A couple different varieties exist in the world of cast iron radiators. There are two basic ways to heat your radiator, hot water or steam, and many different varieties in style. Here’s an overview of what makes each distinct and unique.

Steam Radiators

Steam radiators were the first ever free standing radiators, and were developed by Joseph Nason in the 1860’s. This system had a single pipe that went from the elaborately designed radiator to a boiler elsewhere in the home. The boiler would heat up water into steam, which would flow through the pipe and into the radiator. The heat would get transferred to the radiator, meaning that the steam would cool down, turn back into water, and drain through the pipe back to the boiler. If your radiator at home has a single pipeline, it’s a steam radiator.

Hot Water Radiators

Hot water radiators use two pipes. One takes water from the boiler and into the radiator, and the other returns the cooled water back to the boiler. The great thing about these two pipe setups is that they could potentially be used with steam boilers as well as hot water boilers, making them desirable and versatile. Hot water radiators weren’t seen until the twentieth century, but have been around ever since. It’s important to make sure that you bleed this kind of radiator on a yearly basis to ensure that trapped air isn’t impeding the flow of water.

Vintage Cast Iron Radiators

Older cast iron radiators weren’t just created for the practical purpose of heating a home. They were also used as ornate metal decorations. The idea was that if you needed a large clunky piece of iron in a room, there was no reason for it to look bad, too. Vintage radiators and vintage clones can still be found for sale today. Some styles you may run into include Italianate and Victorian. The first generally includes rounded fins and curved feet, where as the second generally has raised ornate patterns. For pure asthetics, the Victorian radiators have generally been held in higher esteem, and have often been used for purely decorative purposes.

Modern Cast Iron Radiators

Believe it or not companies are still making cast iron radiators even today. The modern style is a minimalist one, with sleek curved coils and columns. Modern radiators are not necessarily better than their vintage counterparts for heating your home, but they are more likely to have had higher standards of quality when they were produced.