1. Home
  2. ⏣ General Metalworking
  3. Steam Heat question

Steam Heat question

Does anyone know if there's such a thing as a toe-kick radiator that works for a steam system? My kitchen is severely lacking in wall space, and I'd love to get rid of the four-foot-long radiator. I've seen toe-kick radiators for electric and hot water systems, but my understanding is that for steam, you need the thermal mass of a bunch of cast iron, as the pipes cool quickly when the boiler shuts down.

Any suggestions?

Ona positive not, I fired up the boiler for a test this morning, and it worked fine, as it has every year since it was installed in 1985.

Reply to
rangerssuck
Loading thread data ...

I have never seen one and I think that the physics makes them unlikely. The problem with steam heat is that it's ability to supply heat is directly related to the surface area of the radiators. Given the small area of the toekick, you would never get much more surface area than you could from the pipe.

Secondly, the piping of steam heat systems was done by practitioners of a black art. Do Not Monkey With It. If you do, you will regret it.

I removed a radiator like that in my kitchen, and have spent 20 years dicking around with system trying to get it to heat as evenly as it did when I bought the building.

Paul K. Dickman

Reply to
Paul K. Dickman

What about relocating the radiator into a box below the kitchen floor and either letting it do a radiant type heat, or using a small fan to make a forced-air outlet under your counters?

Reply to
Stuart Wheaton

PolyTech Forum website is not affiliated with any of the manufacturers or service providers discussed here. All logos and trade names are the property of their respective owners.