For many, the phrase "cast iron radiators" evokes associations with small Soviet-style apartments. Such batteries used to be used for drying clothes and shoes, for defrosting food.
Aluminum, steel and improved bimetallic radiators, which replaced cast iron, have become very popular and practically supplanted the old models. Years passed, and people again began to be interested in cast iron batteries. What caused this?
- Cast iron radiators fit into a centralized heating system almost perfectly. They do not corrode, even if there is no coolant in them. When the heating season ends, liquid is drained from the system. As a result, optimal conditions are created for the development of corrosion. Steel batteries do not tolerate this period well.
- Cast iron can withstand high temperatures (up to +150 degrees), so it can be used in systems that even operate on steam, and not on water. The material is able to contact with any heat transfer fluids, regardless of their quality.
- As a rule, far from ideal water circulates in heating systems, which contains all kinds of chemical compounds, various contaminants, and pieces of rust. Cast iron radiators do not suffer much from a dirty coolant. During operation, they are less subject to all kinds of damage compared to batteries made of aluminum or steel.
- When water circulates in the heating system, deposits form on the inner walls of pipes and radiators. For cast iron batteries, this is not a problem, since their channels have a rather large cross section.
- One of the key advantages of cast iron is its good heat storage capacity. Those. it retains heat for a long time, warming up the room well. Steel or aluminum radiators after shutdown lose their heat transfer within an hour.
- It can be concluded that cast iron radiators minimize the negative consequences of periodic short-term heating cuts. In addition, cast iron products have a longer service life. The main thing is to regularly carry out maintenance, then the batteries will work for more than half a century.
- The next argument in favor of cast iron is its acceptable cost, especially when compared with prices for other materials. If you change the radiators in the whole apartment at once, you can save a lot on cast iron.
Of course, it is not without its drawbacks. Typically, when people find out about the cons of cast iron radiators, they begin to doubt:
- 1. First of all, cast iron batteries have a low operating pressure. They are able to withstand maximum 15 atmospheres. For example, bimetallic radiators can handle even 40 atmospheres. By the way, in centralized systems, cast iron is rarely subjected to water hammer.
- 2. The next drawback of cast iron is its large mass. Batteries made of this material for 1 kW of heat have about 45 kilograms of weight. These figures are much higher than those of aluminum or steel. Transporting cast iron radiators and then installing them is not too easy.
- 3. Old-style models, as a rule, are distinguished by a complex shape of the space between the sections, i.e. they are difficult to clean from dirt and dust.
- 4. Sometimes the heat transfer of cast iron is its disadvantage. Cast-iron batteries heat up for quite a long time, while it is almost impossible to regulate the heating temperature.
Based on all of the above, we can say that over the long years of service, cast iron batteries have managed to prove their practicality and reliability. So that low heat transfer does not cause problems during operation, you need to choose the right number of sections.
Cast iron radiators are unlikely to ever lose their relevance. And if you approach their design in an original way, then they may well become an interior detail.
Thank you for reading this article to the end! I would appreciate her rating 👍 andchannel subscription.