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Cast iron radiators: Return at top vs bottom?

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eclecticmn
eclecticmn Member Posts: 129
edited November 2021 in THE MAIN WALL
I am looking around for used cast iron radiators for hot water heat.
I see that some in my house have the return at the bottom and others at the top.
Is one design better than the other?
What is the flow pattern in each?
For the bottom return units, does it matter which end is the supply and which is the return?"
Home owner near Minneapolis with cast iron radiators, one non working slant fin now ripped out, and hot water heat.

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  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 19,047
    Weather the return is top or bottom depends on the radiator design. Are the radiators connected across the bottom & top or just the bottom with push nipples? On bottom connected units the supply and return connections can be reversed
    eclecticmn
  • eclecticmn
    eclecticmn Member Posts: 129
    Some traditional cast iron radiators in my house are piped at the bottom only and some at top and bottom. I was just wondering. My push nipple question was for a different topic as I try to understand how cast iron baseboards work when I came across them and noticed some seemed to terminate in non-threaded openings.
    Home owner near Minneapolis with cast iron radiators, one non working slant fin now ripped out, and hot water heat.

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