Extractor fans, cooker hoods, and air vents are designed to move air constantly. While they’re essential for moisture and smells, they also pull warm air out of the room. Even when switched off, many allow cold air to settle back into the space.
Kitchens also have more hard surfaces than most rooms. Tile floors, worktops, and cabinets absorb cold and release it slowly, which lowers how warm the room feels even when the air temperature is reasonable.
Another factor is layout. Kitchen radiators are often smaller, tucked behind furniture, or partially blocked by cupboards and appliances. That limits how effectively heat circulates through the space.
This is why kitchens can feel persistently chilly despite the heating being technically “on.” The issue is often not output, but how quickly heat is lost or neutralised. The wider explanation of this behaviour is covered in the complete warm home guide.
If the kitchen is one of several rooms behaving this way, the house cold diagnostic helps identify whether ventilation, draughts, or system balance is the main driver.
Kitchens near outside walls tend to exaggerate the problem. If that applies here, why rooms near external walls feel colder explains why heat loss can outpace heating. Where airflow is the main culprit, finding hidden draughts is often the missing piece.
