How big a radiator do I need?

The question really is "How much heat do I need to get from the radiator, to be warm?"

Radiators, whether steam or hot water, all do the same thing: they are vessels for the steam and hot water produced in the basement. The more radiator you have, the greater amount of heat you can get from the furnace or boiler to the room where you are sitting.

• The heat from radiators is quantified by the amount of suface area on the radiator.

• Small rads have very little surface area while large rads have a lot of surface area.

The reason why radiators are and were produced in so many shapes is because there are a lot of cold rooms in the world that need different sizes to fit just right.

Either under a window or tall against a wall, radiators are part of a room, just like your bed or favorite Lazy-Boy recliner. The only difference is that rads are a little more difficult to move.

Sizing a radiator for both comfort, ease of installation, and aesthetics is the key.