Casina Single Column Radiators

The Reina Casina Single Column is technically specified as a "paint-ready" product. It comes factory-finished in a neutral white primer, which is designed to act as a bonding layer for your own topcoat. This allows for complete customization, enabling you to match the radiator's color exactly to your interior wall paint or feature color using suitable metal or radiator paints, rather than being restricted to standard manufacturer RAL colors.

The single column design creates a slimline profile with a reduced surface area compared to double or triple column models. While this results in a lower BTU output per vertical meter, the technical advantage is its ultra-slim depth. This makes it ideal for narrow hallways or behind doors where projection must be minimized. The high thermal efficiency of the aluminium construction helps compensate for the single column design, ensuring it still delivers effective warmth for its size.

This radiator features a low water content design, a key technical characteristic of modern aluminium emitters. The reduced water volume allows the system to heat up with less energy input. Furthermore, aluminium's high thermal conductivity allows it to emit heat effectively even at the lower flow temperatures (Delta T30 or T40) associated with air source or ground source heat pumps, making it a more efficient choice than traditional steel panel radiators for renewable systems.

The Reina Casina range utilizes a sectional construction method where individual aluminium elements are joined mechanically. While this allows for a wide range of factory-ordered widths, on-site alteration (adding or removing sections) is technically complex and requires a specific joining tool and new gaskets to ensure a watertight seal. It is strongly recommended to order the precise size required based on your heat loss calculation rather than attempting to modify the width during installation.

To ensure a long-lasting finish that does not peel or discolor under heat, you should use a high-quality oil-based eggshell, satin, or gloss paint, or a specific radiator enamel. Water-based paints can be used if they are rated for high temperatures, but an oil-based topcoat generally adheres better to the industrial primer. Ensure the radiator is completely cold and clean before applying the paint to prevent rapid drying and streaking.

Yes, one of the primary technical benefits of the Casina Single Column is its exceptionally low weight compared to cast iron or steel equivalents. This reduces the sheer load on the wall fixings significantly. While you still need to ensure you are fixing into a solid substrate or using appropriate plasterboard toggles, the reduced weight makes it viable for installation on internal stud walls where a heavy vertical steel radiator might require additional timber reinforcement.

Vertical radiators like the Casina Single Column maximize the "chimney effect" of convection. Cold air is drawn in at the floor level, heated as it rises up the tall aluminium column, and expelled at the top. This creates a strong vertical air current that circulates warm air efficiently throughout the room, which is often more effective for overcoming downdraughts from tall windows than low-level horizontal radiators.

If you are combining factory-supplied blocks to create a non-standard size, you will require specific joining nipples and a joining key (tool). These nipples feature opposing threads (left-hand and right-hand) that pull the two aluminium sections together as they are tightened. However, as mentioned, this is a specialist task; for most users, purchasing the pre-assembled size is the correct technical approach to ensure the 10-year guarantee remains valid.

The Reina Casina is manufactured from high-grade aluminium, which naturally forms a protective oxide layer that makes it highly resistant to surface rust, unlike mild steel which can rust quickly in damp environments. However, inside the system, aluminium is sensitive to pH levels. You must ensure your central heating inhibitor is compatible with aluminium and maintains a neutral pH (around 7-8) to prevent internal corrosion and hydrogen gas build-up.

The 10-year manufacturer guarantee covers the structural integrity, watertight seals, and material defects of the aluminium radiator itself. It generally covers the adhesion of the factory-applied primer. However, it does not cover the durability or finish of the paint you apply yourself. Issues such as your topcoat peeling, cracking, or discolored paint due to heat are the responsibility of the installer/decorator, not a technical fault of the radiator manufacturing.