Hydronic Radiator Heating Auckland

What a radiator does

How radiators heat a room

A radiator heats a room by convection and by radiant heat from the panel. It responds quickly, which suits rooms used for part of the day. The photo below is for illustration; see the ranges below for what we fit.

The ranges

Two brands, four ranges

Aluminium from Fondital in Italy, steel panel from Brugman in Belgium. Between them they cover almost every room shape we meet — low and long under a window, tall and narrow in a hallway, or high output in a big living space.

ResidentialAluminium

Fondital Blitz Super B4

Die-cast aluminium · sectional · made in Italy

Light, slim and quick to respond. Aluminium holds very little water, so it heats up and cools down fast — the one to choose where you want a room to come up quickly, or where the wall or floor will not take the weight of a full steel panel.

Depth 100 mmFinish White RAL 9010Max pressure 16 barMax flow temp 90°CSizes 10

Height × length	Output at ΔT50
350 × 480 mm	764 W
350 × 640 mm	1019 W
350 × 800 mm	1274 W
350 × 960 mm	1582 W
350 × 1120 mm	1783 W
600 × 480 mm	1145 W
600 × 640 mm	1527 W
600 × 800 mm	1909 W
600 × 960 mm	2291 W
600 × 1120 mm	2673 W

ResidentialVertical

Fondital Blitz Garda (vertical)

Die-cast aluminium · 1800 mm tall · made in Italy

The same aluminium sections stood up on end. For hallways, entries and modern rooms with almost no spare wall — it buys output from height instead of length.

Depth 100 mmFinish White RAL 9010Max pressure 16 barMax flow temp 90°CSizes 2

Height × length	Output at ΔT50
1800 × 320 mm	1536 W
1800 × 480 mm	2304 W

Brugman steel panel in three rooms

Brugman steel panel radiator under a window in a bright living room — Under a window.

Brugman steel panel radiator beside a desk in a home office — A home office. Radiators make no noise.

Brugman steel panel radiator on a tiled bathroom wall beside a twin basin — A bathroom. No element, no switch, nothing electrical near water.

ResidentialSlim

Brugman Type 21

Pressed steel panel · one panel, one convector · made in Belgium

The slimmest of the steel panels at 82 mm deep, so it sits close to the wall and disappears under a window. Choose it where depth matters more than maximum output.

Depth 82 mmFinish RAL 9010 epoxy powder coatMax pressure 10 barMax flow temp 120°CSizes 15

Height × length	Output at ΔT50
400 × 600 mm	726 W
400 × 800 mm	968 W
400 × 1000 mm	1210 W
400 × 1200 mm	1453 W
400 × 1600 mm	1937 W
400 × 1800 mm	2179 W
400 × 2000 mm	2421 W
600 × 400 mm	671 W
600 × 600 mm	1007 W
600 × 800 mm	1344 W
600 × 1000 mm	1679 W
600 × 1200 mm	2014 W
600 × 1400 mm	2351 W
600 × 1600 mm	2686 W
600 × 1800 mm	3023 W

High outputSteel

Brugman Type 22

Pressed steel panel · two panels, two convectors · made in Belgium

The workhorse. Double panel and double convector gives roughly 30–40% more heat than a Type 21 of the same size, which is what you want in a big living room, a room with a lot of glass, or anywhere running lower water temperatures off a heat pump.

Depth ~100 mmFinish RAL 9010 epoxy powder coatMax pressure 10 barMax flow temp 120°CSizes 21

Height × length	Output at ΔT50
400 × 600 mm	912 W
400 × 800 mm	1220 W
400 × 1000 mm	1576 W
400 × 1200 mm	1831 W
400 × 1400 mm	2137 W
400 × 1600 mm	2442 W
400 × 1800 mm	2748 W
400 × 2000 mm	3053 W
600 × 600 mm	1283 W
600 × 800 mm	1709 W
600 × 1000 mm	2137 W
600 × 1200 mm	2565 W
600 × 1400 mm	2992 W
600 × 1600 mm	3420 W
600 × 1800 mm	3847 W
600 × 2000 mm	4275 W
600 × 2400 mm	5130 W
1800 × 400 mm	1979 W
1800 × 800 mm	3959 W
2000 × 400 mm	2129 W
2000 × 800 mm	4257 W

What else goes with them

Valves and fittings

Valves

Thermostatic radiator valves let each room find its own level without touching the rest of the house. Lockshield valves on the return let us balance the system so the far end of the house heats as well as the near end.

