In this blog we offer advice on kitchen heating as part of a series of articles covering all aspects of kitchen design. Style Within has designed and managed kitchen installations since 2004.
Kitchen planning
Your kitchen design should consider the type of heating required. Wet underfloor heating, electrical underfloor heating, radiators, plinth heaters or no separate heating (if you have a range cooker perhaps) are all options. To some extent, this will be driven by budget – to install two new radiators might cost £800 whereas a new wet underfloor heating system might set you back £3000. Equally, you need to plan the space, and there may be insufficient walls to mount radiators. Underfloor heating really is great.
Kitchen radiators
If you must fit radiators, consider tall, elegant designs which take up less wall space. When planning your kitchen layout, include any radiator positions and heights. Most heating websites like Trade Radiators offer a heating calculator so you can work out the radiator sizes and quantities required for the space. You enter the room size, number of outside wall, amount of glazing, insulation levels and so on, and the calculator works out your required output for the space. You can then relate this to specific radiators. Use two or more calculators to check that the figures are about right.
Underfloor heating
If the budget stretches to an underfloor heating system, then you don’t have to worry about radiators on walls. But you will need to accommodate the heating manifold somewhere (for a wet system). It is possible to fit one in a kitchen cabinet if necessary, preferably close to the boiler.
An electric underfloor heating mat will have a wall mounted controller. Generally speaking, if you have a very small kitchen, an electric heating mat is probably sufficient; for a large kitchen, it is probably worth investing in a wet system.
Plinth heaters
Some people consider having no separate heating in the kitchen, but we suggest otherwise. Why would you want to fetch that early morning cup of tea in the freezing cold? During my childhood with no central heating, the kitchen was very cold in Winter. Some houses had an overhead electric element, but it was never satisfactory.
In a recent project where the apartments had no gas in the block, we fitted a plinth heater to take the chill off the floor. Most models work like an electric fan heater blowing warm from beneath a unit as in the image below. Others blow air through a hot water matrix.
Kitchen heating
There’s not a great deal more to say about kitchen heating – just don’t forget to plan for it.
Style Within has been designing and overseeing kitchen installations since 2004. We manage everything for you from design through to delivery of the total kitchen including planning applications and building work. If you think we may be able to help with your kitchen renovation in Bath or Bristol, we’d invite you to read more about our services.
