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putting fins on steam pipes for heat

My vote is for keeping the main insulated, you don't want to mess up balance issues. Unanimity so far.

Anther option instead of the hot water loop is to install a ceiling radiator feeding off the steam main. You'll have a valve to control the room.

For instance, installing a little bit of ready-made fin tube will be much easier than destroying the messy fiber insulation and figuring out how to glue fins on the old pipe.

With a little care, there is nothing wrong using steam fin tubes on the ceiling. Buy Dan Holohan's books, it's in there. Here is also a photograph of a two pipe ceiling fin tube

Comments

  • T_2
    T_2 Member Posts: 19


    I have a steam pipe main 2 1/2 " in the basement. Want to remove fiberglass insulation and somehow put metal fins like are on baseboard around the cooper pipe to heat the room. Was told this is possible any ideas how to go about doing this?
  • bob young
    bob young Member Posts: 2,177
    modern method

    Waste of time & cash. run a little auxilary hot water baseboard loop off the condensate return. the fin method is vintage 1940
  • Brad White_156
    Brad White_156 Member Posts: 11
    I agree with Bob

    Take Control of your heat distribution. A controllable loop for as-needed, on-demand and to-temperature control is far more economical than a parasitic loss you cannot control. Keep the pipes insulated and do not penalize the entire system for the sake of a space with presumably less use than the main living space.

    Peace, Out.

    Brad
  • bob young
    bob young Member Posts: 2,177
    lucrative job

    i love the ceiling fin tube engineered job. i could slap that baby in for about five thousand. lol
  • Christian Egli_2
    Christian Egli_2 Member Posts: 812
    Well, uh, hey look Ma, no pumps :)

    This one heat a large hallway from a remote thermostat. Of course, a single row with a simple thermostatic radiator valve would do the same as this $$$ job, but on a smaller scale.

    Here's another picture of a shining example. :)
  • bob young
    bob young Member Posts: 2,177


    dotsa nice !!
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