cooling through cast iron radiators

damon booz

i had this vision-----well water pumped in at 55 degrees through a compressor driven, water-cooling condensor, then dropping it to 40 degrees. this can then be pumped up through a circulator into existing cast iron radiators----possible? does anyone know, or heard of, or tried?---would it even be slightly efficient/effective. if necessary, please call me silly.

GMcD

Cold water in cast iron rads

Well, the first thing to think about is what is your ambient relative humidity in the room? Generally if the room is at 72F and 50% relative humidity, your cast iron radiator will be a dripping mess of water puddling on the floor at water temperatures lower than about 60F. Ambient dewpoint is the lowest limit for radiant cooling. The only way to get effective radiant cooling at the 62-63F surface temperatures of your cooling source is to have lots of area, like the whole ceiling.

Mike T., Swampeast MO

Had that same vision

year ago and had lots of problems. Only one has been "solved" so far.

1) Small-scale chillers are the one problem that has been solved--they're now available at reasonable cost.

2) Condensate. You MIGHT be able to get a decent amount of cooling without condensation in an extremely dry climate or if you use an extreme amount of mechanical dehumidification. Otherwise, you have to develop a system to both collect and drain the condensate. Considering the crap that likes to grow in central A/C condensate lines it would probably be a nightmare of overflows, hideous mildew, odors and even health hazards.

3) Amount of cooling available. Since you only have (at most) about a 40° delta-t between water and air to deal with before you have to worry about water becoming a solid, you will probably have to enhance the ability of the iron to accept heat. If your cooling requirement is more than moderate you would essentially have to install a carefully directed, high pressure fan blowing through each radiator.

The condensate problem is likely insurmountable. If you live in a climate dry enough that such doesn't matter you ALREADY have a very efficient alternative--evaporative "swamp" coolers.

Al Letellier

radiator cooling

Condensation aside, what about all that contraction on those old rads. I think you would find water coming from the joints as well......

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S Ebels

A/C

" Nightmare of overflows, hideous mildew, odors, and even health hazards." Add mold and algea and you've described the A/C system in 90% of American homes.

People have no idea what is growing in their evap pans and duct systems. These issues need to be dealt with on at least a yearly basis.

I read an interesting article on IAQ and health whilst scrolling through the net a couple months ago. This was a medical research paper dealing with athsma in kids and the spike in occurance that has been observed over the last 10-12 years. The study looked at living conditions as they correspond to # of cases per 1000 in an age group. It was found that children living in homes built within the last 20 years had an incidence increase of over 30% as compared to children of the same age groups living in older structures.

So much for "healthy" new homes. Obviously, ventilation is not properly addressed under current codes in most of the USA.

This proves the point that because a system meets code doesn't always mean it's right. The well meaning idiots in Mass. have opened a Pandora's box of cross contamination with their blunder on the heating/plumbing issue.

jw

the NEWS has a good article

In the latest edition. Condemns most duct systems and says home are the least healty place to live. Worth a read.

Bob Gagnon plumbing and heating

i wonder

how many of these newer homes have f.h.a. now? maybe 30% more. instead of cooling your radiators how about a finned coil unit. i put one in my closet made out of 100' of baseboard element put a drip pan underneath, and a fan behind it. i run 56 degree well water through that and my radiant floors and it works great. 2 summers ago when it was 100 degrees outside it was 70 in my house. using just well water. bob

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