Replace radiator with baseboard??

[Stretch]

Is it steam or hot water?

If steam, stick with the original, If hot water keep the same heat ratings. Probably need a contractor to tell that. Otherwise your temperature balance will be off compared to the rest of the house.

Stretch

[Ray]

I'm about to have my bathroom remodeled. The original radiator is an old cast iron "accordion" (if that's an appropriate term). It will have to be removed for demolition of the existing room. Instead of re-using it, I'm considering replacing it with a 4' cast iron baseboard during the remodel for a neater look and to open up some space.

The bathroom is about 7' x 7' with a 10' ceiling. Any opinions as to whether I should keep what I have or switch to the baseboard??

If you need more info, let me know.

Thanks, Ray

Remove NO and SPAM to reply

[Edwin Pawlowski]

Maybe, depending on the type of baseboard used. Cast iron radiators retain heat for a while after the circulator stops and the room will continue to absorb that heat. Fin and tube baseboard does not have the mass and cools quickly. Cast iron baseboard is much closer to the performance of the ci radiators and should be used if you do make the change. You can also find information that allows you to estimate the Btu output of your existing radiators for comparison.

They also point out: In fact, when they were built most houses with cast iron radiators weren't very well insulated and often didn't have storm windows. Since then many have had energy saving improvements so the total radiator heating capacity is now much greater than the minimum needed according to the building's actual heat loss.

[G Henslee]

There ya go. Muddying the waters with a bunch of facts.

[nicksanspam]

More to the point, they may keep somebody warm by actual radiation after the pump stops. Then again, the wall above a baseboard fin tube could do that too.

I doubt that would make much difference.

Along with a little vague disinformation...

Cast iron radiators heat up slowly and cool down slowly to give very gentle, even, radiant heating. Since the 50's less expensive copper finned convectors and baseboard have come to predominate but the heating is harsher more of an "all on," "all off" effect. Along with these and other, even newer forms of heating, Burnham Cast Iron Radiators and Cast Iron Baseboard are still available at Colonial...

Whaddya know... The SELL cast iron radiators :-)

Nick

[Edwin Pawlowski]

My experience contradicts that. The mass of some sheetrock and paint does not have the heat holding capacity of 100 pounds of cast iron.

What makes you doubt that? I have real life experience in this. Do you?

So, just because they sell a product they give mis-information? Again, give me some facts to back up your doubts. IMO, you would rather just cast doubt in this case rather that give real life examples and experience. I'm speaking from the experience in working for a manufacturer of fin and tube heating, but at the same time using cast iron because it performs best in a radiator replacement to avoid mixing materials. I now longer own the house, but it is in Philly if you'd like to pop over and make some measurements. I'm sure the new owner will be happy to have you.

FWIW, I used the calculations from the Colonial web page to size a heating system in a conversion from steam to hot water in a portion of a building. Judging from performance, it is very accurate.

[nicksanspam]

....100 pounds of iron can store 12 Btu/F, like 24 ft^2 of 1/2" drywall. Then we can add a sink, a shower, tiles on the wall at 0.16 Btu/lb-F, a floor, a toilet containing 5 gallons of water (40 Btu/F), a bathroom cabinet, and maybe a cast iron tub, and more.

You are wrong. You might simply admit it, and move on.

Nick

[Edwin Pawlowski]

That stuff would be in the room anyway so there is no difference in that portion. We are talking the difference between CI baseboard and finned copper tubing. You should know better with your education.