Baseboard conversion for 6 mulitfamily unit
I’ve been doing some preliminary research on changing a few old cast iron steam heaters. I want to change some out to cast iron baseboards perhaps from Governale – Gov board or with the burnham baseray. I definitely need a experienced person for this but before wasting their time, is this possible and worthwhile? What’s…
I’ve been doing some preliminary research on changing a few old cast iron steam heaters. I want to change some out to cast iron baseboards perhaps from Governale – Gov board or with the burnham baseray. I definitely need a experienced person for this but before wasting their time, is this possible and worthwhile? What’s the cost of changing three to four radiators to these. Currently they are a two pipe steam radiator system. Any feedback greatly appreciated. I definitely need to change at least one as the size is gigantic relative to the space and I plan on putting some kitchen cabinets or a bench on that area by the window. Most likely a bench above the radiator.
You should first size the room to see exactly how many square feet (BTU’s) of steam you need to satisfy the rooms heating requirements. At that point you would choose a radiator which satisfies that need. There is a book that informs you what just about every radiators steam output is capable of producing. It is difficult to properly heat rooms with cast iron baseboard because of the amount of running feet you would need . A sleek radiator you can look at is a STEAMVIEW RADIATOR, which are a modern, thin, wall hung radiator. They come in a variety of color and sizes. We have installed quite a few of this type. The key is making sure it is able to satisfy the rooms heating requirements, just as you would any other type of radiator you would choose
a foolish idea…no way you will get the heat you need
I won’t be able to discuss cost but I can talk thermodynamics. And simply put, you don’t get as much heat from cast iron baseboard as you do from an upright radiator. Sq. Ft. EDR per linear foot of baseboard is 3.4 versus 9.2 for a sexy Burnham Classic. You need 3 times the amount of baseboard! Check it:
http://www.usboiler.burnham.com/pdf/baseray_io.pdf
http://www.usboiler.burnham.com/pdf/classic_lit.pdf
Now, the thing is, you may not need a big huge radiator. Best bet is to have someone look at your home and do the math.. Chances are with steam you may still need the same total EDR for your home unless you made some upgrades.
-SteamMan