How come there aren’t more of these on the market?
Cost I get but chrome isn’t cheap and has poor heat output.
There’s one brand Reina that seems to have a load of different styles that aren’t crazy prices (basic styles anyway) and 25 year warranty.
Any one with experience of these?
I doubt Stainless has good heat output, it's quite a poor thermal conductor.
Aluminium is better on every count. It’s lighter, cheaper, also doesn’t corrode and is MUCH more thermally conductive.
Stainless would be a good material to build a hot water tank from, but not a radiator.
Emissivity of stainless not great
Cost of stsinless is high
Working with stainless requires skill and special equipment. If you de burr some stainless with a tool thats been used on mild steel some of the filings will cross contaminate the ss
You need different welding gas and rods
But yep great for water tanks
also doesn’t corrode
Pardon?
Forgot the science bit... Is an aluminium radiator not basically a massive sacrificial protection block for the copper pipework?
Alright, it doesn’t rust. Poor choice of words.
EDIT based on the above edit.
True to a certain extent. A copper radiator is by far and away the best material choice.
And yet the heat exchanger in our boiler makes great play of being made from stainless steel. If it works one way then why not the other? Probably mainly a cost issue.
As long the installation was good having SS radiators wouldn't worry me, I'd actually prefer having a slower response time.
EDIT based on the above edit.
True to a certain extent. A copper radiator is by far and away the best material choice.
Got to keep you on your toes! Wasn't being wide genuinely thought my hazy grasp of chemistry from school might not be up to much.
Do you not also have to consider differences in thermal expansion?
I really like those massive iron radiators you used to see in schools.
We've got a Reina stainless radiator in our downstairs loo. It's nicely made and was half the price of the one recommended by the people who priced up re-doing the downstairs loo. Comes with a 25 year guarantee. We also bought their fittings (valves) and these also seem fine.
Thermal conductivity doesn't really come into it for this type of application when comparing aluminium, stainless or chrome plated mild steel. The material is so thin and temps low (relatively speaking), there would only be a short time difference before radiators made from the different materials mentioned would all be at the same temp (seconds when considering a system that will be on for hours).
Thanks all.
I really like those massive iron radiators you used to see in schools.
You can stll get them. I got some when I did my house back in 2015, new ones.
Take forever to get warm but then take forever to cool down. Ideal paried with a woodburner and backbolier, my only form of heating, Stck the biggest log you can on before you go to bed and turn the stove right down, rads still warmish in the morning. Would be better with a bigger stove/log but then my lounge would be far too hot
And yet the heat exchanger in our boiler makes great play of being made from stainless steel.
That’s because exhaust gas condensate rots aluminium.
Nothing to do with the ‘water’ side.
I really like those massive iron radiators you used to see in schools.
Your heating engineer won’t though. They weigh a ****ing ton. I know folk that have been more or less crippled by these things...
Poor heat output/thermal transfer for size (low surface area - that’s why domestic rads have fins).
I really like those massive iron radiators you used to see in schools.
Yeah, I’ve always fancied having those to replace the ones that were originally fitted in the house, but as metalheart says, they look great, but they’re really not ideal. I’ve just had a new combi boiler fitted, after the heat exchanger on my old Baxi split, the thermostat failed and it boiled...
There was a gas fire on the front, to heat the living room, but that’s as old, and also suspect, so I had a radiator fitted below the window, a double layer one, if that’s the correct terminology.
Also had a Hive fitted, and that one radiator really throws the heat out, it’s so much more efficient than the others and has made a huge difference now the weather’s turned cold and wet. It might have been possible to drag one of those old-style iron ones in, but I’m sure the bloke fitting it would have been cussing!
mattyfez
Free MemberI really like those massive iron radiators you used to see in schools.
They're fairly common in older houses here (Toronto) that still have radiators. As Andrewh says they don't play very nicely with the latest 'smart' thermostats, which can't handle how long they emit heat. But they are pretty lovely things, and I'd guess we've seen some 50-80 years old - unbelievably people gutting homes here often just throw them in the skip