# Panels behind Rads to conserve 30% energy



## NHG (29 May 2008)

I was just wondering has anyone had panels installed behind their radiators to throw the heat out into the room instead of the wall heating up.  Its supposed to make your heating up to 30% more effective.  I have 20 rads to be done and am just wondering is it effective.

I saw it on TV3 yesterday morning and had previously picked up a brochure at a show some time ago.

Do they work?

Thank You


----------



## tosullivan (29 May 2008)

NHG said:


> I was just wondering has anyone had panels installed behind their radiators to throw the heat out into the room instead of the wall heating up. Its supposed to make your heating up to 30% more effective. I have 20 rads to be done and am just wondering is it effective.
> 
> I saw it on TV3 yesterday morning and had previously picked up a brochure at a show some time ago.
> 
> ...


where do you get them? I saw that clip also.  Had been meaning to get one of those chimney balloons also for ages but that clip just jogged my memory


----------



## NHG (29 May 2008)

Energy Saving Systems, 091 797 131, 087 417 2228

The brochure says,

Reduce your Heating Bills up to 30% by fitting radiator reflector panels.

Only €300 (aprox) to fit a 4 bedroom home (This covers 10 radiators)

Summary: Faster heat up time, Longer heat retention in radiators when boiler switches off, 20,000 satisfied customers in Ireland in 10 years, Less fuel burned, more environmentally friendly, Low price - we bring the system direct to you (not available in stores), Works with any fuel source - oil, gas, wood, wood pellets or solar panels.

What has me here asking about them is when I called last night (8.00pm)after measuring up all my rads, the lady told me that he was in Carlow (from Athenry) and could call to me last night!  I said no as I had to go out, he is now calling to me at noon today, she was not able to give me a quote even though I had precise measurements all she said is even though the advert says €300 aprox for 10 rads it won't be €600 as I have 20.  He will fit them when he is here today if I want to go ahead with it - I thought that this was a little bit strange!


----------



## Leo (29 May 2008)

€30 a rad is expensive in my mind for what is simply a reflective panel! You can buy similar in builders merchants and the DIY shops for less. I'd also be very dubious about the 30% claim. 

All they do is prevent some of the heat energy from the rad being absorbed by the wall behind it. On external walls fine, but there is a school of thought that says heating internal solid walls is a good thing. The thermal mass of the wall will maintain heat in the house better after the heating goes off. I've read suggestions of painting the walls behind rads on internal walls black to encourage this effect. 


Also, just say it costs €500 to get this installed, what's the pay-back period? Can they provide the technical specs of this product?
Leo


----------



## sas (29 May 2008)

NHG said:


> Reduce your Heating Bills up to 30%


 
Of course 0% is one of the stops on the way up to 30% savings...


----------



## tosullivan (29 May 2008)

I can only see advantages on putting them behind rads on external walls.  No sense on the rads on internal walls.

Believe me when I tell you these chimney balloons really do make a huge difference. Did you see the test they did with the plastic bag on TV3 yesterday?


----------



## sas (29 May 2008)

tosullivan said:


> Believe me when I tell you these chimney balloons really do make a huge difference. Did you see the test they did with the plastic bag on TV3 yesterday?


 
I wouldn't dispute this. A 6 inch dimater hole in any house is going to be a source of big heat loss.

A diy version (I'm told) is to stuff a black bag with fibreglass insulation and stick it in the flue.


----------



## Madilla (29 May 2008)

Anybody recommend best place to buy chimney balloons?


----------



## Leo (29 May 2008)

Madilla said:


> Anybody recommend best place to buy chimney balloons?


 
See this previous thread.
Leo


----------



## NHG (29 May 2008)

Just to update everyone, rang woodies and it would cost €90.00 (not allowing for wastage or mistakes) to buy their roll (3) of reflective panel plus a tube of gripfill or whatever they would use to stick it on, plus OH doing the job which would take a few nights.

The guy came priced the job for €450 and I was still unsure, without asking he done one for free for a demonstration as to what it would look like.  I told him to go ahead, he was a solid 2.5 hrs doing 21 rads (inc one in the hotpress that I thought could'nt be done with the shelving).  He did'nt put any pressure of any sort on me to do the job, said that he was in the area anyway.  He did a very neat job.

Yes, I did take on board the idea of not doing the rads on the internal walls, but only 4 small rads were on internal stud walls.  Thankfully the weather has picked up today, so hopefully I won't be testing them for a while, but I will update you on what I honestly think.

I have no open chimneys as I have two solid fuel stoves and an oil cooker attached to the 3rd chimney.


