Radiator to baseboard

Rock

I have a single pipe steam system and want to change one of my radiators over to baseboard. The radiator is the last one in the chain(also the largest), so it warms up last. Can I do It, and if so what kind of baseboard do I use.

Thank you in advance

Steamhead

You'd need a lot of baseboard

to equal the output of that radiator. I doubt it would be practical.



Since this one warms up last, you need to check to see whether there is a main vent on the steam main feeding it, and if so, whether it is the right size.

nicholas bonham-carter

Mixing rads and baseboard

As their thermal mass qualities are quite different, it is not a good idea to mix the two types of radiation in the same house. This would be more of a problem on an unbalanced system such as yours. In a balanced system, all the radiators will receive steam at the same time and for the same duration, which does not seem to be the case with yours.

Most likely, you need to increase the main venting, and slow down the radiator venting, to balance things out. Excessive pressure can also slow the steam down in the supplies. Post some pictures of your main vent, and radiator vents, and we will go from there.--NBC

Rock

Reply to question

I finished my basement and I think my main vent(the only vent not connected to a radiator? connected directly to the pipe) is behind a sheet rocked wall. I could cut a hole in the wall to locate the vent. My system is a little screwed up in the first place. I removed two of the radiators completely one from the kitchen and a small one from the bathroom. I put an addition (previously a screen room) on the house and put hot water baseboard in that room.They used the hot water from my steam radiator , I think they called it a wet something or other? The bathroom is always warm(its above the burner) and the kitchen is next to the living room , so it gets heat from that radiator.

All in all the system heats the house pretty good, except for the bedroom at the end of the house, where I want to put the baseboard..The reason for the baseboard is to make more space in a small room. When the hot t water zone is on I think its heating up parts of the steam pipe.

Sorry for the confusing reply.

Steamhead

What you need

is a differently shaped cast-iron radiator that will not stick out so far from the wall, but will give off the same amount of heat.



Take a picture of the side of the radiator and tell us how tall it is. From this we can determine its heat output.



You will also need an access panel where the main vent is, large enough to permit easy replacement. If there is more than one steam main, you need access to the other main vents too.