Governale Steel Convector Element vs Cast Convector Element

victorianmansard

Hey Everybody,
I have some Governale cast iron convector elements that are cracked and leaking at the push nipples. I pulled them out of the wall to see if I could replace the push nipples but everything is pretty well rusted and I’m not sure if these are refurbishable. Advice from the local supply house was to replace them. I wasn’t able to find much information online about repairing them.

My question is, can/should the existing cast iron convectors be salvaged (pictures attached)? If not, can I replace the cast iron convector with a steel convector? I am able to easily source the steel convector elements and they are much more affordable than cast. My conjecture is that the cast iron elements retain heat better than the steel ones. I have steel elements in other rooms of my house, and they seem to produce enough heat. Is there any other measurable benefit to using cast over steel in this case?

Thank you for your help

Jamie Hall

If they have the same EDR rating, they will both produce -- to a very close approximation -- the same amount of heat. You are quite correct that the cast iron variety will produce some heat longer, as it cools down. However, don't overlook the fact that it will also take longer to heat up. The former effect probably is greater than the latter, but... at the end of the day, not much difference.

victorianmansard

@Jamie Hall Your advice helped me when I had a crack in this convector back in January —the JB weld got me through the winter. And now you’ve helped me again. Thanks Jamie