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What a quaint thing to bring up (radiators). Who has radiators in this day and age? Oh, I'm sure there are a few older (pre-World War II) buildings around that were never retro-fitted, but I have not personally observed any radiators in over 20 years. Therefore, when I read the thread title I was very puzzled, as it didn't make any sense to me. I kept thinking of automotive radiators and I had to read the OP to understand the point.
I am older than the hills (68). I used to be a high school teacher in a 1930's building that had boiler-fired steam radiators for heat. The radiators in each classroom had a hand-operated valve, but if the valve were opened all the way, the rooms got way too hot. Trying to close the valve down to the point where the radiators were just warm, as opposed to too hot, was an exercise in frustration. I used to try to crack the valves just barely open, but that was frustrating because no matter what I did, the classroom was either too cold or too hot. So I would crack a couple of windows, but that was also too crude a method of regulation.
So I am not a fan of radiators. Perhaps the system in that building was just poorly designed, i.e., too much radiator surface area for the size of the rooms and the prevailing climate. Perhaps if the system had had half the amount of radiator surface area, it might have been workable.
Radiators?? Bah, humbug!
Most of the homes I have either lived in, including my current home, or visited in New England are heated by radiators. They are far from the past, and I'm only 25!
Most of the homes I have either lived in, including my current home, or visited in New England are heated by radiators. They are far from the past, and I'm only 25!
Well, that comes as surprising news to me. I imagine there are lots of older homes in New England. When was your current home built?
Well, that comes as surprising news to me. I imagine there are lots of older homes in New England. When was your current home built?
Early 1900s. I'd guess the majority of New England homes are pre-1950s, which is why radiators are so prevalent. The other two apartments I lived in before this one had natural gas powered baseboard heating (which I consider separately from the typical radiators, but they are just a different style of radiator), but also had tubes sticking up from where radiators used to be. They were built in 1925 and 1960, respectively.
Early 1900s. I'd guess the majority of New England homes are pre-1950s, which is why radiators are so prevalent. The other two apartments I lived in before this one had natural gas powered baseboard heating (which I consider separately from the typical radiators, but they are just a different style of radiator), but also had tubes sticking up from where radiators used to be. They were built in 1925 and 1960, respectively.
Thanks for that interesting information. Now I feel kind of stupid for having failed to take into account regional differences. Just a moment's thought would have told me that there would be a much higher percentage of older homes and buildings in New England than in California.
Regional differences are always interesting. In St. Louis where I grew up pretty much all the houses had basements. Then when I moved to California at age 14 none of them did.
We have forced air heat in our home. Lately we have been using it as well as the mornings can dip down to the low 50's.
At the hospital where I work, we use boilers to warm the building. All rooms have a radiator placed under the window and this building was built in 1963. The idea is that heat rises and can offset the cold air entering the building. A properly insulated building can retain quite a bit of heat on its own, accept for the entry points, such as windows and doors. From my limited perspective it is not only designed to deliver heat but to eliminate the very thing that will cool down the heat and allow that heat to escape. If you were to place the radiator on the other side of the room the cold air would still enter the room making an inefficient heating system.
What a quaint thing to bring up (radiators). Who has radiators in this day and age? Oh, I'm sure there are a few older (pre-World War II) buildings around that were never retro-fitted, but I have not personally observed any radiators in over 20 years. Therefore, when I read the thread title I was very puzzled, as it didn't make any sense to me. I kept thinking of automotive radiators and I had to read the OP to understand the point.
I am older than the hills (68). I used to be a high school teacher in a 1930's building that had boiler-fired steam radiators for heat. The radiators in each classroom had a hand-operated valve, but if the valve were opened all the way, the rooms got way too hot. Trying to close the valve down to the point where the radiators were just warm, as opposed to too hot, was an exercise in frustration. I used to try to crack the valves just barely open, but that was frustrating because no matter what I did, the classroom was either too cold or too hot. So I would crack a couple of windows, but that was also too crude a method of regulation.
So I am not a fan of radiators. Perhaps the system in that building was just poorly designed, i.e., too much radiator surface area for the size of the rooms and the prevailing climate. Perhaps if the system had had half the amount of radiator surface area, it might have been workable.
Radiators?? Bah, humbug!
Lol, yeah, that was my first thought as well. I started reading the thread thinking "What are these ray-dee-ay-tors they speak of?" But in my part of the country a huge percentage of the houses have forced air heat, and radiators are really uncommon.
Lol, yeah, that was my first thought as well. I started reading the thread thinking "What are these ray-dee-ay-tors they speak of?" But in my part of the country a huge percentage of the houses have forced air heat, and radiators are really uncommon.
HVAC duct are placed on exterior walls and by windows as well (and for the same reasons).
Radiators? Are you talking about those old peices of crap that if you touch your burn yourself? Ill stick with my vents in each room.
I didn't even know they even used those anymore. I remember seeing them in our old as heck highschool before they demolished it. Good riddance.
Only if you're not capable of learning. Were you the kid who got his tongue stuck to a flagpole in the winter?
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