Brackets and fixings

Supplied with the radiator, but the wall matters. Plasterboard on timber is fine with the right fixings; a solid Type 22 at 2400 mm long is heavy once it is full of water and needs proper backing.

Air vents and drain points

Every radiator needs a way to let air out and every circuit needs a way to be drained. Cheap to design in, awkward to add later.

Heated towel rails

They run on the same circuit with no element, cost little extra to run, and there is nothing electrical in the bathroom.

The manifold

Where flow and return are split and balanced. If you already have underfloor heating, radiators can very often be run from the same manifold with a mixing arrangement.

What is making the hot water

A heat pump, a gas boiler, or an existing system we are adapting. This is the decision that sets the radiator sizes, so it comes first, not last.

Underfloor heat pumps~~What heats the water~~

→

Castrads · cast iron and steel column

Designer radiators

Made to order in Manchester. Nine ranges, 24 finishes, sizes to 2.5 m.

Most of the radiators we fit are white panels under a window, and that is exactly right for most rooms. This section is for the other rooms — the hallway, the living room, the villa where a flat white panel would look like an apology. Castrads cast their radiators in Manchester, finish them by hand in any of 24 house colours or a matched Farrow & Ball or Little Greene, and guarantee them for ten years. We can supply and install the whole range in Auckland, and we size it properly first.

Castrads Emmeline I 665 mm cast iron radiator in Midnight Ink against a navy wall — Emmeline I 665 mm in Midnight Ink.

Cast iron column radiator under a window in a white-tiled bathroom — Cast iron in a bathroom — no element, nothing electrical near water.

Cast iron radiator in a hand-polished finish in a panelled dressing room — A hand-polished bare metal finish in a dressing room.

The cast iron

Six cast iron ranges

Cast iron is sold by the section, so you build the radiator to the length of the wall rather than picking the nearest size off a list. Every one of these is available in all 24 house finishes and in any Farrow & Ball, Little Greene, Paint & Paper Library or Benjamin Moore colour, and every one takes a thermostatic valve. Heights below include the legs.

Cast iron

Mercury

A modern column radiator designed by Castrads.

V-detailed columns, tapered feet and curved tops. A modern design that suits both new builds and villas.

2 Column · 70 mm deep · 3 heights3 Column · 101 mm deep · 4 heights4 Column · 140 mm deep · 6 heights6 Column · 215 mm deep · 2 heights

Mercury 2 and 3 Column can also be wall mounted — ask us about wall-hanging options.

Sizes & outputs — 15 heights

Mercury 2 Column

70 mm deep · 58 mm per section

Height	Watts / section	Max sections in one piece
460 mm	35 W	18
760 mm	59 W	18
960 mm	74 W	18

Mercury 3 Column

101 mm deep · 58 mm per section

Height	Watts / section	Max sections in one piece
560 mm	54 W	18
660 mm	66 W	18
760 mm	78 W	18
860 mm	87 W	18

Mercury 4 Column

140 mm deep · 58 mm per section

Height	Watts / section	Max sections in one piece
360 mm	44 W	18
460 mm	58 W	18
560 mm	69 W	18
760 mm	96 W	16
860 mm	109 W	15
960 mm	121 W	14

Mercury 6 Column

215 mm deep · 58 mm per section

Height	Watts / section	Max sections in one piece
360 mm	63 W	18
960 mm	171 W	10

Cast iron

Grace

A column radiator with defined lines.

A fluted profile and inclined feet, with staggered spacing between the columns. Grace 6 Column is the deepest cast iron section Castrads make (254 mm) and gives the most heat from a short length of wall.

2 Column · 89 mm deep · 4 heights4 Column · 175 mm deep · 5 heights6 Column · 254 mm deep · 4 heights

Grace 2 Column can also be wall mounted.

