COPPER RADIATOR

JBETZ

LOOKING FOR INFO ON A PIECE OF STEAM FIN RADIATION FROM ABOUT 1920'S. TAG INFO: "ERSKINE COPPER RADIATOR" HAS CAST IRON HEADERS WITH COPPER TUBES & STEEL FINS. LOOKS SOMEWHAT LIKE A MURRAY RADIATOR. 1/2# STEAM; 2-PIPE; 29" x 3" HIGH X 5 1/2" DEEP. LOOKING FOR APPROX. EDR.

RT

Here's a picture of it

Steamhead

Never seen an Erskine chart

but I looked up some others with similar dimensions, and you can figure on about 28 square feet EDR.

If these convectors don't have traps on the return runouts, it's probably an Orifice Vapor system. The inlet orifices may be cast into the convector element headers (Trane did this too) or they may be disks inserted in the inlet pipe unions. If the latter, don't lose them when taking the pipes apart, or the dry returns will bang when the steam gets into them.

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RT

Each radiator has a trap

and they're all located in the basement, even the radiators that are on the third floor have the trap in the basement. The biggest concern that I have in switching out an old Richardson coal boiler on this system is that there won't be enough water in a new boiler to keep the system full of steam. That's why I want to get the best measurements I can on the type of radiators that I have.
In addition, there is a hot water loop running off the same boiler that heats an addition. So it's all the piping/capacity measurements that are going to be tricky.

Steamhead

You'll have enough water in the new boiler

There's much less space to fill in a finned convector than in a cast-iron radiator. I don't have the specifics in front of me, but Dan included them in the Dead Men's Steam School workbook.

The biggest problem I see is steam leaking thru bad trap elements, but these are easy to replace. Also make sure the system is properly vented.

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