2. Temperature Gradient - Introduction (b)

To be successful, you need to attack the uncomfortable effects of temperature gradient on several fronts.

It is easiest to do this by eliminating large differences in air temperature at source. In the top illustration at right, a room that draws its fresh air supply from a heated hallway (A) will exhibit a less extreme gradient than one ventilated simply by opening a window (B). It takes only a small volume of cold air to make a warm room feel uncomfortable, so "draught stripping" (i.e., attending to leaky doors & window frames) should be your first priority.

The lower illustration at right shows how placement of radiator panels has a significant effect on temperature gradient. When a panel is placed directly beneath a window (A.) it re-heats the air that has been chilled by contact with the cold glass and prevents it from sinking.

In (B.) the panel is located against an inner wall and air chilled by the window is now free to sink down to floor level and accumulate to an uncomfortable depth.