Sizes & outputs — 13 heights

Grace 2 Column

89 mm deep · 60 mm per section

Height	Watts / section	Max sections in one piece
480 mm	39 W	18
640 mm	50 W	18
740 mm	59 W	18
1040 mm	82 W	16

Grace 4 Column

175 mm deep · 60 mm per section

Height	Watts / section	Max sections in one piece
357 mm	44 W	18
504 mm	65 W	18
660 mm	85 W	18
760 mm	97 W	16
960 mm	127 W	14

Grace 6 Column

254 mm deep · 60 mm per section

Height	Watts / section	Max sections in one piece
485 mm	89 W	16
660 mm	120 W	12
760 mm	141 W	10
960 mm	175 W	8

Cast iron

Neptune

A school-style radiator with a modern profile.

Neptune has modern curves and a ridged shoulder, with fewer, wider columns than the Mercury or Grace.

Neptune II · 180 mm deep · 4 heightsNeptune III · 200 mm deep · 4 heights

Sizes & outputs — 8 heights

Neptune II

180 mm deep · 80 mm per section

Height	Watts / section	Max sections in one piece
520 mm	86 W	14
620 mm	103 W	12
720 mm	124 W	10
920 mm	161 W	8

Neptune III

200 mm deep · 80 mm per section

Height	Watts / section	Max sections in one piece
520 mm	98 W	12
620 mm	119 W	10
720 mm	138 W	9
920 mm	176 W	7

Cast iron

Emmeline

An updated school radiator designed by Castrads.

A scalloped top, curved contours and shaped feet, based on a traditional design. At 110 mm deep it is the slimmest cast iron in the range, which suits hallways and small bedrooms.

Emmeline I · 110 mm deep · 3 heightsEmmeline II · 170 mm deep · 3 heights

Both Emmeline models can also be wall mounted.

Sizes & outputs — 6 heights

Emmeline I

110 mm deep · 66 mm per section

Height	Watts / section	Max sections in one piece
465 mm	45 W	16
665 mm	64 W	16
865 mm	81 W	16

Emmeline II

170 mm deep · 67 mm per section

Height	Watts / section	Max sections in one piece
470 mm	57 W	16
670 mm	83 W	16
870 mm	103 W	13

Cast iron

Rococo

A decorative radiator.

A scroll pattern cast from a replica of an original American Radiator Company pattern. It is the heaviest in the range and the most expensive to finish, and is designed to take the Chatsworth decorative valve.

Rococo I · 140 mm deep · 3 heightsRococo II · 220 mm deep · 4 heightsRococo III · 256 mm deep · 3 heights

Rococo I can also be wall mounted.

Sizes & outputs — 10 heights

Rococo I

140 mm deep · 76 mm per section

Height	Watts / section	Max sections in one piece
560 mm	60 W	15
660 mm	69 W	14
950 mm	104 W	12

Rococo II

220 mm deep · 80 mm per section

Height	Watts / section	Max sections in one piece
510 mm	78 W	14
660 mm	100 W	11
759 mm	115 W	11
950 mm	141 W	8

Rococo III

256 mm deep · 78 mm per section

Height	Watts / section	Max sections in one piece
467 mm	83 W	13
768 mm	140 W	10
965 mm	174 W	7

Cast iron

Vulcan

A pared-back wall-hung radiator.

A plain Bauhaus-style design. Vulcan is wall-hung rather than floor-standing, which keeps the floor clear underneath — useful in a small bathroom or a hallway.

Vulcan III · 99 mm deep · 3 heights

Wall-hung only. Cast iron is heavy when full of water — Vulcan must be mounted on a suitably strong substrate, which we check before we quote.

Sizes & outputs — 3 heights

Vulcan III

99 mm deep · 60 mm per section

Height	Watts / section	Max sections in one piece
421 mm	57 W	18
570 mm	73 W	18
684 mm	85 W	18

Finishes

24 house colours, or a paint match

Signature finishes are developed specifically for cast iron and powder coated. Bare Metal finishes are polished and lacquered by hand, so they vary a little from one piece to the next — that variation is the point of them. Beyond these, Castrads will match any colour from Farrow & Ball, Little Greene, Paint & Paper Library or Benjamin Moore, using the genuine branded paint under licence.

