tinfoil down the back of a radiator ??..
 

So, I have a mate and he has put tinfoil on the wall behind his radiators and he swears that it is making his house warmer and that it works, further more he recons that you can buy a real product designed for this purpose.. I think he is mad, anyone know if he is right ??...

I've known others doing the same.. Can only assume it reflects the heat back into the room rather than just heating the wall..


Edit... Added link



https://www.thisismoney.co.uk/money/...rgy-bills.html

Well no he is not mad,Tin foil will reflect the heat back into the room instead of being absorbed into the walls;)

You know I understand what you are saying there mate, but it cant really make that much of a difference, can it ?. I honestly think he is pulling my leg..

It will reflect heat away from the wall and back onto the room... what do you think all of that heat shielding between your exhaust and the body of the car does..... :)

I'm blown away mate, I honestly thought he was pulling my leg.. You really do learn something new everyday..

I know but it just sounds so daft..

I have found placing curtains that are above radiators (nearly all our rads are below windows) either behind the top of the radiator or better still on top of the windowsill does wonders for keeping the rooms warmer.

If you don’t do this most of the heat goes behind the curtain and out the window!

As regards a reflector behind the radiator - they may work, never used them. But I do believe that to have a cosy home then the actual fabric of the house, quite literally the “bricks and mortar” needs to become warm.

If you are only heating the air in the rooms then when the heating goes off the heat will dissipate fairly quickly.

In contrast - every autumn we crank up the heating for a month or two to warm the entire building and now the heating just comes on to top up rather than heat the entire space all over.

We do the same with our hot water. We rejected a combi boiler because it makes moresence to “trickle” heat an already hot water tank rather than heat it, use a bit, let it go cold then waste a heck of a lot of energy heating it all up again.:shrug:

If you think in car terms - our cars work better at temperature. There is a real advantage in being constantly warm rather than ping-ponging from warm to cold.

A neighbour only has her heating on for a few hours at night and a few hours in the morning. She is cold during the day and needs an electric blanket at night!!

We live in very similar homes and our energy bills are marginally less than hers. And we are warm 24/7

Well then prove it or disprove it ,If you have central heating cover some cardboard in Tin Foil and shove it down the back of the Rads...:shrug:

The house has some kind of insulating board behind the radiators, the side facing the radiators is silvered. My folks fitted it years ago.