steam radiators on hw system

hot_rod

I had an old customer show up with 15 old steam rads that he had sandblasted and powder coated. These do not connect at the top of the sections. I told him I didn't think they would work. So I repaired the nipples and connected one to my hydronic system in the shop. Oddly enough all but the very top gets warm, with 154F from my solar array today. It has a 1/8 vent port about 1/2 the way up the end section.



I feel bad he has already had them finished with a nice silver with black speck powder coat. I re-taped the first one and loctited a new nipple in this weekend, pressured to 12 psi all is well.



Any advise on dealing with the other 14? is it worth the time to fix the connections and let him install them?



i suggested he have some metal pans build to put under them if he does go forward.

JStar

Rads

They won't work, unless they are way oversized. The tops aren't connected, so they'll never get 100% hot.

Ironman

Even If...

They were connected across the top, they would have put out 240 btu's per sq. foot on steam. With 170* hot water, their output would be 150 btu's per sq. foot.



A load calc would be needed to determine if they would have been sufficient even with top nipples.



I guess he could install them and see what happens or test each one like you did and see if they all have the same pattern. Then maybe calculate the output by reducing the sq. footage by at least 1/3rd? But that's guessing. If they come up short for the load, he could supplement them with more as needed.



I'd hate to see those beautiful rads not used.

Eric_32

you have to

You have to drill and tap each section for a coin vent so you can bleed the trapped air and fully heat the radiator. Not the best senario there, it would work but not look that great.

hot_rod

thanks all

It's a big new home, resembles a Mississippi mansion where these folks are from. The home has radiant floor heat and furnaces to heat and cool the place.



They want the radiator "look" in the rooms. Maybe they will provide some some clothes warming.



They hauled these suckers from Mississippi to Missouri, they came out of an old school where the guy taught, so he is attached and has the $$ to realize his pipe dreams.

nicholas bonham-carter

Bleeding the unbleedable

As there is a sentimental reason to make these work, and the wherewithal to do what is neccessary then go for it.

why not use very small screws in the radiator top wall side to do the venting. If the air is removed well from the rest of the system, then maybe the air remaining above the screw-vents will be dissolved back into to the water, especially if the special Dawn washing liquid method is used.

I would be important to explain why this is an unusual method of dealing with radiators to the customer, so he knows of the great lengths to which you are going to make these work.--nbc

Big Ed_4

Steam Radiators Trapped Air

Say you're pumping away and those radiators are holding air . The system will get sloppy pulling from the expansion tank and compressing the air in the radiator .

gennady

Non bleedable

Oddly enough I faced same issue today. I'm thinking to vacuum system and then fill it. Just an idea. Then it might keep itself primed with micro bubble air eliminator.

Steamhead

If he wants to use THESE radiators

he could put in a steam system to run them. Or even Vapor- I've seen Vapor work with rads like this. Or best yet- a Gill-Pajek mini-tube system!

gennady

Delete

Delete

icesailor

Plans:

Now THAT sounds like a possible plan. If you have all that radiant floor stuff, a vacuum system sounds like an interesting approach.

As the vacuum goes up, the steam temperature goes up in relation to the boiling point of the fluid? You know a lot more about those systems than I but to someone that goes to the length that this owner went to, to have a system like a Vapor Vacuum system would give him serious big dog bragging rights in the neighborhood.

The vapor Vacuum system can be supplemental and or the radiant. Could you use all copper tube because of the lower temps?

Sounds really intriguing.

Myself, I'd really be interested in hearing your thoughts on it.

You know what I mean about the vacuum pressure and boiling point. It didn't come out right. Water boils at 212 degrees at sea level, higher in Death Valley, CA which is below Sea Level and at 144 degrees in Denver CO at 5,000+'. The higher the vacuum, the lower the boiling point to make steam.