Just for curiosity's sake

[Neco]

Anyone here using an old house radiator ?

I know its been brought up several times before in the past, but I've always wondered how well it would work.

I know the word "overkill" would come into play here, but for the sake of the thread, discuss!

Seems more aesthetically pleasing of and idea too.

 

[mata2974]

I know the word "overkill" would come into play here,

definately, you start to worry about, pump size, what kind of hose size, flow rates and EFFICEINCY, a heatcore will work just as good, if not better.....

 

[Bensa]

I though about doing this, and placing the radiator outside. I though about picking up some of our 15 feet long radiators that were taken from our school because of renovation.

The problem is, that house radiators are meant to release heat slowly.

 

[Neco]

I don't think hose size would be much of an issue as long as you had enough flow going through, but then I've never seen the inside of one of these things either.

Its not really a matter of efficiency, but more like one guy painting his porsche hot pink as opposed to everyone else painting theirs red, or something to that effect

 

[JFettig]

I dont think they would work quite so well, first of all they are cast iron(not good at transfering, and crosion is posible) and they are just huge. I bet a heatercore has the same or more surface area. It would be interesting to see a good passive cooler.

Jon

 

[Neco]

I was thinking if cost were not an issue, having one made out of Aluminum might be something to look into. And in the case of having one made (purely for show) you could have much narrower channels etc, to put less straing on whatever pump you choose.

 

[squeakygeek]

keep an eye out for my radiator thread... I'm almost done with the modding

 

[Neco]

cool.. I honestly don't come around as much cause I'm not all into cooling and overclocking like I used to be, but pm me a link or something if you can remember

 

[UberBlue]

Old house radiators tend to be made from cast iron. If you think aluminum and copper is a bad mix, you haven't seen anything. Copper and cast iron are farther apart on the nobility scale than copper and aluminum are. Recipe for corrosion.

 

[squeakygeek]

Old house radiators tend to be made from cast iron. If you think aluminum and copper is a bad mix, you haven't seen anything. Copper and cast iron are farther apart on the nobility scale than copper and aluminum are. Recipe for corrosion.

Not to mention that any used radiator is going to be full of rust.

 

[Roboman101]

Those big house radiators are made for a very, very high delta T

there is usually steam at about 300*F or so or hot water at 250* F or hotter compare that to a lowly old cooling loop that might see 100*F on a BAD day, their efficency which is based almost solely on convection decreases substantially,

so.... it would work, but not without fans and the like

 

[squeakygeek]

Those big house radiators are made for a very, very high delta T

there is usually steam at about 300*F or so or hot water at 250* F or hotter compare that to a lowly old cooling loop that might see 100*F on a BAD day, their efficency which is based almost solely on convection decreases substantially,

so.... it would work, but not without fans and the like

More like 170-190, but you're right that they're designed for higher deltaT, but I think we've already established that they wouldn't work well anyway... Water boils at 212, btw.

 

[Roboman101]

not under pressure it doesnt

my father runs 3 boilers at the local hospital for a living, and he has said many times that water under pressure will boil at a higher temp, with like 60psi of pressure on the water, it boils at about 275* F

to demonstrate this principle, take a pop bottle put about 8oz of vinegar in it and then wrap a tablespoon of baking soda in wax paper, then put this packet in the bottle, put the lid on, Shake and get away in case it breaks, (shouldn't happen), put this bottle in the freezer, (it should be under a good amount of pressure) now leave it in there until you see a lot of ice crystals in the liquid, now take the cap off (watch for the foam!) the bottle should suddenly become very very cold,

The reason, is that when pressure is applied, the boundaries of the liquid state of water move up the temp scale, i.e. water freezes at like 40*F instead of 32*F so the ice at 40*F needs a bunch of energy to phase change to water, and it takes it from the environment which in this case is your hand so it gets cold

I'm not trying to be an As* just trying to inform

 

[squeakygeek]

not under pressure it doesnt

my father runs 3 boilers at the local hospital for a living, and he has said many times that water under pressure will boil at a higher temp, with like 60psi of pressure on the water, it boils at about 275* F

to demonstrate this principle, take a pop bottle put about 8oz of vinegar in it and then wrap a tablespoon of baking soda in wax paper, then put this packet in the bottle, put the lid on, Shake and get away in case it breaks, (shouldn't happen), put this bottle in the freezer, (it should be under a good amount of pressure) now leave it in there until you see a lot of ice crystals in the liquid, now take the cap off (watch for the foam!) the bottle should suddenly become very very cold,

The reason, is that when pressure is applied, the boundaries of the liquid state of water move up the temp scale, i.e. water freezes at like 40*F instead of 32*F so the ice at 40*F needs a bunch of energy to phase change to water, and it takes it from the environment which in this case is your hand so it gets cold

I'm not trying to be an As* just trying to inform

Yes I know this, but I didn't know we were talking about commercial heat. Residential heat will be 170-190. Also, those boilers are probably running steam heat.