Cold kitchen - suggestions please

[mumof3teens]

Can anyone please suggest suitable a heating method for our kitchen? We had a new kitchen installed approx 5 years ago and were recommended plinth heaters (2), as no wall room for radiators. They are absolutely useless and the kitchen is really cold in winter. They just seem to blow out cool air. Should have had underfloor heating had we known how pathetic the plinth heaters would be. Would be really grateful for any suggestions.

if you are completely sure that your plinth heaters (which are a variety of fan heater) blow out cold air, and it is no warmer than the air in your kitchen, then either they are faulty, or they are set to blow-only with the heat turned off.

Is that what you really mean?

Have they always been like that or did they emit heat when new?

If you mean that they emit heat, but not as much as the size of room requires, that's a different issue and you need to find the documentation to look up what wattage they are, and compare that to the heat loss of your kitchen from its size, the size of external walls and windows.

I have a plinth heater in the kitchen and I have to switch it off because I get too hot.
Are you sure they are working properly?

Thanks for answering. They have been like that from new. When we queried it the kitchen company said they aren't as efficient as radiators :( It is listed on our bill as 'hydronic' plinth heater? I am trying them again as I write but just cold air :(

it might be www.e-tradecounter.co.uk/p-228-hydronic-central-heating-plinth-kickspace-heater.aspx this thing.

So, are they totally cold, or are they just not very warm?

and, were they installed by kitchen fitters or by a plumber/heating engineer?

Totally cold. I've just spoken to the manufacturer, who were really helpful. I've done everything they asked me to do: take the grilles off, Hoover out, feel the pipes inside, switch my c heating up to max and turn all radiators off in case of airlock etc. Still cold. Were fitted by kitchen company plumber. V expensive kitchen :( Next step ring plumber I think. Might ring British Gas, as they service our boiler/radiators.....

And were £250 without labour....

yes, the ones in the link draw their heat from the CH pipes, same as radiators.

If you have turned off all the other rads and they still don't warm up (this will tend to force all the flow from the pump to go through these heaters) then I reckon they are plumbed wrong, or perhaps there is a valve that has been left shut.

BG are usually expensive, and may say that they don't cover incorrect installation faults, so also ask friends and neighbours for a local heating engineer. This particular job doesn't involve working on the boiler, so you don't need a Gas-Safe registered person. Most plumbers will understand piping faults, which I suspect you have.

Thank you v much. B G are coming on Thurs. I told them what the problem was, so will have to see what they say - we have a contract with them. Otherwise will do as you say.

Are they working properly now?

No! He came last week but needed to order new parts. He's here at the moment - booked in for 3 hrs - lots of muttering and swearing quietly :0 Can't believe he will sort it really :(

Update- hoses were gunked up. B G man changed them (took 3 hrs). All lovely and warm now :) Thanks everyone for helpful comments. Was worth the £20 per month for boiler care.

So pleased for you! Enjoy the warmth.

that's interesting, were these heaters installed on quite an old heating system? If it has a lot of sediment in it, you can get a system filter fitted which will trap any circulating particles before they can accumulate into new blockages. It will cost about £100 plus fitting if you get a local plumber or heating engineer to fit it (it will not be covered by your BG service contract, but neither will more than one blockage problem unless you pay them ££££££s for a powerflush)

Ah thats interesting PJ. The house was built in 1995, so not sure whether that would be classed as old. The kitchen was installed approx 7 yrs ago.

not terribly old then. But if you have a feed and expansion tank in the loft, and not a sealed system with a pressure gauge on the boiler, then you do get a certain amount of corrosion, which leads to sediment (usually black iron oxide) from the steel radiators. There are some fairly simple and inexpensive things you can do, as long as it is not left long enough to cause a blockage. Once blocked it is much more work.

If you have a combi, it is almost certain to be pressurised, and as it is a sealed system, there is not much fresh oxygenated water getting into the system to cause corrosion, so more likely to be clean.