Hot Water and Steam Radiators: The Heat is On provided by ServiceMagic.com.
Hot water and steam radiator systems have been used in many colder climates to heat homes for more than a century. These systems provide excellent heat that is cost-effective and, some say, more comfortable than other more modern systems. The continued use of original steam and hot water radiators today is a testament to their durability, as well as their aesthetic appeal.
Steam vs Hot Water Radiators
Steam radiators and hot water radiators are very similar, so much so that in many cases they are interchangeable. Many homes have been converted from steam to hot water heating systems (and vice versa) without having to change the actual radiators.
The most obvious difference between the two is that a hot water radiator is always equipped with two connections: hot water goes into the radiator on one side, and the cooled water leaves on the other. Steam radiators can have either one or two connectors: hot steam can enter on one side, and condensed water can leave either through the same pipe or through a pipe on the other side.
While it is certainly best to use a steam radiator for steam and a hot water radiator for water, in some cases a switch between the two will require only a few simple operations.
Hot Water and Steam Radiator Problems
Though what flows through them is different, many of the problems of hot water and steam radiators are the same. In fact, aside from a few easily fixable valves and traps, problems with these old radiators are usually not in the radiator itself but in another section of the system.
In systems that have been converted from steam to water or from water to steam, heating problems are often caused not by the radiators themselves but by improper piping leading to and from them. In some cases, it is cheaper and more efficient to replace the boiler unit with one compatible with the original piping than it is to properly replace the rest of the system.
Hot Water and Steam Radiators: The Heat is On
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