Simon Barker:
I suspect most people don't care enough to perform a complicated calculation, based on parameters that are themselves only guesses. There's no point in having a fancy formula if you don't know the correct values to plug into it.
What's the result of fitting an over-sized radiator? It will take up a bit more wall space and cost a few pounds more to buy. But on a cold day it will warm the room up quicker, and if it's fitted with a TRV, it will still shut off when the room is warm enough.
So if in doubt, just pick a radiator that your rule-of-thumb says is big enough for the size of the room. And if in doubt, add a bit.
I can see where you are coming from but it brings the STEM activity document into dispute. Is it a waste of time to teach secondary school students such information if they later start a career in HVAC and are shot down in flames by an ageing plumber with his 1950s rule of thumb either because he doesn't have the knowledge to understand it or is too stubborn to change? Also, what if HVAC folk in other countries adopt more advanced methods producing more accurate results? Should the British just accept that we are laggards because of cultural reasons?
Simon Barker:
I suspect most people don't care enough to perform a complicated calculation, based on parameters that are themselves only guesses. There's no point in having a fancy formula if you don't know the correct values to plug into it.
What's the result of fitting an over-sized radiator? It will take up a bit more wall space and cost a few pounds more to buy. But on a cold day it will warm the room up quicker, and if it's fitted with a TRV, it will still shut off when the room is warm enough.
So if in doubt, just pick a radiator that your rule-of-thumb says is big enough for the size of the room. And if in doubt, add a bit.
I can see where you are coming from but it brings the STEM activity document into dispute. Is it a waste of time to teach secondary school students such information if they later start a career in HVAC and are shot down in flames by an ageing plumber with his 1950s rule of thumb either because he doesn't have the knowledge to understand it or is too stubborn to change? Also, what if HVAC folk in other countries adopt more advanced methods producing more accurate results? Should the British just accept that we are laggards because of cultural reasons?
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