Regular Baseboard vs. Cast Iron Baseboard

R. Kalia_8

It makes no sense to replace a big radiator with any kind of baseboard. If you need space, use a panel radiator, these hang on a wall and are only about 2" deep. They can go under the bay window sections.

Joshua Hosseinof

Regular Baseboard vs. Cast Iron Baseboard

We're moving into a house soon, and we've gotten bids from some contractors for replacing an oil boiler for hot water heat to a gas-fired boiler. We're also putting in baseboard heat in two rooms (one of which only had a space heater) and the other had a huge monster size radiator - this radiator is at least 4 feet long and 12 inches deep and is in front of a bay window in a dining room. Most contractors we spoke to told us not to remove the big radiator but since my wife doesn't like the look of it in the dining you know that it's gotta go.
Some contractors said that if we did remove it we should use cast iron baseboard since it will retain the heat for longer than the regular baseboard.

My question - Will the cast iron baseboard heat up the room better and/or retain the heat longer than the regular baseboard?

brucewo1b

Regular Baseboard vs. Cast Iron Baseboard

To answer your question yes cast iron will retain heat longer than copper fin baseboard, however I am guessing that you have a gravity hot water system or a gravity system thats been converted and if you do you probably should not be putting any baseboard on the same zone as the gravity system as the resistace in the baseboard will not allow the same flow as the radiators giving not enough heat in the baseboard. I am sure others will chime in.
http://www.heatinghelp.com/heating_howcome1.cfm

Bruce

Rodney Summers

I hope

the bay window's been replaced with a high efficeny unit.
Make sure that the contractor calculates the heat loss for the room and puts in enough BB (cast iron would be best). You'll probably need a BB the full length of the wall to cover the heat output of the old monster.

Joshua Hosseinof

Thanks J. Cricket - I think the panel radiator would be the solution to our problem. And Joe Brix - the window is old so we will also make replacing the window a priority.