Radiator BTU Vs. Room Calculation

Steamhead (in transit)

A true pro either does the job right, or not at all. I would have walked away from a questionable situation like that.

Get a copy of Dan's book "E.D.R.", you can find it by clicking "shop" on the upper orange bar at the top of the page. This is a collection of old radiator rating charts. When you find the "square feet EDR" of a radiator, figure that the radiator will emit 150 BTU/hour per square foot if the average temp in the rad is 170 degrees (180 in, 160 out). For each temperature change of 5 degrees, BTU/hour output will change by 10 BTU.

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Greg DeCelle

Radiator BTU Vs. Room Calculation

Can you tell me how to calculate the BTU output of a cast iron hot water radiator and the BTU needs of my rooms? I am converting my steam system to HW and my neighbor is going to give me his old HW radiators. I need to make sure the right size units go in the right rooms. Thanks

tim smith

radiator outputs vs rooms loss

Easiest way would be to post a sample pic of radiators you are talking about and maybe there height. As long as there all the same style and height we can probably give you outputs. Take the picture so we can see the end also, may at a 45 degree angle to see front and end. Regarding the needs for each room, use the free heat loss calc on this site to figure room by room needs. Tim

Greg DeCelle

Re: Pics

There are nine total, I have all the dimensions, including h x w x l, tube diameter and tubes deep. 8 of 9 are oval type tube at 2.25.

tim smith

radiator types

Are they tube type or oval columnn or it sounds like maybe a mix. Need to know the type, # of sections, height and # of tube/columns in each section. Thanks, Tim.

Ken_40

Most of us here

who do steam and HWBB would ask, "Why would you want to chage an existing steam system to a hot water form"?

The unavoidable shortcomings of this transgression require a VERY talented contractor. Restoring the steam system to complete functionality is almost always far cheaper and a more comfortable alternative than the direction you ponder.

The heat load calculation is essential and the place to start this endeavor - for a certainty.

Allow me to post the question d'jour, "Why are you contemplating the switch from steam to HW in the first place"?

Empire_2

Ken, I couldn't agree more...

I think you will find that your 4' radiator will equate out to an 8' piece of base or more and that means re-piping..... I would stay with the steam and Call in a Pro to give you the options. If you are hell's bell's Bent on converting, I think you will find that the cost is not worth the USED base that you are thinking about. As, stated,..this is not just a swap of convectors, this is a major re-engineering job that has to be done correctly.

My .02

Mike T.

Greg DeCelle

Steam is Out

Gents

Thanks for the advice on the steam - but it was replace last fall. The furnace was estimated by three plumbers to be from 1940s era. Because my parents bought my house back in '59 and never replaced it, I believe them. We tried to use the steam radiators that were here, but they didn't heat up enough on cold days below 15(f).

My new Viessman hot water system used over 1,000 CCFs in natural gas last year. That's hard to ignore.

Steamhead (in transit)

This is exactly why

we don't recommend or perform this type of conversion. That shiny new Vie$$mann is only as good as the installation. From what you're telling us, the installer left you without enough radiation to heat the house properly. This is grounds for a lawsuit. None of us would have left you in this situation.

It would have been far more cost-effective to fix the steam system. Any 1940s boiler is terribly inefficient by today's standards, and there are proven techniques out there that can increase the efficiency of the distribution system as well. We now have steam boilers that have AFUE ratings as high as 85%, and the new Burnham Mega-Steam will exceed this figure.

I think you got some real bad advice and a real bad installation.

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Greg DeCelle

Heating Help

The advice was given and conversion installation is fine. I took a chance of not changing the radiators because it would be an extra $5K and little less heat. House never went below 64 even with the steam radiators. I just like it warmer and need to find out if there's a formula to figure out the BTU of a cast iron hot water radiator if I have the tube diameter, tube count, tubes wide, length, width and height of the radiator.