How does a cast iron radiator work?
Cast iron radiators are often white or grey in colour and are made - of course - of cast iron. The cast iron itself is what gives these radiators their high levels of inertia and energy efficiency. Cast iron radiators provide soft, pleasant heating for your home.
Cast iron radiators are often connected up to the central heating system in your home, if they’re hot water cast iron radiator models. With these types of radiators, the hot water is heated by your central heating that runs on oil, wood, solar power, and so on. The hot water - which is heated to levels of about 40 to 50 degrees centigrade - circulates through the hot water radiators. This raises to 70 to 90 degrees centigrade for a higher temperature cast iron radiator.
Cast iron radiators offer excellent inertia levels, meaning they accumulate a great amount of heat while they’re turned on and heating your home. Then, when they’re turned off, cast iron radiators continue to emit the heat that they have stored up. This means that they can continue to heat the room after they’ve been turned off.
This is great for saving on the price of energy bills and it’s also key for energy efficiency, which helps to protect the environment. Heating from cast iron radiators is constant, lasting and very pleasant. So, cast iron radiators are ideal for saving on your energy bills while reducing your energy losses!
Cast iron inertia radiators
Cast iron inertia radiators are more technologically advanced versions of traditional cast iron radiators. Unlike hot water cast iron radiators, inertia cast iron radiators are electric and not linked up to your home’s central heating system.
Inertia cast iron radiators have a core heating section that is made of cast iron (a solid inertia element) or is formed of a liquid (a fluid inertia element). Inertia cast iron radiators with fluid inertia elements are actually even better at retaining high levels of heat while they’re turned on.
This means that this type of inertia cast iron radiator offers the best levels of energy efficiency and possibility for lowering the price of your energy consumption.
What are the advantages and disadvantages of cast iron radiators?
Cast iron radiators have many plus points, but also some key drawbacks. The vital points to consider range across style, design, price and high or low inertia levels. Make sure to read through the list below to get a good overview of all these aspects!
There are many advantages of cast iron radiators…
- Cast iron is a high quality material
- Cast iron has natural thermal properties
- Cast iron radiators have proven their worth over multiple years of popularity
- Cast iron radiators have a traditional style, with an aesthetic design usually in white or grey
- These types of radiators have high levels of inertia, boosting energy efficiency
- Cast iron radiators provide gentle, constant heating
- There’s low risk of rusting
- Cast iron radiators have a very long useful life, so won’t need replacing
- You can change your central heating system without needing to replace your cast iron radiators (a great option for renovation!)
- Low temperature cast iron radiators reduce energy consumption while emitting pleasant heat
- You can install a thermostat on your cast iron radiators to control your energy usage and the price of your bills
…and only a few disadvantages
- Long heating times depending on the size and performance level of the cast iron radiator (reaching the ideal temperature can take a while)
- Some hot water cast iron radiators carry a high price, especially for the largest, most elegant cast iron radiators with high levels of style within the design
- Cast iron radiators take up quite a bit of space in the home
- You may see some rusting over time, depending on the design of the cast iron radiator model and the material used to manufacture it
Easy to install on a cast iron radiator, the Netatmo Smart Thermostat lets you program your radiators quickly and easily! Straight from your smartphone or tablet, you can adjust the output levels of your cast iron radiators based on defined time slots. With remote control, you can save even more on your energy bills and optimise your cast iron radiators’ high efficiency!
How much do hot water cast iron radiators cost?
It’s tricky to put an exact price on hot water cast iron radiators - it really depends on the design, style, size, number of elements, high or low performance and efficiency, and so on.
More basic cast iron radiators will come in at a lower price, but the more efficient cast iron models will carry a higher price tag. Plus, there are collector models that are really prized for their cast iron design - those are significantly more costly.
You’ll also need to factor in an installation cost to connect your cast iron radiators up to your home central heating system. Opt for a handyman visit, or give it a go yourself if you're feeling confident about all those valves!
In terms of design and price, cast iron radiators are a great option for adding heat to your home. Cast iron hasn’t gone out of fashion yet - we’re sure it’s a radiator material that’s here to stay in terms of stylish home design. Play, they’re easy to connect up to your central heating system. Although nowadays steel hot water radiators are giving cast iron radiators a run for their money, cast iron models maintain their unquestionable style.