Radiator Equivalent

Steamhead (in transit)

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JLK

cast iron radiator equivalent

We are going to replace a leaking cast iron window radiator on an old hot water heating system. It is now pumped but probably was gravity originally (1930's?)

This is a small monster that will have to be cut up to be removed from the customer's home. The radiator is 12" front to back, 53" from left to right and 18" tall. There appear to be "sections" but they seem to be solid cast iron with out the air passages or nooks and crannies of a regular radiator.
I can not find anything like it in Dan's Every Darn Radiator. The only reference that is made is at the beginning of EDR where Dan states that the old radiators were originally solid until the manufacturers started providing nook and crannies to provide more heat output.(Yes, I actually read the book!!) Are there other sources of reference for old radiators?

My gut feeling is that because of the lack of nooks and crannies this monster does not give off as much heat as a regular radiator.But,I can not verify the feeling and do not know how to calculate the equivalent. I think that a smaller, normal radiator can provide more heat and of course will be easier to handle. Does anybody have any ideas?

Last question: Does any one know how the old timers got these monsters into the houses under construction, especially to the second floor? We have seen eight foot long window radiators in second floor living rooms and figure that they must of used a block and tackle and a mule to raise them to the window opening and then rolled them on piping.Any one know for certain? We know that the basements were dug by a mule pulling a skid with a man pushing the skid and directing the mule.

Mike T., Swampeast MO

Can you give a picture? Does sound interesting.

The "nooks and crannies" in some multi-column iron rads were an attempt to increase output via "extended" (not in contact with water/steam) surfaces. "Thin tube" and then even "thinner tube" rads [seem] to have proven more effective before the cast iron rad market effectively died.

Al Corelli

Maybe its an old convector?

JLK

Nope, its definitely a free standing radiator with 1 1/2" tappings on each end( from the old gravity system) no fins of any sort. I'll take a picture in the next few days. How do I post the picture?

Steamhead (in transit)

Posting pics

After downloading the file to your computer, resize it to a JPEG image of about 5x7 inches. Then, start your post in the normal manner. On the Post Reply screen, click the Attachments button at the bottom left, this will display the Attachments screen. Use the Browse button on this screen to navigate to where your JPEG file is, then click Add. The file name will appear in the window. Click OK to return to the Post Reply screen.

If you want your pic to display automatically, click the check-box next to the file name at the bottom of the Post Reply screen. Type your text into the window on the screen as usual, then click OK to post.

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