor thermal insulation. A suitable thermal conductivity coefficient is 0.039 W/(m∗K).
However, reflective panels made of insulation materials based on polyurethane foam have proven to be the best. They are hypoallergenic and safe for human health. The thermal conductivity of different species ranges from 0.029 to 0.032 W / (m ∗ K). Four millimeters of this barrier retains the same amount of heat as 10 centimeters of mineral wool. A layer of 3 to 5 millimeters is sufficient to insulate between the wall and the heater. You should duplicate the heat-insulating panel behind the radiator with aluminum.
Use the foam method
This method requires more experience in the industry. In fact, the installation consists of a small work on the wall that limits the perimeter of the radiator niche in order to be able to carry out the thermal insulation directly behind the radiators. You can do the following:
- Use a drill to drill a few symmetrical holes in the wall.
- Inject polyurethane foam, which naturally dries instantly and expands in the holes, to create optimal insulation.
- Of course, you will then have to retouch the wall for an aesthetic improvement.
Attach reflective foil and insulate radiators
Today, many companies and companies produce reflectors for radiators that are designed to reflect different energies, in this case heat. These improve the efficiency of heating devices such as radiators, convectors and many others. During installation, the metallized side comes into contact with the heating register and reflects the thermal energy towards the room, increasing the efficiency of the heating. Polished aluminum has a higher reflectivity for thermal radiation than other metals. This means that the maximum heat returns to the room. However, it is not worth using insulation panels with a double-sided metal backing. The foil layer on the side of the cold wall does not carry any functional load - it simply has nothing to reflect.
Disadvantages of thermal insulation panels in radiator niches
The area behind the radiator does not exceed 5% of the total area of the outer wall of the room. The main heat loss occurs through infiltration and windows. Given this, the improvement in heat transfer in the range of half a meter is tiny. However, when you add up the reduction in heat loss throughout the building, the savings are significant. For uninsulated walls with low thermal resistance, a reflective thermal insulation panel is therefore rather useless. In such cases, the heat loss is so great that the improvement in heat transfer is not even noticeable on a plot of 0.5 m².
Heat loss is higher in buildings where heating devices are located in niches. The walls behind the radiators are thinner and colder than the others. In addition, the heat is given off not to one, but to three low-temperature surfaces at the same time. Therefore, if space permits, it is worth increasing the thickness of the insulation to 10-15 millimeters. In addition to the material, it is important how the reflective panel can insulate the heat from the radiator through its attachment. A poor installation, accordingly, negates the entire expected effect.
Avoid mistakes and insulate radiators through correct installation
If the distance between the floor and the lower part of the radiator is less than 10 centimeters, the productivity of heat transfer decreases and cleaning becomes more difficult. Therefore, do not lift the radiator too high. If the distance between the floor and the heating element is more than 15 centimeters, the air temperature gradient increases relative to the height of the room, especially in the lower part. So do not install your heater near another wall. In addition, the distance between the top edge of the radiator and the window sill should be at least 15 centimeters. Less worsens heat flow. It makes most sense to install a reflective insulation board during the construction phase and after the shell has been completed, before installing the heating system.
- When the repair is complete and the radiator is in place, you will need to remove it.
- The size of the thermal insulation board must correspond to the working surface of the heater. Then it is almost invisible and does not spoil the look of the interior.
- If there is enough space, a lattice base made of thin wooden boards is also a more reliable option. In addition, this creates an air layer between the wall and the thermal insulation board, which has a positive effect on heat transfer.
- It is important to adjust the position of the radiator so that there is a gap of at least one and a half centimeters between the foil cover and the back.
- A thermal insulation board generally does not require any special care. Sometimes just wiping the dust off is enough.
- If the aluminum layer is scratched or torn, metallized tape will help remove the damage, which will not affect functionality in any way.
Also read:“Insulate radiator niches: avoid heat loss during the heating season in various ways”
