As most people who have lived in prewar homes and downtown apartment complexes can tell you, hot water radiators are probably one of the most comfortable and pleasant heat sources available. The idea is simple, hot water (or steam in some cases) flows through a system of pipes that terminate at a radiator. The heat from this water or steam is transferred into the room via the radiator.

This is where it things can get complicated. The system itself is very simple but the incredibly wide selection of radiators available on the market today can be overwhelming to some. There’s so many different styles, sizes, colors and materials available that most people don’t know which to choose for their particular application. This doesn’t even include specialty items such as towel racks, underfloor heating, and sculpted radiators!

In the old days radiators were made from cast-iron and were often of the “claw-foot” variety. If you don’t know what this is, it’s the old style of radiators that have those little legs on all four corners and tend to stand all on their own. These radiators tend to take more time to transfer heat from the hot water or steam into the room than modern aluminum radiators. This is because cast-iron is not as good as conducting heat as aluminum. The benefit however is that these old-style cast-iron radiators are made up of a whole lot of material and once they heat up they’ll be able to stay hot much longer.

Modern aluminum radiators are made to transfer heat from the hot water into the room as efficiently as possible. They can heat up within seconds of having hot water supplied to them and the heat that blasts off of an aluminum radiator sometimes feels like it’s coming from a forced air system! This can be a mixed blessing because just as they heat up quickly, they cool down just as fast. The main benefit to of aluminum radiators is their wide selection of styles and finishes. In addition to this they are very light weight and easy to install, this often results in lower installation fees.

Whether you choose cast-iron or aluminum for your radiators, it doesn’t really matter. The most important decision you have to make is that of your home’s decor because whichever you choose you’ll be getting your money’s worth and more!

This entry was posted on Tuesday, February 28th, 2006 at 8:57 pm and is filed under architecture, decorating, heating. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.