Horizontal ceiling radiators.

Turbo Dave

I belong to an old-house facebook page. I look for and find lots of great radiators in their posts. These are in the Masonic Lodge in Little Falls, NY. Built in 1914.

Phil53

The former Post Office building in Aurora, IL has similar ceiling mount radiators in the basement. The building is now a Science Museum and last time I was in there a few years ago, still had the original one-pipe steam system.

MilanD

I don't know if, 100 years later, I'd be comfortable sitting under these...

Steamhead

They should be OK. We had to re-hang one of these once:

https://forum.heatinghelp.com/discussion/135021/re-hanging-a-ceiling-radiator

Alan (California Radiant) Forbes

Not common, but they are around.

MilanD

I know, I know @Steamhead - I have one in our basement at work. Still I check connections on them every time I go down there. Screwed into joists.

JUGHNE

At my high school about 50 years ago, my science teacher herself told me the story that she was at her desk and was compelled to get up and walk across the room. She said there was no reason to go but got up and moved anyway. Just then the ceiling rad came crashing down on her desk and chair. It was about the size of the ones shown in the pictures.

It makes one believe in angels, I get wet eyed just telling the story as she was and still is one of my favorite teachers.

All the ceiling rads have since been removed. About 10 years ago I went to correct hangers on the sagging 3" single pipe main in that area. They used 1/4" X 2" eyelet lag screws. There were few threads into the joists after going thru plaster and wood lath. The pipe going thru walls was really the only support remaining. It now has nearly an overkill of hangers using 2 1/2" Sammie and auto grips. If the pipe hanging hardware was indicative of the methods for the radiators then it was no surprise of the failure. This was installed in perhaps 1919. It takes a lot of extra hangers to correct pipe that was only supported every 15' at best. Even the pipe between good hangers developed it's own "belly". There are numerous 2" risers with their weight on the main, some over 20'.

JUGHNE

This is another high school built in 1938. These hangers go into the concrete poured floor above. All hangers are of this nature. I have seen only maybe 2 fail.

There is a basement full of these, the building is expected to be torn down within 5 years.

MilanD

@JUGHNE

Saw rad like this last week. I was thinking of using it, but too big for my living room. Do you know what EDR is per section on these? I'm just curious.

JUGHNE

My best guess was 28.5" with 2 columns would be 2.8 EDR/section.
21.5" with 2 columns would be 2 EDR/section.
I believe these were Crane brand.

Not sure where my approximation came from. Not critical for me as I am not changing the boiler, just wanted an estimation on how oversized it was. (at least a factor of 2 X)

MilanD

Thank you. This was a 28-30" (about), 1 column.

Steamhead

For a wall rad of this type, we use the single-column chart and add the height of standard legs. So this was probably a 32" section with the legs eliminated. Therefore, 2.5 square feet per section.

MilanD

Thanks @Steamhead!

35x2.5=87.5 EDR, 21,000btu

My Living room design day loss is at 19,932 btu per slant fin app (brick 12", plaster on brick, single pain door with a strom, single pain picture window and double hung vinyl replacement window, with 3 sides exposed to outdoor, conditioned upstairs and unheated basement).

Huh,... it's actually less EDR than I thought it would be. That's probably a 700lb rad if not more... 20-25lb per section?