Need To Move Beautiful Wall Rad

hollyjoy

We have a 1910 Craftsman with hot water radiators - 10 total (5 downstairs & 5 upstairs.  At some point, a previous owner turned an upstairs porch into a bathroom but installed no heating system... We have a beautiful wall radiator in the kitchen downstairs that we need to move to add additional cabinets when we do the renovation this summer.  We'll replace it with a small under cabinet radiator.

We'd love to move the unit upstairs to the bathroom.  There is a perfect spot for it under a wall of windows.... The original bathroom to the house shares an interior wall with the "added" bathroom.  The small standing fin radiator that heats that bath is on that wall.  We were wondering if we can tie into the pipes for that radiator to install the wall mounted one and wither run the pipes through the wall or go down through the floor as we will eventually be replacing the floor in both bathrooms.  I am less worried about the aesthetics of pipes through the wall...then I am about simplifying the project if it is indeed possible. 

I'm still new to this system...having never had rads before.  I'm not sure if it's a gravity fed system...but I do know we have a red pressure tank on the furnace in the basement.  Only one set of pipes that I can see from the basement seem to be flowing downward...the rest seem to run level.

I can supply pictures if needed....  I really want to save the beautiful rad....I looked on-line to see if I could identify it...but the only ones that I found that were similar were in houses in the UK.  It is 3 panels and has a shell motif in the corner of each "section".  It would also be the answer to a VERY COLD bathroom when it's below freezing...and brrrrr....below zero.

Thanks!

Holly

RobbieDo

Pictures

That would help as it is hard from your description as to what type of system you have. I assume that you have a pressure tank on the boiler? More info would help.

hollyjoy

will provide photos

RobbieDo-

I'll take some additional pictures and post them.  I knew it would be kind of confusing.

Left picture is "addition" where I want to put the wall radiator centered under the 3 windows.

Center picture is the bathroom that shares an interior wall with "added" bathroom.  You can see the top of the radiator on the left side of the picture...it's back is against an outside wall with the window over it.  The left side of the rad is against the shared inside wall

Right side picture is of the wall radiator presently in the kitchen and would like to move it to under the windows in the left side picture. 



We do have a pressure tank...it's bright red...and about the size of a five gallon bucket but rounder.

Each rad has 2 pipes....both come from the floor into the side of the radiator....just above the legs and each has it's own shutoff...The side with the shutoff is hotter when touched then the other side. 

 

The wall radiator is different...the pipes come up into the bottom.  This radiator is only about 3 inches deep and is in 4 sections but doesn't have "fins"...each section is one piece that has horizontal openings and each section is about a foot wide and 2 feet high.  It is very decorative with shells in the corners.  I'm not sure how it is attached to the wall.  Since it is right up against the wall...I can't tell if there are brackets but it does not move when pulled on.



The bathroom is a perfect place for the wall rad....it's under 3 windows on an outside wall....and it would be so nice to have heat in that bathroom...  I hope we can save and use it.  I hate to move it but the kitchen is so small and the radiator and large window take up 7 feet of wall space that can be used for cabinets. 

I will try to get the pictures tonight and load them when I get home from work.

Thanks for the reply.....Holly

Steamhead

"We'll replace it with a small under cabinet radiator"

Holly, your system was originally designed to work by gravity- there was no pump. So the pipe sizes are larger and the radiators have a lot of space inside them to ease the flow of water. Consequently, the system can run on relatively low-temperature water. You need to stay within this format if you want heat in your kitchen.



Not sure what "small under cabinet radiator" is being proposed, but if it's what I think it is, it won't integrate well with your system. These small units require much more force to move the water thru them than is available in your system. Also, their limited heat-transfer surface severely limits their output with the water temperatures your system generally runs at. The bottom line is, your kitchen will be cold.



Your best bet would be to use some other form of cast-iron radiator that would equal the heat output of the wall rad, while not using so much wall space. They're out there- check out your local architectural-salvage place.



I'd be a rich man if I had a dollar for every cold kitchen or bathroom I've been in, where some knucklehead designer removed the radiators.

hollyjoy

radiator

Yes, the pipes are larger....2 - 2 1/2 inches.  What is a "low temp" for that kind of system?  Our rads get hot....amost too hot to touch for very long.

Its good to know about the under cabinet radiator....as it was recommended by 2 different people...one a cabinet maker and one a contractor....We plan on having a heating expert come out to the house eventually...I'm trying to educate myself prior to that so I know what he's talking about and I know what questions to ask.  I hope that removing the large plate glass window in the kitchen will also help to keep it a bit warmer.  A wall unit will not work...there will be no wall space once the window is gone and we install the cabinets.  We may have to install an electric under cabinet unit...a toe kick heater?  We also plan to insulate when we have the walls open during the reno.

My biggest question (other then the under cabinet unit) is can we move the wall radiator to the bathroom upstairs and can we tie right into the radiator line in the bathroom next door? By the looks of it in the basement, there are two pipes that go to that side of the house.  I assume that they go up the wall and feed the kitchen radiator and also the original bathroom radiator directly above the kitchen.  If we remove the radiator from the kitchen and move it on to the same wall upstairs...just on the other side of an interior shared wall....about 4 feet away....will that affect the flow of the system?

Let me tell you....it would be wonderful to have that wall unit in the bathroom...to heat the room and towels....it's flippin' COLD in that bathroom in the morning...it was 9 degrees this morning....brrrr.  There is a small electric wall unit in there...but what a joke....it doesn't put out any heat....and what it may put out is sucked out by the exhaust fan...

Thanks for the info....I plan on posting some additional pics of pipes, furnace, pressure tank.

Holly

Jean-David Beyer

....and what it may put out is sucked out by the exhaust fan...

If that is your only problem, there are devices known as heat-recovery ventilators. Professionals here may be a be able to recommend one.

RobbieDo

Radiator

First off, you have a boiler, not a furnace. Second, I would have a HVAC professional come in and look at what you plan on doing. It's hard to tell what you want by words on this site. I am sure there is someone in your area to help you. Thank you.

hollyjoy

radiator

I wish that was the only problem.  The small electric heater is completely useless....and that is why we want to relocate the radiator to that bathroom....it doesn't even take the chill off if you don't turn on the light/fan combo and shower in the dark....but thanks for the suggestion....

hollyjoy

radiator

Sorry....boiler.  I've never heard of it referred to as a boiler before....so thank you, I learned something today. Like I said in my previous post, I'm trying to learn about this new system....and I'm trying to educate myself so when we do call in a professional (which I also mentioned in one of my previous posts)....I know what I'm talking about....what he's talking about...and what questions to ask.  I don't expect you to give me answers....just thoughts and ideas.  That is why I joined this forum....I'm attempting to understand the workings of our new OLD house. I just spent the last 26 years living in base housing where we didn't have to worry about maintenance.....at least I'm trying.  Holly