November 1st is National Radiator Day and leading radiator manufacturer Stelrad Radiators is throwing its weight behind a campaign by its industry body – MARC – the Manufacturers Association of Radiators and Convectors – urging the industry to check that all radiators comply with BS-EN442.
With over 200 million radiators in properties across the UK, MARC members are taking the opportunity to ensure that anyone selling or purchasing a new radiator is aware of their legal obligations to ensure they are appropriately tested and are advertised with the correct heat output. Information about this can be found on the MARC web site under Legal Requirements For Radiators.
Here is a summary of the construction products legal requirements for radiators:
- Manufacturers and retailers shall provide a Declaration of Performance (DOP) that includes outputs at Delta T (ΔT)50 and ΔT30 for radiators to BS-EN442 by an independent accredited laboratory.
- This Declaration of Performance shall be available on manufacturers’ and retailers’ websites.
- The legal requirement is for radiator outputs to be provided in Watts.
- Manufacturers and retailers advertising radiators with an output of ΔT60 or higher are breaking the law and misleading the consumer.
Hydronic radiators and towel rails are included in the Construction Products Regulation and have a designated standard that provides a detailed testing method for determining the heat output of a radiator.
Unfortunately, some radiator and towel rail outlets are breaking the law by advertising radiators with higher outputs that, when fitted, would not heat a room to the desired temperature. The consumer is likely to blame the heat source, the installer or the heating engineer or the controls, not realising that it’s simply the radiator that is too small.
By turning up the heat, they would be compromising the efficiency of their boiler or heat pump and increasing their heating bills. Mis-selling is on the increase and has the potential to damage the reputation of the heating industry.
MARC has been assisting the Office of Product Safety Safet and Standards (OPSS) – a government department – with their ongoing investigations, and an update of the actions they have taken will be released in early 2026. OPSS works to ensure consumer and business confidence by regulating product safety, weights and measures, and standards, and by enforcing various product regulations.
Stelrad’s Head of Marketing is Chris Harvey: “We’re pleased to support MARC’s efforts to ensure that all radiators sold in the UK meet the legal requirements and comply with BS-EN442. As a major manufacturer of these popular heating appliances we’re 100% behind the efforts of the Association to ensure customers are not misled when selecting the products they need to share heat around their homes.”
For more information on the huge range of Stelrad radiator options head to www.stelradprofessional.com.