Installing radiator on outdoor furnace return line

sn2324

Needing supplemental heat n game room. What are the pitfalls of using old cast or ceramic horizontal radiator and plumbing outdoor wood furnace return line to the inlet and outlet of radiator. Installation area is where return line leaves house. Seems straight forward but always like to get other's thought..Thanks

Jamie Hall

No pitfalls, really. However, you may not get a whole lot of heat, either. Depends very much on the temperature of the return line.

Ironman

If you have an unpressurized outdoor wood boiler, then hooking a cast iron rad to it may not be such a good idea. The ODWB is an open loop, which means the water contains dissolved o2 which will eventually eat a leak in the rad - probably at the most inopportune moment.

I've never seen a ceramic rad, so I can't comment on that.

Solid_Fuel_Man

If you treat the water in your open system (which you must) you should have no problem using an iron component in the loop. CI rads are great in the aspect that they have large openings so you could pipe it directly through. Creep in mind that you will have no control on how much heat you get. As long as water is moving some heat will be emitted. You could make a bypass with a 3 way valve to direct water either through or around the radiator for control.

Taylor