Close-up of a Castrads Rococo radiator in a hand-polished Natural Brass finish

Bare metal finishes

Mirror, Full, Satin and Etch-coated Polish, and the brasses and bronzes, are finished by hand and sealed with lacquer rather than painted. They are the most striking option in the range and the least uniform — two radiators from the same order will not be identical twins. If that will bother you, a Signature finish is the safer choice. If it is what you were hoping for, this is the reason to buy Castrads rather than anything else on the market.

Signature — powder coated

Castrads Bright White finish — Bright White

Castrads Ceramic White finish — Ceramic White

Castrads Grey Bronze finish — Grey Bronze

Castrads Astral Grey Mid finish — Astral Grey Mid

Castrads Astral Grey Dark finish — Astral Grey Dark

Castrads Midnight Ink finish — Midnight Ink

Bare metal — polished and lacquered

Castrads Mirror Polish finish — Mirror Polish

Castrads Full Polish finish — Full Polish

Castrads Satin Polish finish — Satin Polish

Castrads Etch-coated Polish finish — Etch-coated Polish

Castrads Natural Brass finish — Natural Brass

Castrads Beaten Brass finish — Beaten Brass

Castrads Natural Pewter finish — Natural Pewter

Castrads Sapphire Blue finish — Sapphire Blue

Castrads Wimbledon Green finish — Wimbledon Green

Swatch photographs are Castrads’ own and are shown on a 4-column section. Screen colour is not a colour match — ask us for a physical sample before you commit to a bare metal or a dark grey.

Steel column

Florence

Italian-made steel column radiators, built to your dimensions rather than picked from a list. Fifteen heights from 200 mm to 2.5 m, five depths, up to 40 sections and 2 m long, wall-hung or floor-mounted. If the room needs a very tall narrow radiator beside a door, a very long low one under a run of glazing, or a curve to follow a bay window, this is the range that does it — and it costs a good deal less than cast iron.

2 Column · 65 mm deep3 Column · 101 mm deep 4 Column · 139 mm deep5 Column · 177 mm deep 6 Column · 215 mm deepSection length 45 mm Up to 40 sections / 2.5 m

Powder coated in any of the Signature finishes, selected Bare Metals, 33 specialist finishes and over 180 RAL colours. Powder coat on smooth steel comes out glossier than the same colour on cast iron, and can read very slightly different in hue.

Florence sizes & outputs — 15 heights × 5 depths

Watts per section at ΔT50. Multiply by the number of sections. Section length is 45 mm.

Nominal height	Panel height	2 Col	3 Col	4 Col	5 Col	6 Col
200 mm	194 mm	15 W	20 W	26 W	32 W	37 W
300 mm	302 mm	23 W	33 W	42 W	51 W	61 W
400 mm	402 mm	30 W	42 W	42 W*	67 W	79 W
500 mm	502 mm	37 W	51 W	67 W	81 W	96 W
600 mm	602 mm	43 W	61 W	79 W	96 W	113 W
685 mm	687 mm	49 W	68 W	89 W	108 W	127 W
765 mm	767 mm	54 W	76 W	99 W	120 W	140 W
900 mm	902 mm	63 W	88 W	114 W	139 W	163 W
1000 mm	1002 mm	69 W	97 W	126 W	152 W	179 W
1200 mm	1202 mm	83 W	115 W	149 W	180 W	211 W
1500 mm	1502 mm	103 W	142 W	183 W	221 W	259 W
1800 mm	1802 mm	124 W	169 W	216 W	261 W	307 W
2000 mm	2002 mm	139 W	187 W	238 W	288 W	338 W
2200 mm	2202 mm	154 W	206 W	260 W	315 W	369 W
2500 mm	2502 mm	177 W	234 W	293 W	355 W	416 W

