Cast Iron Radiators – The Basics

In the middle of nineteenth century cast iron radiators were invented as a relatively cheap and reliable mean to heat up homes. Since then lots of other heating systems have appeared and the knowledge behind the cast iron radiators technology almost disappeared. We will now take a closer look at what a cast iron radiator is and how it works.

Lots of people have seen or used cast iron radiators, but not many know how they work, or how they are made. As the name suggests, they are build from cast iron, a tough alloy that can store a lot of heat and release it slowly, making them perfect to heat up a room uniformly and constantly. That is the main reason why cast iron was chosen, the other reason being its relative cheap price.

All cast iron radiators have two pipes that are used to get the hot water or steam into the radiator and out of it. Some radiators, especially the steam heated ones use only one pipe for steam admission, yet most of hot water based cast iron radiators use two pipes. On the admission pipe there is a valve regulator that is used to control the flow of the hot steam or water into the radiator. Turning it off will make the radiator cold, while keeping it open will bring fresh steam or water into the system, keeping the temperature constant without any heat loss.

The main body of a cast iron radiator is made from various tubes that are usually called “coils” or “sections”. The more sections a radiator has the more heat can provide. This is because the heat from the hot water or steam that is inside the radiator will dissipate into the room faster if the contact surface of the radiator is larger. A bigger contact surface will make the room heat faster and keep the temperature at a higher level.
This is the basic layout of a cast iron radiator. Knowing how it is made can help you make the right decision when buying or installing one for your home or office.

Tagged as: 19th century, Cast iron, Heat, Radiator, Technology, Temperature, Valve, Water