Sealing Up Damaged Ventilation Lines

The Four Main Types Of Radiators

Radiators are an extremely effective home heating option which have been around for a long period of time. There are four main types of radiators that are still in use today, each of which operates in a different way in order to provide your home with hot air. Understanding the differences between each of these four types of radiators can help you choose the one that best fits your needs.

Cast Iron Steam Radiators

Cast iron steam radiators are the oldest radiator variant still in use today. Water is boiled to make steam, which is then transported to the radiator, where the heat from the steam moves from the radiator to the air in the room. Made out of solid metal, cast iron radiators are extremely heavy and can be found in older buildings. Because of the physical qualities of cast iron, these radiators will retain heat for a long period of time, even after they are turned off. However, cast iron radiators are also extremely bulky, and can take up a significant amount of space in a room, and also take a while before they start conducting heat.

Baseboard Steam Radiators

Baseboard steam radiators take up much less room than their cast iron counterparts, but as a tradeoff are much less powerful at heating the room up. Like their name suggests, they sit along the baseboard of a room, and will heat up as steam passes through them. The air around the radiator will heat up, and will in turn rise throughout the room. These are the best fit for rooms with tight space restrictions.

Ceramic Steam Radiators

Ceramic steam radiators are the modern equivalent of the cast iron radiator. They operate in much the same way, taking up a significant amount of space and providing a great deal of heat to the room in which they are installed in, but ceramic has a single key benefit over cast iron: it is not hot to the touch. This means that the risk of fire is greatly reduced, and you will not accidentally burn yourself if you touch the radiator.

Electric Radiators

Another modern radiator, electric radiators make use of a heating element filled with oil. The oil can be heated up to high temperatures without boiling or evaporating, and the heat will be transferred from the metal surface of the radiator to the air around the radiator. The main draw of these radiators is that they heat up much quicker than their steam counterparts, which provides a greater degree of convenience. 

Talk to a service such as Kangas Burner & Heating Service to learn more.


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