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How much heat.....

Alan (California Radiant) Forbes
Alan (California Radiant) Forbes Member Posts: 4,214
edited February 2021 in THE MAIN WALL
..........can be expected from sideways BB fins? 20%?



8.33 lbs./gal. x 60 min./hr. x 20°ΔT = 10,000 BTU's/hour

Two btu per sq ft for degree difference for a slab
Intplm.

Comments

  • EdTheHeaterMan
    EdTheHeaterMan Member Posts: 9,378
    edited February 2021
    I have seen that before. That will reduce the output by more than 20% more like 70%. The only way to fix it to turn the elements. If what you don't know can't hurt you, then the guy who installed that must be invincible.

    I understand that about 15% of the rating is radiant heat and 85% is convection heat. Since there is limited convection you might get a little thru those small slots. 25 to 30% of the rated output is about right.

    Edward Young Retired

    After you make that expensive repair and you still have the same problem, What will you check next?

    LS123
  • Alan Welch
    Alan Welch Member Posts: 270
    Is that a union on the left side?  Unions on both sides would make it easy to rotate. 
    rick in AlaskaHVACNUT
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 16,470
    Boy, does that bring back memories for me. I started up an oil boiler for a contractor about 30 years ago.

    The fire looked good but the combustion test was disgusting. I couldn't figure out what was going on.......until the paint started burning off the boiler jacket. The fitter sent the cast iron clean out covers back to the shop....he didn't know what they were for.

    Once we got the boiler fixed up we couldn't heat the building, yup he put all the baseboard in with the fins turned 90 deg.

    Then came the chiller with the remote chiller barrel....two circuits. He crossed the circuits and burned holes through the fittings with oxy aceytelene and had the hot gas valve installed on the wrong compressor.

    Same guy screwed it all up

    Had my own business at the time, Made some money there
    Intplm.
  • Larry Weingarten
    Larry Weingarten Member Posts: 3,590
    Hi @Alan (California Radiant) Forbes , I'm wondering if this would be a good opportunity to do some measuring. If the inlet and outlet temps were recorded for a while, then the fins turned and measured again, it would likely show pretty clearly how much difference it makes. Measured data is useful!

    Yours, Larry
    ps, I'm always happy to make work for others. :p
    rick in Alaskabucksnort
  • Intplm.
    Intplm. Member Posts: 2,194
    @Alan (California Radiant) Forbes Nice catch!!
    How many are like this?
  • Alan (California Radiant) Forbes
    Alan (California Radiant) Forbes Member Posts: 4,214
    Two upstairs bedrooms. The owners said they've been cold since the system was installed and nobody could figure out why.
    8.33 lbs./gal. x 60 min./hr. x 20°ΔT = 10,000 BTU's/hour

    Two btu per sq ft for degree difference for a slab
    Intplm.mattmia2
  • Intplm.
    Intplm. Member Posts: 2,194
    Nice work that you found this. Excellent!
    ethicalpaulJUGHNE
  • ratio
    ratio Member Posts: 3,788
    It's the li'l things that gets ya, every time.
  • Alan (California Radiant) Forbes
    Alan (California Radiant) Forbes Member Posts: 4,214
    edited February 2021
    Is that a union on the left side? Unions on both sides would make it easy to rotate.
    Yes, union on one side and I could put a union on the other side. Does anyone know if I can use ProPress on the thin copper they use for baseboard? It could be like an egg that doesn't break with even pressure all around.
    8.33 lbs./gal. x 60 min./hr. x 20°ΔT = 10,000 BTU's/hour

    Two btu per sq ft for degree difference for a slab
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 16,470
    @Alan (California Radiant) Forbes

    I don't think Propress is approved for anything thinner than M tubing. But i't's done all the time, it's been used on baseboard a lot
  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 10,923
    I'd be inclined to sweat a male/female adapter or coupler on the fin tube and use propress form there.

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