Steel Radiators

Aluminium Vs Steel Radiators, we’re going to break down the various benefits of steel radiators against aluminium to make things a little easier for you.

Stainless steel is an extremely high-quality metal with numerous desirable qualities you would wish to find in a highly performing radiator. As well as not being able to rust, it’s also an extremely efficient conductor of heat, meaning it’ll do what any radiator worth its coating should, and keep you warm.

Stainless steel radiators retain heat for a longer period of time than aluminium, which means once you’ve turned off the central heating and are no longer burning energy, your house will remain warm, which is a definite benefit – free heat for longer! As well as it’s conductive and non-corrosive properties, stainless steel radiators also look great, with an attractive, polished finish. Give it a wipe down a couple of times a year and it’ll look brand new.

Now of aluminium… Aluminium is a highly conductive element, so buying a radiator made of this metal will give you a radiator that heats up extremely quickly – it just won’t retain the heat for as long once the heating has been turned off. This gives you control over how fast the heating turns on from turning the central heating on. Additionally, the low water content of an aluminium radiator allows it to be highly responsive to thermostat changes, so you can cool the house down quicker if you so desire. The light weight of aluminium, compared to that of a heavier steel radiator is also a benefit. Installation may be somewhat cheaper due to this!

Steel radiators and aluminium radiators both have their benefits, but we would recommend you use our BTU Heat Calculator to find out which is best suited for you.

The smallest Standard Radiator available from Stelrad is the Savanna I Compact – 600mm X 2200mm.

Although this Standard Radiator is small, it certainly packs a punch. The K2 model has an output of 3529 Watts, meaning although it is small in stature, it has the heating capacity to provide far more warmth than you would imagine. Don’t judge a book by its cover!

You will find convection fins on most radiator models. Convection fins are used to increase the contact surface of the radiator tubes to the surrounding air. This results in a much greatly increased level of exchange efficiency, where the coolant is cooled down and fed back into the radiator in a repeated cycle, prolonging your radiator’s life.

The main physical difference is in the layers of convection fins. A K1 Radiator has a single panel and a single convector, while the K2 has a double panel and double convector. K2 radiators typically generate a much greater level of heat, due to the additional layer of convection fins within.

For more information on Standard Radiators and all other Radiator queries, see our Radiator FAQs, or if you would prefer to hear from one of our Radiator Specialists, contact us here.

We are always happy to help and we will get back to you as soon as we can.