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Radiator Sizing

I'm remodeling a ranch style house in North Dakota. I'm ripping out the scorched air furnace and install HW heat. I have several old radiators that I have been longing to activate in this house. The question for the day is how do I find out the heating capacity or EDR of these radiators. They're 30" tall and 24" long and 8" thick. They have four vertical passes. I would like to position one under each window. Is there any rule of thumb for sizing?

Comments

  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 24,842
    Not a rule of thumb, but somewhere on this site -- I can never find it -- there is a book called "Every Darn Radiator" which has a listing of the EDR of pretty much... every darn radiator. You can buy the book, too...
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • Ironman
    Ironman Member Posts: 7,547

    Bob Boan
    You can choose to do what you want, but you cannot choose the consequences.
    TheGerman
  • Ironman
    Ironman Member Posts: 7,547

    Make sure your rads are connected across the top like they are across the bottom. Rads that are only connected across the bottom are for steam only; the won’t work on hot water.
    Bob Boan
    You can choose to do what you want, but you cannot choose the consequences.
    TheGerman
  • EBEBRATT-Ed
    EBEBRATT-Ed Member Posts: 16,470
    Posting a picture of your rads would be a good idea. See the "Burnham Heating Helper " attached. PG 43 & 47

    You need to do a heat loss the find the EDR of your radiators. Hot water radiation gives off 150btu/EDR @ 170 average water temp.
    TheGerman