Florence specialist finishes — 33 shown, plus 180+ RAL

Castrads Ancient Bronze finish — Ancient Bronze

Castrads Black Sparkle finish — Black Sparkle

Castrads Grey Sparkle finish — Grey Sparkle

Castrads Lacquered Iron finish — Lacquered Iron

Castrads Metallic Grey finish — Metallic Grey

Castrads Mottled Bronze finish — Mottled Bronze

Castrads Mottled Copper finish — Mottled Copper

Castrads Mottled Silver finish — Mottled Silver

Castrads Mottled White Gold finish — Mottled White Gold

Castrads Pearl White finish — Pearl White

Castrads Quartz Grey finish — Quartz Grey

Castrads White Aluminium finish — White Aluminium

Castrads Grey Aluminium finish — Grey Aluminium

Castrads Sienna Brown finish — Sienna Brown

Castrads Textured Black finish — Textured Black

Castrads Textured Stone finish — Textured Stone

Castrads Textured White finish — Textured White

Castrads Titanium Grey finish — Titanium Grey

Castrads Textured Ivory finish — Textured Ivory

Florence Curved

For bay windows and radial walls

Florence can be made curved to fit a bow window or follow a round wall, in any height up to 1800 mm, with welded feet as standard. It is recommended for the 2, 3 and 4 column models. We need two measurements: the chord — the straight width across the bay, taken with a plank or a straight edge — and the camber, measured square from the midpoint of that line back to the wall. We take both on site.

A curved radiator is made to order and cannot be returned, so we measure twice and get the factory to confirm the setting-out drawing before anything is cut.

Curved Castrads Florence steel column radiator following the wall of a bay window in a dining room

Bathrooms

Towel radiators

Two ranges, both Italian-made steel, both able to run on the same hot water circuit as the rest of the house — no element, no switch, nothing electrical near the bath. Both can also be run as electric-only if the bathroom is nowhere near the rest of the system. Ten-year Ironshield guarantee on each.

Traditional

Vivien

A traditional-style bathroom radiator.

A white column radiator inside an integrated chrome hanging bar — the heat comes from the column, the bar is where the towels go. Floor-standing or wall-mounted, and available in a shallow 135 mm profile where the room is tight. Inserts are powder coated in Traffic White, RAL 9016.

Depth 135–225 mm679–1216 W total8 models

Sizes & outputs — 8 models

Model	Output	Height	Depth	Width
Vivien 5	720 W	952 mm	225 mm	500 mm
Vivien 5 Shallow Profile	715 W	952 mm	135 mm	500 mm
Vivien 6	1216 W	1500 mm	225 mm	576 mm
Vivien 8	946 W	942 mm	225 mm	765 mm
Vivien 8 Shallow Profile	940 W	952 mm	135 mm	675 mm
Vivien 8 Wall Mounted	679 W	825 mm	150 mm	675 mm
Vivien 11	1126 W	952 mm	225 mm	800 mm
Vivien 11 Shallow Profile	1121 W	952 mm	135 mm	800 mm

Contemporary

Elara

A simple chrome towel warmer.

Wall mounted and only 130 mm deep, so it takes almost nothing off a small bathroom. Elara is deliberately low output — use it alongside a proper radiator for warm towels and a bit of extra heat, or on its own in an ensuite. Chrome, polished brass or brushed brass.

Depth 130 mmWidth 498 mm87–198 W total5 heights

Sizes & outputs — 5 heights

Model	Output	Height	Depth	Width
Elara 2	87 W	254 mm	130 mm	498 mm
Elara 3	114 W	434 mm	130 mm	498 mm
Elara 4	140 W	614 mm	130 mm	498 mm
Elara 5	168 W	794 mm	130 mm	498 mm
Elara 6	198 W	974 mm	130 mm	498 mm

Valves and fixings

Valves and fittings for designer radiators

Castrads make four valve families in matching finishes, all with a five-year guarantee, all available as a matched thermostatic-and-lockshield pair so the system can be balanced. Matching shrouds and base plates hide the pipe drop.

Windsor

Forged solid brass with a lacquered hardwood handle. The default choice, and the one in most of the photographs on this page.

Manual or thermostatic
Eight metal finishes
Corner or angled
Lockshield and valve set

Chatsworth

Decorative, with a fluted head. Designed to sit under the ornate radiators — it is the right valve for a Rococo.

Manual or thermostatic
Four metal finishes
Suits ornate radiators
Lockshield and valve set

Niva

Understated and contemporary, with a five-point temperature scale on the head so you can see where it is set.

