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Steam Convector

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Good Afternoon,
I visited a jobsite today to size the steam radiation for a replacement boiler. The first floor of the home has steam convectors recessed into the floor. The convector element consists of 2 rows of 10 finned cast iron tubes (20 tubes total). The tubes are 4" in diameter and are 28" long. The element is suspended beneath a grate in the floor, and it is enclosed in a sheet metal box that measures 38" long x 28" wide x 30" high. There is a 8" x 10" door in the bottom of the box that slides open or closed, and there are no other louvers in the enclosure. I am not sure how to calculate the sqft of radiation for this convector. Any thoughts?

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  • BobC
    BobC Member Posts: 5,478
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    Circumference of the pipe times the length will give you the surface area of the pipe.

    Then figure out how far the fins stick out from the pipe and figure out their area (times 2 to account for both sides.

    Add those two sums up and that will give a pretty good approximation of the area of each pipe.

    Bob
    Smith G8-3 with EZ Gas @ 90,000 BTU, Single pipe steam
    Vaporstat with a 12oz cut-out and 4oz cut-in
    3PSI gauge
  • Steamhead
    Steamhead Member Posts: 16,835
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    Sounds like a Beacon-Morris Floor Vector. Go here to verify, then download the brochure and use the 210° F values.

    http://beacon-morris.com/html/heat_sliding_glass_door_window.asp
    All Steamed Up, Inc.
    Towson, MD, USA
    Steam, Vapor & Hot-Water Heating Specialists
    Oil & Gas Burner Service
    Consulting