As pet owners, your furry friends’ safety and comfort are always a top priority. After all, they are part of the family and deserve a bit of luxury too, especially during the colder months when you want to maintain a warm and cosy environment.
During this time, your heating system will be working hard in the background and your radiators will be in full use. Just like we are drawn to the warmth, so are your pets who often find solace beside or near heating sources, which, while comforting, could potentially pose risks to their well-being. So, what can you do to help?
Balancing the needs for a warm home and ensuring the safety of your pets around radiators is essential, so understanding the potential hazards they may present to pets is useful to know. Below, we’ll look at what to consider when upgrading your radiators and how to use them safely with pets around. Here at Stelrad, we have many different types of radiators suitable for all types of homes. Whether you share your home with cats, dogs, rabbits, hamsters or any other animal, you can ensure a safe and warm environment at all times.
Can Radiators Be Harmful For Pets?
Firstly, radiators are considered a safe source of warmth in the home. When you compare them to traditional ways of heating a room such as an open fire, they are much safer to use, especially when you have pets or children around.
Many animals, particularly cats and dogs, are drawn to warmth, often seeking the cosiest spots in the house to curl up and relax – who wouldn’t right? This means they may want to lie close to radiators, especially during the colder months. While the gentle heat radiating from these units can be comforting, you don’t want them getting too close for too long, especially if the radiator’s surface becomes excessively hot. If the radiator is turned up high and feels hot to touch, your pet could overheat or even hurt themselves if they don’t realise.
Prolonged exposure to high temperatures can also lead to things like dehydration or dry skin, and that goes for us humans as well as animals. Observing your pet’s behaviour around radiators and taking preventative measures, such as installing guards or barriers, can help ensure that your home remains a safe haven, especially if you have a pet that likes to climb or lie on top of a radiator! Overall, as long as the surface temperature isn’t too high and you keep an eye on them, your pets will be perfectly safe and warm.
Is It Worth Upgrading Your Radiators?
The good news is most homes will have easy-to-use radiators that allow you to regulate the temperature, keeping them from getting too hot for your pets. You can also look to add TRVs if your existing radiators don’t have them already. Unless you were already thinking about changing your radiators for something different, choosing pet safe radiators or something similar is not a necessity. However, you may find some models have benefits worth considering depending on your pet’s behaviour.
If you’ve observed your pet snuggling close to a radiator, showing signs of discomfort after lying near it, for example, you may see the benefits of models like low surface temperature (LST) radiators, just like if you have young children. Pets can react differently to heat sources. Some may naturally keep a safe distance, while others might need extra protection from the heat. Having radiators that are much cooler to touch can be a good idea in some situations.
Pet Safe Radiators
What Are Safety Radiators?
Safety radiators, like LST models, are designed with the well-being of all household members in mind, including your pets. These radiators have surfaces that remain cool to the touch or have a significantly lower risk of causing burns, all whilst keeping a room at a comfortable temperature. They have an advanced outer casing that is designed to distribute heat more evenly without creating hotspots.
The benefits of having safety radiators in a family setting are the reduced risk of accidents for both pets and children, providing peace of mind for parents and pet owners. When compared to standard radiators, they can be an ideal option if safety is a priority for rooms like a bedroom or family room.
Pet Safe Electric Heater
What Are Electric Panel Radiators?
Electric panel radiators are another modern heating solution that offers precise temperature control and a sleek design. These radiators work in two ways depending on the model you choose – the Alu Simple Dry and Cloud use dry inertia technology to heat up the panel, whilst others like the Alu Simple Fluid use an electrical element to heat thermodynamic oil in the radiator.
When considering these as a pet safe electric heater, they are both efficient in distributing heat evenly across a room and offer pet owners the ability to control the temperature settings with ease. This helps to avoid any overheating risks and creates a safe, warm environment for your furry friends. Generally more compact and less intrusive than other models, they’re also an aesthetically pleasing option to have whilst being beneficial for pet owners.
What Is The Best Safe Heater For Pets?
Ultimately, choosing a safe heater for pets in your home depends on your specific needs, your home’s layout, and your pets’ behaviour. If you are looking to upgrade your existing radiators anyway, both LST and electric panel radiators can offer unique safety features, efficiency, and ease of use.
However, the best choice for your unique household will vary and you may find making some small adjustments to your existing radiators is a better way to go. Consider the size of the room or space you need to heat, your pet’s habits, and of course your budget before jumping into changing your radiators. Of course, we are happy to help here at Stelrad if you require more information first.
Remember to keep an eye on your pets around your radiators, keep them hydrated, and adjust the temperature if you’re concerned about the surface being too hot. That way you can enjoy the heat as a family without worry.
For more insights, please visit our blog where you can discover more about choosing the right radiator size as well as how to position your radiator for the most efficient heating.