Angled and corner fittings
Four metal finishes
Suits Florence and Vulcan
Lockshield and valve set

Castrads Crosshead manual angled radiator valves in chrome

Crossheads

Solid brass in chrome only. A manual pair rather than a thermostatic set, suited to most radiators.

Manual angled
Chrome
Identical valve pair
Also fits towel rails

Whitworth wall stays

Solid brass fixings that hold the radiator back against the wall, cast with the Manchester worker bee. Floor-standing cast iron does not strictly need one, but a full radiator is heavy and a stay is what stops it being pushed over. Eight finishes to match the valves.

Shrouds & base plates

Sleeves that cover the pipe drop from the floor to the valve, in 130 mm and 300 mm lengths, for 15 mm pipe. Sold separately, worth having — they are the difference between a finished job and a plumbing job.

Bleed valves

A ½″ recessed bleed valve comes as standard on every hydronic Castrads radiator, in brass or nickel. Traditional ⅛″ and ¼″ patterns are stocked separately for restoration work on old radiators.

Thermostatic or manual?

Thermostatic, in almost every case — it lets each room find its own level and it is where the running-cost saving comes from. Manual valves still make sense on a towel rail, and on the one radiator that has to stay open to protect the pump. We will tell you which is which.

How it goes

The installation process

1 · We measure the heat loss

Room by room, from the plans or from a site visit. That gives the watts each room actually needs, at your system’s real flow temperature — not the catalogue’s.

2 · We work out the sections

Range, column count, height and the number of sections needed to reach the required output, checked against the wall space available.

3 · You choose the finish

Finish, valve style and valve finish, wall stays, shrouds. We get physical samples in front of you before anything is ordered, because a screen is not a colour match.

4 · We order, fit and commission

Made to order in Manchester, roughly four weeks from the factory plus freight — we confirm the real date with Waterware. Then we plumb it, balance it and hand it over working.

Pricing

Request a price

The price depends on how many radiators you need, the valves and fittings that go with them, and whether we are installing them. Tell us the room or the model and we will give you a price.

Good to know

Questions about the radiators

Why is there no price on the button?

Because the price includes the valves, the fittings, the pipe run and whether we are installing it. Ask and we will price your job, usually the same day.

What does “output at ΔT50” mean, and why does it matter so much?

It is the standard catalogue test condition: water in at about 85°C, out at 75°C, room at 20°C. Every manufacturer quotes it, which makes ranges comparable. A heat pump makes 45–55°C water, because that is where it is efficient. At those temperatures a radiator gives roughly half its catalogue figure, which is why radiators on a heat pump are sized bigger than radiators on a gas boiler. We do that sizing for you.

Aluminium or steel — which should I pick?

Aluminium (Fondital) holds very little water, so it warms and cools quickly and weighs less. Steel panel (Brugman) holds more water, is steadier, and gives you more output per dollar in the bigger sizes. In a room you want up fast, aluminium. In a big living space on a heat pump, a Type 22 steel panel is usually the better buy. We will tell you which we would fit and why.

Can I put radiators on the same system as underfloor heating?

Yes. The slab heats the ground floor and radiators heat the upper floor or rooms without a new slab. One heat pump, one set of controls. The two need different water temperatures, so the design has to allow for that — usually with a mixing arrangement at the manifold.

Do you fit towel rails on the same system?

Yes. Heated towel rails run off the same hydronic circuit, so they cost little extra to run and have no element. Tell us which bathrooms and we will include them in the price.

Do you sell to trade, or only fit them yourselves?

Both. If you are a plumber or a builder and you want the units supplied, ask for trade pricing. We also design, supply and install them.

How long do they take to get?

These are stocked ranges in New Zealand, so common sizes are usually days rather than months. Tall verticals and less common lengths can take longer. We will confirm the real lead time when we price it.

What guarantee comes with them?

Brugman steel panels carry a ten-year conditional manufacturer’s guarantee. Fondital aluminium is covered by the manufacturer’s warranty through the New Zealand distributor. Our own workmanship is guaranteed separately, and we service what we install.

Are these available in New Zealand?

Yes. Castrads are made in Manchester and distributed in New Zealand by Waterware. We can supply and install any model, finish and valve in this range. They are made to order rather than held in stock, so they are not a next-day item — Castrads quote roughly four weeks from the factory and we confirm the real landed date with Waterware when we price your job.

