5 heat thieves in your living room (and how to tackle them)

In many living rooms, the sofa is placed directly in front of the radiator. It makes sense, as under the window is often the only place it fits. But did you know that by doing this, you prevent a large part of the heat from entering the room? And the sofa is not the only culprit. We list the most common heat thieves for you and show you how to deal with them. Even if you don't want to rearrange your living room.

First, how does heat actually get into your room?

A radiator heats your room in two ways. A small part through radiation: you feel that when you stand right next to it. The largest part through convection. Warm air rises and cold air flows back towards the radiator at the bottom. This creates a natural airflow that slowly warms the room. And that's the crux. Anything that obstructs that airflow causes the heat to stay where you have no use for it.

1. Give your radiator space: don't trap the heat

Your radiator can try as hard as it can, but if the heat has nowhere to go, you gain little from it. A sofa right in front of the radiator, long curtains hanging over it, or a deep windowsill above it: these are all obstacles that hold back the heat. Your radiator is working hard, but your room benefits much less from it. A shame!

What can you do?

Move your sofa forward a bit. Ideally, keep about 30 centimeters of space between your sofa and the radiator. Milieu Centraal also recommends this. Do you want to leave your sofa where it is? Then our SpeedComfort Duo Set is the solution. You simply place it under your radiator, and you can install it without tools. The quiet fans push the warm air into the room, even if a sofa or deep windowsill obstructs the natural airflow. This way, you get the heat where you are sitting, not behind your sofa.
Leave your radiator free. Long curtains, large pieces of furniture, and radiator covers hold back the warm air. So make sure the heat can easily enter the room. For example, choose curtains that end at the windowsill or a roller blind inside the window frame.
Choose wisely when buying a new sofa. A sofa on legs allows cold air to flow more easily under the sofa towards the radiator.

We don't just say this. The German tech platform heise tested several radiator fans and saw benefits precisely in these kinds of situations. This way, you don't have to immediately rearrange your entire living room to get more out of your radiator. Read heise's test here.

2. Air in your radiator

Is the top of your radiator not getting warm, or do you hear ticking and gurgling? Then there is air in it. That air takes up the place of the hot water. A part of your radiator simply does nothing then.

This is how you bleed it:

Turn off the heating and wait a moment until the water has settled.
Start with the lowest radiator in the house and work your way up.
Open the valve with a bleeding key, with a cloth underneath. Close it again as soon as water comes out instead of air.
Then check the water pressure of your central heating boiler. It should usually be between 1.5 and 2 bar. If it's lower, top it up.

The best time? At the beginning of the heating season. So now.

3. Dust between the fins

Dust acts as an insulation layer. A radiator full of dust therefore gives off heat less easily to the air. And as soon as the heating turns on, that dust is also blown into the room.

Cleaning is easiest when the radiator is cold:

Remove the coarse dust with a vacuum cleaner with a narrow nozzle.
Use a special radiator brush between the fins.
Or try an old pair of tights. Move it back and forth behind the radiator; it becomes static and attracts the dust.

4. Heat that disappears through the wall

Your radiator not only heats the air in your room, but also radiates heat towards the wall behind it. Is your radiator against a poorly insulated exterior wall? Then a part of that heat can be lost.

Fortunately, you can easily do something about this. With radiator foil, you limit the heat loss behind your radiator without having to renovate. You attach the foil behind the radiator, so that less heat is lost through the wall.

5. Also take a look at your boiler

Many central heating boilers are still set to a high flow temperature, while your house may also get comfortably warm with a lower temperature. That is interesting, because a condensing boiler works more efficiently when the return water is cool enough.

This is where our radiator fans can help. They ensure that the warm air is spread through your room faster. This way, you can lower the flow temperature in some homes, for example towards 50 degrees, without having to compromise on comfort.

Also setting your thermostat one degree lower can make a big difference in your gas consumption. Try out step by step what works comfortably in your home. Curious how to get the most out of your radiator fan? We will soon share our best energy-saving tips.

Move the heat, not your sofa

Every house is different, so how much heat you gain varies per situation. But one thing is certain: a radiator that can breathe freely does its job much better. So give your radiator space. And can't do that everywhere? Then our SpeedComfort will lend you a hand. Your room (and your energy bill) will thank you.