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Double tube copper fin baseboard

MikeSartini
MikeSartini Member Posts: 4
in THE MAIN WALL
This is in a church hall built in the 70's. 3/4 copper in with ubend on other side returning in same fin. Anyone know the BTU rating on this. 14" cabinet, 2 1/2" hign x 5" fin. Assuming 180° water input 2 GPM? I've found older articals but they sound like 2 separate fin. This is 1 fin
kcopp

Comments

  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 24,511
    You can get remarkably close to the EDR of that thing: determine the area of one fin, counting both sides. Subtract of the area lost to the pipes. Convert to square feet (divide by 144). Now count the number of fins per foot and multiply -- that will be pretty close to the effective EDR.

    Then looking up the BTUh per EDR for 180 F water, multiply, and off you go.
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • Ironman
    Ironman Member Posts: 7,511
    That doesn’t look that different in size/surface area from Smith’s Heating Edge. Look it up and you can compare the output charts for that.

    I would guess around 800 btus per foot when piped like that with 170* AWT.
    Bob Boan
    You can choose to do what you want, but you cannot choose the consequences.
  • MikeSartini
    MikeSartini Member Posts: 4
    There us a U bens on other side. So one pipe is supply and the other return. Will that matter?
  • MikeSartini
    MikeSartini Member Posts: 4
    I’ve never seen the Smith product. It has more sheet fin and is vertical not horizontal. Also I have a 14” cabinet. The tall cabinet should give more BTU but should be close to the smith product with more fin volume. Thanks
  • MikeSartini
    MikeSartini Member Posts: 4
    So using the EDR method. Fin is 2.5”x5”= 12.5 sq in minus 2-3/4” tube (2x.6=1.2 sq”). 12.5-1.2=11.3 sq in per fin x 40 fin per ft= 452 /144sq in per ft=3.14 sq ft of fin x 240= 753 BTU per ft. Which is also close to Smith BB.
  • Ironman
    Ironman Member Posts: 7,511
    240 is for 215* steam. Use 150 for 170* AVERAGE water temp.
    Bob Boan
    You can choose to do what you want, but you cannot choose the consequences.
  • clammy
    clammy Member Posts: 3,150
    Isn’t that 240 x Edr for steam I think for hot water it’s edr x 180 For btu peace and good luck clammy

    R.A. Calmbacher L.L.C. HVAC
    NJ Master HVAC Lic.
    Mahwah, NJ
    Specializing in steam and hydronic heating

  • Ironman
    Ironman Member Posts: 7,511
    MikeSartini said:

    There us a U bens on other side. So one pipe is supply and the other return. Will that matter?

    Yes it will. It will lower the AVERAGE water temp.

    Bob Boan
    You can choose to do what you want, but you cannot choose the consequences.
  • mikeg2015
    mikeg2015 Member Posts: 1,194
    MikeSartini said:

    There us a U bens on other side. So one pipe is supply and the other return. Will that matter?

    Lower pipe should be return. As mentioned, it allows a larger temp drop for the same length of radiator and lower flow rates. You can get a little more boiler efficiency and smaller pump that way and both supply and return are on the same end.

    As you will see in the Smith chart, there is some different in output depending on how it's piped and flow rate.

    I think Monoflo setups require being piped that way to maintain low flow rates and stratification of the water in the pipe.

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