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Sizing old cast iron water radiators that froze

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bob eck
bob eck Member Posts: 930
I was given the following info from a heating contractor asking me to size replacement cast iron water radiators from this info.





7'x32" wall hung cast iron rad

9'x32" wall hung

25"x17" 4 pass

8'x32" wall hung

24"x32"x10" 3 pass

32"x42"x10" 3 pass

32"x32"x10 3 pass

32x32x10 3 pass

28"x25"c7" 6 pass

32"x12"x10" 3 pass

32"x18"x10" 3 pass

32"x30"x10" 3 pass

48"x24"x7" 6pass



Can anyone size from this info



I was always told you need the following info



Height

Number of sections

Number of tubes or columns.



Water or steam system.



Am I correct?



Thanks

Comments

  • Ironman
    Ironman Member Posts: 7,376
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    Radiation tables

    See the attached tables. Then multiply the square footage x 150 for 170* average water temp to get the btu output.
    Bob Boan
    You can choose to do what you want, but you cannot choose the consequences.
  • bob eck
    bob eck Member Posts: 930
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    CI radiators

    I have Dan's EDR book but he did not tell me how many sections so how am I supposed to figure it out?
  • Ironman
    Ironman Member Posts: 7,376
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    How...

    Could anyone figure it without knowing how many sections? He needs to supply you that info.
    Bob Boan
    You can choose to do what you want, but you cannot choose the consequences.
  • nicholas bonham-carter
    nicholas bonham-carter Member Posts: 8,576
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    Room by room heat loss?

    Would that be worth the trouble?--NBC
  • bob eck
    bob eck Member Posts: 930
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    CI radiators

    That is what I asked him for the number of sections for each radiator. He told me another wholesaler with the same info figured out the BTU for each radiator. I guess that other wholesaler is better than me and my technical people. Maybe if that wholesaler sold the old radiators they would never have frozen and broke in the first place and they would have been shipped with special water.
  • ChrisJ
    ChrisJ Member Posts: 15,708
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    Heatloss

    I'm only a homeowner, but my guess is it was hot water and not steam because they froze.



    That said, I agree with NBC, now is the time to do a heatloss and size the radiation accordingly. No one knows is the originals were sized right so why assume.
    Single pipe quasi-vapor system. Typical operating pressure 0.14 - 0.43 oz. EcoSteam ES-20 Advanced Control for Residential Steam boilers. Rectorseal Steamaster water treatment
  • icesailor
    icesailor Member Posts: 7,265
    edited March 2014
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    Sizing radiators:

    You are right. But they didn't give you the proper measurements.

    Take for example, one that is listed as "24X32X10 3 pass".

    There isn't a 24" high radiator but there is a 25" high and a 32" high radiator in the table. Modern radiators aren't given a width measure so the "10" may be true, but it probably is a "3-pass"" or 3 column radiator. So, a radiator that is 32" high and is a 3 tube/column radiator, according to the tables is 3  Sq. Ft per section. Radiators are sold by the Sq. Ft. So, if the radiator is a 10 section, it has 30 Sq, Ft of radiation. Tell the supply house that they need to call one of their old retired guys who know something. Or, get away from the coffee pot, quit texting someone, and call someplace that they will be buying radiators from.

    Better yet, if you buy from the wholesaler I used, they would build them or repair then right in one of their stores. Test them and deliver them.

    And they know what they are talking about. If those radiators are "modern radiators", they can probably be repaired. Usually, only the end sections break.

    I hope that it is comprehensible.