Electric radiators are a great way to quickly heat your home, and they are easy to use as they simply plug in. If you are planning to purchase a new radiator, make sure it is certified as energy efficient. Along with this, you can do some things yourself at home to improve the efficiency even more to ensure you and your family stay comfortable during the upcoming cold months.

Control the Temperature

Most radiators feature a thermostat, which allows you to change the temperature. If your radiator is older and does not have a thermostat, considering hiring someone to retrofit one on it. The thermostat is important, as it senses the air temperature in the room, and regulates how much hot water enters the radiator. This allows it to maintain the temperature the thermostat is set to. Once the desired temperature is achieved, the radiator stops drawing power.

If you have more than one electric radiator in your home, there will be a thermostat for each one. This means you can set each electric radiator to different temperatures. This is helpful if you have someone in your home that likes it cold, and someone else that likes the temperature much warmer. If you leave your home for vacation, you can simply turn down the thermostats so they will not run while you are gone.

Bleed Radiator

Over time, you need to bleed your radiator to keep it running efficiently. Feel the radiator with your hands. If the top feels cold and the bottom feels warm, this is a sign that there is trapped air. Fortunately, this is very simple to fix yourself. Look at the top of your radiator for a small valve. Use a flat screwdriver or radiator key to turn the valve counterclockwise. Do this slowly, as you need to stop when you start seeing water drip out of the valve.  Leave the valve open until you hear air start seeping out of it. When you stop hearing the air, close the valve tightly.

Reflector Panels

If your electric radiator is placed on a wall, you can lose heat through bricks and motor. To take care of this problem, use a reflector panel to reflect the heat back into your room. These panels are simple to install, as they are placed on the exterior wall behind the radiator. You can purchase one of these reflector panels at a home improvement store. If you want to save money, you can make one yourself by covering a piece of precut cardboard with tin foil. Just make sure the cardboard is larger than the radiator.

If you have problems with any of this, contact a heating repair technician to come to your home to look at your radiator. They can make sure it is running efficiently.