----------



## ClubMan (29 May 2008)

NHG said:


> but I will update you on what I honestly think.


Seems like a very subjective way to assess the results. A better way might have been to monitor the temperature (e.g. inside and out) for a period of time before and then after the changes and then compare the two to see if there was any significant improvement.


----------



## NHG (29 May 2008)

I have the before temps for four of our rooms with and without heating and the heating is on a timer and the temp is set is set to 60 for the last few weeks (min on stanley oil cooker) and usually at 70/75 in the very cold weather.

I also have a chart for the last few years of how many ltrs of oil used & cost in the year and how much our esb and phone cost, thats why I am here on aam on tips for where to put my savings  (hopefully its not €450 gone out the door)


----------



## ClubMan (29 May 2008)

I hope that's not Centigrade!


----------



## NHG (29 May 2008)

I do love my heat, but not that much , yes fahrenheit


----------



## soy (11 Nov 2008)

Well, did they work?


----------



## BarryY (5 Jan 2009)

[broken link removed]

thinking of picking these up myself and doing the house. Surely can't hurt..


----------



## Chuckles (6 Jan 2009)

NHG... Can you update us on the job you had carried out last year withyour radiator heat reflectors?


----------



## NHG (6 Jan 2009)

I do find that the rads throw the heat out better from the rads now and the house seems to warm up quicker, my sil had them put in since and thinks the same.


----------



## Gordanus (6 Jan 2009)

Hi NHG,
did he use something like the Novitherm panels ?
[broken link removed]

Just wondering how much of a dust-catcher they are, which would wipe out their insulating properties quite fast I think.


----------



## ClubMan (6 Jan 2009)

NHG said:


> I do find that the rads throw the heat out better from the rads now and the house seems to warm up quicker, my sil had them put in since and thinks the same.


If the 30% energy conservation claim was true then surely your heating bills should fall by a similar figure?


----------



## NHG (7 Jan 2009)

I did'nt do my exact calculations yet, but will be doing so over the next few weeks and I will then let ye know then, oil tank does'nt seem to get filled up as often as it used


----------



## NHG (12 Jan 2009)

Did calculations today, got them installed in end of May 08 - bought 1363 Litres of Kerosene since then. For same time previous year (07) up to December 07, we purchased 1935 Litres of Oil which if my calculations are right is a saving of aprox 40%.

Jan to Dec 2007 bought 3287 Litres of Oil
Jan to Dec 2008 bought 3095 Litres of Oil

Oil usually turned off from end May to early october, but I know that it was back on earlier, in mid September this year.  I keep the Oil Cooker thermostat at 70 and even sometimes when weather is milder back at 60 or 65.  

Just checking our ESB consumption 2007 we used 5467 Units at a total cost inc vat €967.62 and in 2008 we used 5278 Units at a total cost inc vat 934.75 - even though the cost of ESB went up.  We aim to be lower this year.

Phone Bill for year cost cost €3 more this year than last year.


----------



## ClubMan (12 Jan 2009)

I don't think that you can necessarily attribute most or all of the savings to these panels.


----------



## Leo (12 Jan 2009)

ClubMan said:


> I don't think that you can necessarily attribute most or all of the savings to these panels.


 
True, you'd at least need to factor in weather conditions.


----------



## DavyJones (21 Jan 2009)

NHG said:


> Did calculations today, got them installed in end of May 08 - bought 1363 Litres of Kerosene since then. For same time previous year (07) up to December 07, we purchased 1935 Litres of Oil which if my calculations are right is a saving of aprox 40%.
> 
> Jan to Dec 2007 bought 3287 Litres of Oil
> Jan to Dec 2008 bought 3095 Litres of Oil



Good detail, It is very interesting 

Would you mind giving more detail on heating system used. 
As in:
Boiler size/make and model
m2 or sq ft of house
How many floors
number of radiators
distance of boiler from main house.


----------



## NHG (22 Jan 2009)

Hi Davy Jones,  our house is 3950 mtr sq, it is a dormer bungalow. It was built in end 1999/2000 with block and standard insulation at that time.    We have a stanley twin burner which is running 23 rads.  We usually have the temp set at 65 and sometimes as low as 60 (lowest it will go) but in this cold spell gague we have it set at 70 and an odd nights we turn it up to 75.

Our house has all 7' high x 9' wide windows and most of the rooms have three outside walls, Our sitting room is 17' x 20' with a front bay window and back window and a set of french doors to the patio and a set of double doors to the sunroom - basically we live in a glass house which has all hardwood windows and doors and is double glazed with k glass. 

