radiation

thfurnitureguy_2

Ok, one for the science guys. My brother the engineer (also a knower of all things) has put the bug in my mothers ear that steam heat will scourch her furniture? It has been my observation that wood and fabric remains cool even when it sits very close to a radiator( like 2-3 ") I too thought that there would be some heating of the furnishings. It would appear not. I have a desk that sits above, and 3" away from a good sized radiator. After the heat cycle the room is warm, and the desk is cool to the touch. Anybody have a reason why your body gets warm and furniture stays cool? Please understand the importance of this situation. This is a chance for the guy with stain under his fingernails to one up his brother the suit. Thanks for any Info on this subject. T

jerry scharf_3

time to have fun

Ask your brother to compute the wavelength and quantum energy of the heat radiation from a 180F radiator. Then have him do the same for sunlight filtered through a single pane of glass. It's easy to find 400 year old furniture in Europe that has been exposed to varying amounts of the later.

You are the furniture expert in the family. You know much better than he that it's changes in moisture that cause problems for wood, not temperature. So which type of heat produces the most change in humidity? The one with the most leaks. So an imperfectly installed forced air system will cause more problems than steam or hot water.

If I was talking about a 14th century tapestry, then I would probably not put a radiator right under it. Even then it's less important than tight humidity control and indirect lighting. Anything bought at the store will be fine.

Now sunlight is another type of radiation, and you need to take the bleaching of fabric into account.

hope your brother enjoys this.

jerry

thfurnitureguy_2

I'm Lovin it!

Mike T., Swampeast MO

Ain't Gonna Happen...

...because of air!

1) Both the radiator and the furniture are surrounded by air. The radiator will heat the furniture but as soon as the furniture is warmer than the air it starts warming the air via natural convection.

2) When a radiator is being supplied with steam produced at atmospheric pressure it is ALWAYS in the "heating" phase of a cycle. In the heating phase, convective output grows much faster than radiative output. Once that radiator is fully heated in a space at "room temperature" the great majority of the heat it produces is convective.

Anybody have a reason why your body gets warm and furniture stays cool?

Don't forget that we're warm-blooded creatures with our own internal boiler. Our skin is a radiator! To survive our body must loose heat! Your body feels warm in front of a steam radiator because it is loosing less heat!

Chuckles_4

Turn the heat off, and the furniture will be even cooler to the touch.

So of course it's heating up when the heat is on, to about 70F.

But (to say in another way what Mike T said) it isn't heating up to where it would be warm to the touch (above 98.6F).