Asbestos in a radiator?

Chuck Sorce

Hello, I just finished replacing the last of my air vents. In our living room we have some decorative radiators. They have a top cover that you lift off to access the vent, and in some cases a tray/channel that runs down the middle of the radiator.

When I finally was able to access the last radiator, I found this tray full of a material that I fear might be asbestos? Could this be the case? Is there any reason the center channel would have had asbestos installed in the past? Only two of the 6 radiators of this type had the tray still installed, and only one had material in it.

Thanks in advance for any information.

Mike T., Swampeast MO

Perhaps that's an old humidification means and one has a lot of accumulated scale.

Kyle Kubs - Benchmark Home Inspections

Post a Picture

It's very unlikely, but not impossible. I''ve never seen anything of that nature and can't see a reason for it to be there. I think the previous post may be right about the tray being a humidification device and if it isn't lime and scale in the tray, it may have been something like a wick to help water evaporate. A couple of pictures would really make a difference here...

Chuck Sorce_2

I'll post a picture as soon as I get home...

Thanks for the replies. The tray is a humidification device. The idea of it being a wick seems very likely. I was just afraid I might get responses about it being an "old asbestos wick" that was popular etc...

Thanks again.

DanHolohan

It wouldn't make sense

to insulate a radiator.

Mike T., Swampeast MO

Asbestos itself wouldn't make a wick as it's too brittle and doesn't absorb water. Can't imagine it being incorporated into any sort of wick material either.

Chuck Sorce_2

I didn't think it would be for insulation, but I feared it might by a heat resistant wick for distributing moisture over a larger surface area.

It's probably just a tradition material, but I am handling it carefully to be better safe than sorry.

Chuck Sorce_2

Asbestos was originally used as a wick for flames. I guess it hasn't been used in this fashion since classical times for the most part though.

I am pretty sure you guys are dead on with the limescaled wick material theory. This board is a heck of a resource.

Mike T., Swampeast MO

Thanks For Correction

You can still get asbestos wicks for kerosene heaters in Canada.

John Shea

Mike T.

I'm just now planning (after living in this home for seven years) to develop some sort of primitive pan/wick humidification system.

Any ideas on what material they used to use?

Or what might be a good (or perhaps better) substitute?

30% rh is uncomfortable!

Mike T., Swampeast MO

Sorry John, but I've only seen photos of the rads that were made with humidification chambers--believe Steamhead has one. I have zero idea if there was any form of wick or if they were just filled with water.

Have seen some interesting hanging humidifiers on ebay. Looked to have decent capacity and a good surface area. Unused old stock from some old hardware store. For column radiators only. Haven't seem them in a while, but you might watch.

My grandma would put a broad, shallow pan on her radiators. Not pretty, but water would evaporate quite rapidly because of the large surface area.