My First Radiator

Is that 16 sections? Based on what I read, it should put out about 19,000 BTU's per hour with the water temp. at 180. 7 sq. ft of radiation per section.

http://www.columbiaheatingsupply.com/page_images/ ... 0Guide.pdf

blrman07 wrote:Come in from the cold and sit on a cast iron stand-up radiator and say AHHHHHH.

Or "yeeeeeowwwww!" depending on the water temperature.

I did my calculation as follows.

16 panels, each with 2 major sides = 32 major sides
26" high x 8" deep = 208 square inches per panel face side
32 x 208 = 6,656 sq-in

panel edge thickness = 1.5"
16 x [(26 + 8) x 2] x 1.5 = 1,632 sq-in

Total surface area = 6,656 + 1,632 = 8,288 sq-in

8,288 / 144 = 57.56 sq-ft
57.56 x 170 = 9,785 BTUH at 180 degrees.

I see where I went wrong. The panels are tubed and therefore have more surface area than I calculated for a merely flat panel. Roughly double the total surface area it appears. And therefore roughly double the BTUH's.

Doby wrote:Back in the 80's these were scraped around here for next to nothing,

you still can get them for cheap as many people don't want them.

Rob R. wrote:Is that 16 sections? Based on what I read, it should put out about 19,000 BTU's per hour with the water temp. at 180. 7 sq. ft of radiation per section.

http://www.columbiaheatingsupply.com/page_images/ ... 0Guide.pdf

blrman07 wrote:Come in from the cold and sit on a cast iron stand-up radiator and say AHHHHHH.

Or "yeeeeeowwwww!" depending on the water temperature.

I can tell you that you do not want 180 water in these things unless your going to put cabinets over them.

The magic # at 140 is about 1.3 , that is 1.3 seconds and then "yeeeeeowwwww!"

Final thought , if ya cant have a radiant floor , ci radiation is next best and and has an aesthetic appeal that a radiant floor cant give you. Don , watching your tinkering escapades gives me full confidance youll have this thing whipped in no time

waldo

blrman07 wrote:Come in from the cold and try to sit on a baseboard finned radiator. Come in from the cold and sit on a cast iron stand-up radiator and say AHHHHHH.

Exactly! I grew up in a house with radiators. Many people think they are ugly, I think they are a fine addition to any room.

You won't sit on them long if it is a steam system!

Wood'nCoal wrote:

blrman07 wrote:Come in from the cold and try to sit on a baseboard finned radiator. Come in from the cold and sit on a cast iron stand-up radiator and say AHHHHHH.

Exactly! I grew up in a house with radiators. Many people think they are ugly, I think they are a fine addition to any room.

Revrend Larry, that is exactly why I want a radiator!

I'm still new to this hydronic heating thing. Last winter running the Yellow Flame with no insulation on it, I realized that after plowing and shoveling snow, the flat parts on the front of the boiler were great to lean my aching back up against! Just at the right hight and the boiler is heavy enough that you can realy lean against it.
This radiator is big enough that I could lay on it. Maybe I'll just put it in the middle of the living room?

-Don

Thank you Rob for posting the Columbia Cast Iron Radiator Heating Capacity Guide.

http://www.columbiaheatingsupply.com/page_images/ ... 0Guide.pdf

Using the guide, A radiator's relative radiating surface area is measured in terms of Square feet of "Equivalent Direct Radiation" or "EDR".

Becareful, the second illistration of "Tube" and "Column" radiators has the lables switched! This one is a "Tube" radiator with 5 tubes 26" tall.

From the chart on page 5;
5tubes x 26" = EDR of 3.5 sq/ft per section

3.5 x 16 sections = EDR of 56 sq/ft for this radiator x 170 BTU per hour = 9,520 BTU per hour total.

If it were a column radiator, it would be;
7.0 x 16 sections = EDR of 112 sq/ft for this radiator x 170 BTU per hour = 19,040 BTU per hour total.

Thank you all this is what I was looking for!

-Don

Well, it still has pressure. It came way down from 47 PSI to about 21 PSI. I'm gona say the pressure drop is due to the fact that we started at 110 degrees or so and now we are at 67 degrees.

No sign of any leaks, it's all nice and dry.
In one of the documents I was reading they refered to the 2.5" section radiators as the "Old Style". This one has 2.5" sections so, I guess it's an old one. It's in great shape for being an Oldie!

Close to 10,000 BTU, It should make a great space heater.

-Don

lsayre wrote:So with all of that data on hand, did I come close with my 8,000 to 10,000 BTUH projection?

I would say yes

I dug out my old books and confirmed what you already figured out. See attached.

Ah Ha!

The internet is NOT perfect!

Thanks' Rob.

-Don

So in the end I lucked out with my calculation method?

I can confirm you number too out of my Hoffman Steam Heating Systems book by ITT. It is a book a I got for the steam heating class I took at Penn College of Technology. It has a lot of great info in it for sizing old rads for steam and hot water systems. That should work perfect for you as a space heater .

Jason

lsayre wrote:So in the end I lucked out with my calculation method?

Larry,

I would say, you calculated correctly!

-Don

ziggy87 wrote:I can confirm you number too out of my Hoffman Steam Heating Systems book by ITT. It is a book a I got for the steam heating class I took at Penn College of Technology. It has a lot of great info in it for sizing old rads for steam and hot water systems. That should work perfect for you as a space heater .

Jason

Thank you Jason,

I guess that settels it. If I put 170 degree water through this radiator, it should put out about 9,000 BTU's or so.

Now we know what it is and it holds pressure. I just have to figure out how to get the old paint off and put new pant on. This is one of the most difficlut things to paint I have ever seen. Lots of things blocked by other things.

-Don