What Are The Standard Radiator Sizes?

When looking for new radiators for your home, size is an important factor to consider. A radiator that’s too small won’t put out enough heat to keep the room comfortable. On the other hand, a radiator that’s too large will take up more of your much-needed space, have a higher price tag and won't add any significant benefit to heating your home. While larger radiators allow us to lower our flow temperatures, which will reduce our energy usage, going too big won't add significant value. We want the right-sized radiator for our heating system and flow temperature. So it's best to choose the right size radiator for your room and heat requirements. Make sure you’re choosing the correctly sized radiator with UK Radiators for the perfectly cosy home.

Standard radiator sizes

Back in the day, radiators came in a fixed range of sizes and you weren’t able to customise them. Nowadays, however, the “standard” range of radiators has expanded to many other shapes, orientations, and sizes so you’re no longer restricted to any particular size. Typically, you will find that although radiators now come in many different widths, there is a range of standard heights that most radiators adhere to. Most horizontal models are available in 500mm and 600mm heights while vertical models typically come in 1600mm and 1800mm heights (although some of our ranges are also available in 800mm, 1200mm, and 1400mm). When it comes to horizontal measurements, however, there are many more options for you to choose from to perfectly fit any-sized space. Here are some of the most popular sizes of radiators that UK Radiators offers.

Bathroom radiators

Bathroom radiators tend to lean towards the tall and narrow, utilising as much vertical space as possible. As bathrooms tend to be smaller than other rooms in the house, and you have wet towels that need to dry out, these slim but tall radiators are the perfect options. Our bathroom radiators currently range from the smallest height of 600mm to the largest of 1800mm with a variety of options in between. Widths start from 200mm to 1000mm, so you're sure to find your ideal size.

Column Radiators

Column radiators are available in a very wide range of different sizes - from narrow 196mm to 1370mm in width and 300mm to 1800mm in height, to fit in narrow nooks or to help fill dead space below wide windows, and everything in between. As you can see, the dimensions are pretty flexible but one thing to keep in mind is that column radiators are available in 2, 3, 4, and 6-columns depending on your heating requirements.

Designer Radiators

Just like with column radiators, designer radiators are available in a large range of different sizes. Sleek and stylish in design, designer radiators are available in a multitude of colours and can fit into both into the tightest nooks and open spaces alike. No matter the size or style of your space, you’ll find a designer radiator to fit it. Our designer rads come in heights starting at the small 190mm to the large 1800mm and widths from 272mm to 1800mm. So, whether you're looking for something short and wide or tall and thin, there's a radiator here for you. Many of our designer radiators also come in single and double panel variations, so if you are restricted on size but need more heat then you can simply purchase the double panel instead of the single.

Central Heating Radiators

The most common type of radiator you might find in a home is a central heating radiator - also known as Type 11 radiators. These single panel radiators have the most limited size ranges but are, nevertheless, still versatile for most spaces. Heights range from 300mm to 900mm while widths range between 300mm and 1960mm - ideal for almost any space! Central heating radiators are also available in Type 21 (double panel, single convector) and Type 22 (double panel, double convector), increasing the heat output whilst taking up the same amount of space in your room.

Buy by Heat Output

Despite a wide range of radiator sizes being available to purchase, when buying your new radiators, it’s important to note that different models and sizes will have different heat outputs. Rather than basing your choice purely on the size, it’s important to choose a radiator based on your heating needs. A living room in a new build, for example, will have very different heating requirements than in an older home due to the different rates of heat loss. Therefore, instead of choosing a radiator based purely on size or style, use our BTU Calculator to work out what heat output your home needs.