When considering what type of heating system to install in their home, more and more people are choosing a system that uses cast iron baseboard radiators. Although it is sometimes considered an ‘old-fashioned’ form of heating, when integrated into a system that uses a modern source of heat generation, such as an energy efficient boiler, underfloor heating system or even solar panels, a heating system using cast iron plinth radiators has many advantages over many more ‘modern’ systems.

Today’s home heating systems are typically either a sealed hot water system using steel radiators or a ducted hot air system. A system that uses radiators has several advantages over a ducted hot air system. Radiators can be positioned to minimize and eliminate cold spots in areas such as under windows and are much more flexible than hot air systems which must be more centralized.

Additionally, radiators can have very beneficial health advantages over a ducted air system. Their sealed nature means they don’t continuously circulate air in the ductwork where dust will inevitably collect; in fact, many allergy sufferers have noted a marked improvement in their condition after replacing a ducted air system with a sealed, radiator-based system.

What are the advantages of using a cast iron radiator system over a steel one? Steel radiators tend to heat up faster initially than iron radiators, but they also cool down much faster. The increased mass of a cast iron radiator will retain heat for much longer than a thinner steel equivalent, leading to a constant and longer spread of heat rather than abrupt cooling.

Perhaps the most efficient and practical radiators you can install are cast iron baseboard radiators. Also known as floor moldings, baseboards, or mopboards, baseboards are simply the name given to short decorative panels used in buildings to seal the gap between the wall and the floor. Because hot air rises, by placing the heat source as low as possible, a baseboard radiator system will help eliminate any cold spots that develop at floor level.

This type of cast iron radiator system is also much more discreet than a more conventional radiator system. Whether you decide to install a long, low radiator or a system that is literally a plinth and radiator in one is a matter of personal choice. If you live in a period property, you may want to install a system of long, low, ornate radiators to complement your other period features. Alternatively, you may prefer not to be aware of your heating system at all, for example if you don’t want to darken your decor or have features such as wood panelling. In this case, plinth radiators will allow you to not only replace more conventional radiator designs, but the heating pipes are also carried inside the radiator itself for the ultimate in low visibility.

Efficient, inexpensive to install and unobtrusive, it’s easy to see why many more people choose a heating system that incorporates the many benefits of cast iron skirting board radiators.