Why is the output figure so much smaller than on your other radiator page?

Because it is a different number measured a different way. Cast iron is sold by the section, so the figure here is the output of one section — a Mercury 3 Column 660 mm at 66 W per section is 792 W as a twelve-section radiator. It is also quoted at ΔT60 rather than the ΔT50 used on our Fondital and Brugman tables, which makes it read about 20% higher again for the same piece of iron. Compare like with like, or better, let us do the heat loss calculation.

Will cast iron work on a heat pump?

Yes. Castrads build every hydronic model to take a thermostatic valve, so they are compatible with a low-temperature system. As with any radiator on a heat pump, at 45–55°C flow the output is roughly half the catalogue figure, so more sections are needed. Cast iron holds a lot of water and warms up slowly, which suits a heat pump running long and steady.

How heavy are they, and will my wall or floor take it?

Cast iron radiators are heavy, particularly when full of water. Floor-standing models sit on their own feet but should have a Whitworth wall stay to stop them being pushed over. Wall-hung models — Vulcan, and the wall-hung options on Mercury, Grace and Emmeline — need a substrate that can carry the load. We check this on site before we quote.

Can I get one in a specific colour?

Usually, yes. There are 24 Castrads exclusive finishes, and Castrads will also match any colour from Farrow & Ball, Little Greene, Paint & Paper Library or Benjamin Moore, using the branded paint under licence. Florence steel adds 33 specialist powder-coat finishes and over 180 RAL colours. Bring us a paint chip.

What about bay windows and curved walls?

Florence steel column radiators can be made curved, in any height up to 1800 mm, with welded feet as standard. It is recommended for the 2, 3 and 4 column models. We need two measurements — the chord (the straight width across the bay) and the camber (the depth from the middle of that line back to the wall). We take those for you.

Is there a guarantee?

Castrads' Ironshield Guarantee is ten years as standard on the radiators and five years on the valves, and does not set conditions on water pH or system flushing. Our own workmanship is guaranteed separately, and we service what we install.

Can I buy just the radiators, without installation?

Yes. If you are a plumber, a builder or an architect specifying for a client, we can supply the units and the valves on their own — ask for trade pricing. We can also design, size, supply and install them.

How do these compare on price to a standard panel radiator?

Considerably more. Cast iron is usually chosen for rooms where the radiator is on show, such as a hallway, a living room or a period villa. Many of our jobs use both: cast iron where it is on show and panel radiators elsewhere.

Do you service cast iron radiators you did not supply?

Yes, including old ones. Bleeding, balancing, valve and lockshield replacement, radiators that are cold at the bottom, and refurbishment jobs where the radiators are staying but the plant is being replaced. Castrads also sell bleed valves separately for exactly that kind of restoration work.

Sizes, model codes and outputs are the current New Zealand catalogue figures from the distributor and are subject to change without notice. Champion Heating is an independent installer and is not affiliated with Fondital or Brugman; brand names are used to identify the products we supply.

Hydronic radiators — so many options

How radiators heat a room

Two brands, four ranges

Valves and fittings

Valves

Brackets and fixings

Air vents and drain points

Heated towel rails

The manifold

What is making the hot water

Designer radiators

Six cast iron ranges

Mercury

Mercury 2 Column

Mercury 3 Column

Mercury 4 Column

Mercury 6 Column

Grace

Grace 2 Column

Grace 4 Column

Grace 6 Column

Neptune

Neptune II

Neptune III

Emmeline

Emmeline I

Emmeline II

Rococo

Rococo I

Rococo II

Rococo III

Vulcan

Vulcan III

24 house colours, or a paint match

Bare metal finishes

Signature — powder coated

Bare metal — polished and lacquered

Florence

For bay windows and radial walls

Towel radiators

Vivien

Elara

Valves and fittings for designer radiators

Windsor

Chatsworth

Niva

Crossheads

Whitworth wall stays

Shrouds & base plates

Bleed valves

Thermostatic or manual?

The installation process

1 · We measure the heat loss

2 · We work out the sections

3 · You choose the finish

4 · We order, fit and commission

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Questions about the radiators