Radiators heat your home through a process called convection. Convection occurs when dense, cold air sinks, is heated by your radiator, and then rises as it warms. This movement creates a current of warm air that circulates throughout your room.
They Have a Thermostatic valve, these valves are fitted to the radiators to control the temperature of the room through it.
Here’s how radiators work.
- Water is heated in a boiler that is located in a different area than the radiator, typically a basement or utility room.
- The steam created by the boiling water then travels through pipes to reach the radiator.
- The heat created by the steam heats the radiator itself and that heat is radiated into the room.
- As the steam moves through the coils, it cools and condenses into water, which is then returned to the boiler to begin the process over again.
- While the radiator can be hot to the touch, they don’t get hot enough to be a fire hazard, so they are a very safe form of heating. You can even use them to dry your clothes or pre-heat a blanket before snuggling on the couch. (But cloth, especially polyester, shouldn’t be left on the heater unattended.)
