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Cast iron baseboard installation question.

bill nye_3
bill nye_3 Member Posts: 307
in THE MAIN WALL
Bottom -Bottom is the most common method I have seen and probably the easiest. It also allows for the coin vent to be installed on the top tapping and the end cap fits better.

Are you using mono-flo or series loop? In series the first rad will be hot and the last may be cool. I did a new house where I home-runned all the cast iron to a manifold with pex and added a couple of non-electric zone valves

Comments

  • Russell L. Hill Jr.
    Russell L. Hill Jr. Member Posts: 29
    Cast iron baseboard installation question.

    Cast iron baseboard installation question.

    I am a fully licensed plumbing and heating contractor from RI not a D. I. Yer. I am about to tackle a small job within an Historic building. This job has a call for cast iron baseboard. This baseboard is not going to be heated with steam, the heating media is water. I am aware of fan coils being piped different for steam and hydronic.

    With in this multiple section loop. Considering the water flow direction Should I pipe each individual section of baseboard in on the bottom and out on the top?

    Thanks for any help you may provide.

    Russell L. Hill Jr.
  • kev
    kev Member Posts: 100
    pipe from

    bottom to bottom. The top taps are used for manual venting of air with 3/4"x 1/2" bushings and 1/8" key vents usually.
  • Russell L. Hill Jr.
    Russell L. Hill Jr. Member Posts: 29
    Science Guy

    Thanks for the revelation I’ll split loop the system. Honestly did not think about the coin vent, just the big float vent so dismissed it. Thanks again

    R Hill
  • Russell L. Hill Jr.
    Russell L. Hill Jr. Member Posts: 29
    KF

    Thank you see above ( Science Guy ) same applies to you. you have my e-mail any time I can be of help don't hesitate.
  • Russell L. Hill Jr.
    Russell L. Hill Jr. Member Posts: 29
    Cast iron baseboard piping what’s your thought? A lively experim

    OK Ladies and Gentlemen.

    The answer that I have received is bottom to bottom but you need a vent. ( with regard to Hydronic cast Iron baseboard piping). In my original request for input I entertained the thought of bottom to top piping.
    I feel that this in effect would eliminate the need for a vent. What is your take?

    Please let us have fun with this one after all we all have to pull the wrenches out side this WEBB site, Don’t we!

    Thanks to all!

    RLHJ
  • Tombig_2
    Tombig_2 Member Posts: 231
    Bottom-top

    Sure Russell, as long as the top tapping pipes DIRECTLY UP to another radiator where the air can be vented....THINK!!
  • Russell L. Hill Jr.
    Russell L. Hill Jr. Member Posts: 29
    purge

    I obviously/honestly was thinking on the purge side of things your rite. Thanks but even with a vent would bottom to top piping utilize more of the radiator/baseboard on an overall bases?

    RLHJ
  • Tombig_2
    Tombig_2 Member Posts: 231
    Top Tap

    No! Hot water rises. Don't try to argue with "The Dead Men"
  • Tombig_2
    Tombig_2 Member Posts: 231
    Ain't it Great

    As complicated as we try to make things it was simplified years ago if we care to observe and pay attention.
  • bob eck
    bob eck Member Posts: 930
    cast iron baseboard

    check out burnham.com go to technical information click I&O manuals then click baseboard and radiators then click on baseray then click installation manual.

    that should answer any questions.
  • Russell L. Hill Jr.
    Russell L. Hill Jr. Member Posts: 29


    no arguement just exploreing
  • Russell L. Hill Jr.
    Russell L. Hill Jr. Member Posts: 29
    I'm sorry

    I wasn't around but I was around just not listening!
  • Russell L. Hill Jr.
    Russell L. Hill Jr. Member Posts: 29


    DU what was I thinking!
  • Russell L. Hill Jr.
    Russell L. Hill Jr. Member Posts: 29


    in our life time there is going to come a time that we have to disagree with the dead men! baseboard is no longer going to be like it is today, it is going to be more like towel warmers and radiant hanging on a wall. then what do you thing the answer to this question would be? I think it would be more like a fan coil. my reasoning is that there must be a point where the heated water needs to be drawn to the top in order to be most efficient! just an Idea and opinion
  • ScottMP
    ScottMP Member Posts: 5,883
    Russel

    It seems oyur are thinking like copper finned tubing and cast iron baseboard is a different animal. Its flow has a higher resistants than copper fin.

    You want to use scoop tees to provide each section with as close to the same water temp. as possible. Remember the mass of the cast iron will suck up the BTU's quickly. Also the cast iron does not lend it self to purging, your going to want a coin vent on each section.

    Balancing is also big here. You want to get even flow to each section.

    I'm a big fan of scoop or monolfow tees for cast iron baseboard and keeping the sections to ten feet before dropping to another set of tee's. Also see if a reverse return piping set up will work here.

    Next to radiant this is the best style of heat but it has to be done differently than copper.

    Scott

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  • Russell L. Hill Jr.
    Russell L. Hill Jr. Member Posts: 29
    Scott

    Thanks I know what you are saying. this is a twenty nine foot heat loop total 14800 heat loss I was thinking of splitting the loop but mono-flow tees are very possible and easy to do, as I was reading the fist few sentences. I thought of reverse return piping it. it really has been such along time sense I’ve had something to sink my teeth into, I forget .

    Thank you for your support
    RLHJ
  • Jim_83
    Jim_83 Member Posts: 67


    Should dielectric unions be used if CI basboard radiators are piped using copper tubing?
  • bob young
    bob young Member Posts: 2,177
    no , male adapters or union els

  • Jim_83
    Jim_83 Member Posts: 67


    Should the male adapters or union ells be dielectric?
  • Keith C
    Keith C Member Posts: 7


    No don't worry about them. There's really no fresh water makeup on a hydronic system so you won't see corrosion.

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