OK, so the kids have come home from school having been caught in a nasty shower, or you’ve been out shopping and that lorry driver just had to aim for the puddle as you walked past. You get home and what do you do? Stick your wet clothes on radiators to dry. But we urge you to think twice. Is there an alternative? Can the clothes dry naturally somewhere else? An airing cupboard? Outside perhaps if the weather is good.
Why is it important not to cover your radiators with clothes? Because wet clothes immediately lower the air temperature of the room and as your central heating thermostat regulates the temperature of your rooms the whole system has to work that much harder to maintain the chosen temperature. Think of running along a level street then having to climb a very steep hill very suddenly. No, your boiler won’t be happy.
Don’t forget that as the boiler works harder it’s also eating up fuel and you’ll notice this in your next bill. If you think about it, covering radiators with wet clothes is a very expensive way of drying them.