We used to have it set at 65 min and usually at 70 pre panels and we now have the heating set lower with the house still at temp still at 20 deg


----------



## Maximus152 (22 Jan 2009)

Wow I am astonsihed to see that you priced Woodies for 3 rolls @ 90 Euro, and he charged you 450 Euro for doing 21 rads in 2 1/2 hours  (thats 7 min per rad)..I would love to work for you. He basically made (Im sure he buys materials in bulk) 300 % profit. Lets be real here, this is basic heat loss material being stuck to wall behind Rad, its not rocket Science, no wires, no controllers, just glue. I am sure it works though and will certainly try it myself, just my 2 pence worth. (how much would you pay to have some one place tin foil under the grill tray , it throws heat back up to the delicious harty morning fry and also acts as a deterant to corrosion of grill tray!)


----------



## joker538 (23 Jan 2009)

NHG said:


> our house is 3950 mtr sq, it is a dormer bungalow.


 
do you mean sq ft?


----------



## galwegian44 (23 Jan 2009)

LOL....my first loud belly laugh of the weekend, hopefully more to come, nice one Maximus 



Maximus152 said:


> I am sure it works though and will certainly try it myself, just my 2 pence worth. (how much would you pay to have some one place tin foil under the grill tray , it throws heat back up to the delicious harty morning fry and also acts as a deterant to corrosion of grill tray!)


----------



## NHG (23 Jan 2009)

Sorry, yes sq ft! and 21 rads not 23 as above.

I have and would pay a proper price to have a job done properly, and not be looking at stuff hanging down the back of my rads and my wall messed with panel adhesive (glue as you called it). It is a lovely clean neat job and it is not obvious that there is anything behind the rads. I was also able to claim it back against tax  as I run a business from my home.

I might take you up on the offer for the grill, I'l price around first!


----------



## Maximus152 (23 Jan 2009)

Your welcome Galwegian44, and NHG, its good to laugh..especailly in these lets just say lean days!


----------



## minion (24 Jan 2009)

I bought a large enough roll of this stuff to do 7 Radiators for £30 in B&Q in Newry.

Its easy to fit.  Just cut 2 slits in it to about halfway up for the brackets where your radiator is attached to the wall.  Slip it down the back of the rad and make sure the slits line up so it goes down all the way.  

Then put some adhesive on the back and lower it down.  Push it against the wall and rub wherever is slack with a stick so it all sticks.

Its not rocket science.
You can buy adhesive that washes off in case you are afraid of getting some on the wall. If you accidentally do get it on the wall wash it with a damp cloth.
You can see if the fit is ok and that none of it is visible when you try the fit before you stick.  Use a scissors to cut it back where it shows. 

There you go.  A €450 job done in a couple of hours for £30. A 1500% saving.


----------



## Maximus152 (24 Jan 2009)

Minion, now thats what Im talking about, you just conveyed my rational eloquently. You see we need to get back to reality in this country, time to be able to do simple tasks your self and tme not to be completely ridden rock solid (in best possible tatse of course). For example, I do all my DIY, I dont think I ever had an electrician/Plumber in my house as I do it all (I am an electrical eng). The saving one makes is quiet startling, I do understand not everyone can do these tasks as I am a terrible painter but my point is self suffiency is the way forward. Currently I am looking up how to make Solar panles (there quiet a simple construction) which they have been doing in Europe for years, they even have Solar clubs where ppl buy the raw material in bulk and exchange skills, like one can do plumbing, electrical and so on. (and no Im not a geek) I am just trying to convey that I think we are becoming redundant in our own homes, this was never the way. Learn some skills, its very rewarding, but more rewarding to pocket, my mum could bake, sow and worked, my Dad was able to do some stuff, but we learned rom them, hence I do quiet a bit for the now and Gladly. Okay, thank you and good night, steps of soap box, walks toward the stage exit there is silence in the room 


How many EMO kids does it take to change a light bulb? none, they like to cry in the dark.

Maximus152
Because Im worth it


----------



## NHG (26 Jan 2009)

Gordanus, yes they do look simular to the ones in the picture that you posted.  He had two different heights to suit the heights of the rads downstairs and the height of the rads upstairs.  

To clean, I use a soft (old fashioned feather type) brush simular to the one that I use to clean the cobwebs from the high celings and corners, that I used to use when I cleaned behing the rads before I had the panels installed.


----------



## suzie (26 Jan 2009)

I assume it only makes sense to apply this to rads on external walls only? Once installed how visible are they? ie do you only install them between the wall brackets of the rad?

Thanks
S.


----------

