The Radiators Resource

If you’re anything like me, you’re a do it yourself kind of person. It’s always more fun and exciting to be able to fix things yourself than to have to call in the pros. But is this a good attitude to have when dealing with cast iron radiators? What kind of maintenance should you be attempting, and what should you be calling in the plumber for?

Bleeding the Radiator

This may sound like bad medicine, but it actually is a good term when applied to radiators. Bleeding the radiator is something you should try if you find that the radiator is colder than it should be, or that the room isn’t heating properly. What’s going on here is that air is getting caught in the coils and impeding the flow of water that your radiators depend on for even heating. Bleeding the radiator is as simple as opening the valve towards the top of the radiator. Wait until the hissing sound stops before closing the vent again. In addition, you may want to have some kind of washcloth on hand - often times some water will get shot out of the valve when you open it.

A Leaky Radiator

If your radiator is leaking, odds are that you can fix it yourself and save yourself a hefty plumbers fee. It’s a little involved, though, so make sure you’re in it for the long haul. First you’ll need to drain the radiator of any water or steam that’s inside. Next strip the surface of all the paint, primer, and dust which have settled there. Remove any grease or oil on the surface by using a non-petroleum cleaner. You’re then going to need to apply a special product used for sealing. J-B Weld has been noted as being good for this. Use a 50-50 proportioned solution and spread it over the entire radiator, making sure that your layer isn’t too think in any one place. About 1/32 inch thick should do the trick nicely. Make sure you’re really careful with the solution - it can do a lot of damage if it gets in your eyes or onto your skin, so wear gloves and goggles. Then all you’ll need to do is let it dry. About 15-20 hours generally does the trick. While the process is involved and lengthy, it’ll save you a couple of bucks in the long run.

Problems With the Circulator

The circulator is what pumps the hot water to all the radiators in your house. I wouldn’t touch the thing with a ten foot pole, personally. If you’re having trouble with your circulator, call in the pros and let them get to work. This is one thing you don’t want to touch without some kind of expertise.

Do you find yourself looking at a cast iron radiator, unsure of what is what or where to begin? The best way is to become educated on the composition of the radiator as well as the reasoning behind it. What does each part do? Why cast iron, anyways? What is the purpose of painting or coating the radiator? Does size matter? There are many questions, so let’s see if we can’t find some answers.

Cast Iron - the Ideal Metal for Heating Your Home

The scientific reason why cast iron is used for radiators is that it has a high specific heat capacity. In everyday terms, this means that it takes a lot of energy to increase the temperature of the material. Why is this a good thing? Well, the harder it is to increase the temperature, the more energy the material stores per degree. So once you get it hot, there’s a huge amount of energy stored. This makes it easy to heat things that don’t require much energy to increase in temperature, like air. The specific heat capacity is also why cast iron is a common choice in other fields where it’s used to heat other things, like in cooking.

The Anatomy of the Radiator

A radiator is made of a few key parts. First you’ll see a few pipes that lead in to your unit. There’s typically only one or two. A valve will be attached to one of them. The radiator itself will have many sections and a few columns. The sections are the number of coils present, and the columns are how many repetitions of these sections go back. And that’s all there really is to a cast iron radiator, fundamentally.

Why So Many Coils and Tubes?

The trick to this one is knowing how radiators work in principle. Heat is coming off of the surface of the hot iron and flowing into your room. The transfer of heat to the air only occurs at the surface of the radiator. So manufacturer’s put in all sorts of coils and fins and loops in order to increase the surface area, thus making the heat flow from the radiator into the room much faster and more efficiently.

Radiator Size

The size of your radiator basically determines how much heat it generates. This relates back to the coils and tubes question. Basically larger radiator equals more surface which means faster heating.

The Purpose of Paint

Painting a radiator isn’t just about the asthetic of your room. It also plays a key role in determining heat output. Since the 1930’s, people have been painting their radiators in order to reduce the amount of heat it puts out. So if you’re radiator is too large, and your house is getting too hot, the cheapest solution is likely good ole fahsioned paint.

Fundamentals

That’s basically the entire fundamentals of cast iron radiators. Remember to be safe - if you’re unsure of how something works, it’s always better to ask questions than t potentially injure yourself.