Published: 4 November 2014
Category: Technical articles
Dimplex’s new Q-Rad electric radiator combines radiant and convection heating elements with delayed start anticipatory control, to provide heat exactly when it is wanted, and as economically as possible. It is suitable for both older buildings and new, and is also of interest where greater building sustainability is required:
Having many features that drive efficiency, Q-Rad has been designed to provide efficient, quick and cost-effective heating, delivering maximum comfort at minimum cost. Even the shape of the air outlet louvers has been optimised to speed up the heat-up time and help direct hot air into the room, rather than heating the wall, which can prevent heat loss to other rooms - and even other linked properties.
The most advanced feature is an intuitive self-learning algorithm, which determines the thermal characteristics of a room and calculates how long the appliance needs to reach a target temperature based on factors such as room size, heat losses and the prevailing weather.
This innovative delayed start feature enables the Q-Rad to decide at what time it needs to start heating in order to reach the user defined target temperature, at a specified time. The new electric radiator can even detect when a window has been opened and shuts down to a half-power setting to save energy, reducing running costs.
A higher heat output too
The combination of radiant and convection heating enables a higher heat output for the same chassis size as comparable products, delivering a more sleek and attractive appliance, and also offers the potential to reduce running costs too.
Anybody sitting close to the heater will feel the benefit of radiant heat, similar to a wet system radiator, which means that in many situations, users can achieve their desired comfort levels with a lower ambient air temperature - particularly where there is only one occupant in each room.
This electric radiator also includes what is believed to be one of the most accurate controls available, which holds the set temperature to within 0.2°C, plus a touchscreen electronic user interface that offers ease of use with colour coded temperature gradients for the thermostat output reading.
Crucially for installers, Q-Rad is quick and easy to fit, and is available in a choice of sizes to meet the required heating loads.
Explained Chris Stammers, marketing director for Dimplex: “This is a hugely exciting development for the electric heating market. Q-Rad is the result of extensive research and development, and will ultimately meet the demand of households looking for low-cost, convenient heating solutions. Its innovative features, such as the predictive warm-up function and highly accurate control system, represent the future of heating technology, offering an unprecedented level of control and maximum comfort for the users.
“For added peace of mind, it also has no fewer than four different safety devices built into the heater to ensure that it will switch off if accidentally covered, is BEAB approved and can deliver the promise that each model is 100 per cent tested, not batch tested before it leaves the factory.”