Plumber tells me it's much better to use cast iron basboard rather than aluminum, due to other parts of the house are cast iron, is this true?

If you use C.I. baseboard for one pipe steam heat then keep an eye on those suckers. They’ll be dancing right before your eyes and making noises that’ll drive you nuts. Most C.I. baseboard is imported iron and its not the best quality.

wholesalerbill1

in Radiators 13 years and 8 months ago

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simplesimon | 13 years and 9 months ago

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I understand the difference between the heating between cast iron and aluminum (cast iron slower to heat up and cool down and the opposite with the aluminum).  From a cost perspective the aluminum is cheaper and wondering if it’s worth the expense for cast iron?

jockdeboeraia | 13 years and 9 months ago

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Cast iron will hold the heat much longer.

steam_man | 13 years and 9 months ago

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All baseboard sucks. Cast iron baseboard just sucks a little bit less.

Master Plvmber | 13 years and 9 months ago

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It’s worth the expense from a comfort prespective.  Rooms heated by aluminum fin-tube radiators will be out of balance (with wide temperature swings) compared to the rooms heated by cast iron radiators. You’ll feel it room to room as you walk through the house.

And no baseboard heaters, cast iron or otherwise, should be used with 1-pipe steam heating systems. You may have a circulating hot water system, though.

bobjohn | 13 years and 9 months ago

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As I remember correctly aluminum connected to iron and submerged into water will be dissolved via electrolisis process.

brucef | 13 years and 9 months ago

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Bobjohn, If you look inside SlantFin, the actual piping is copper, just the outside is sheet metal, and the fins.