Can anybody help me out with this? I'm walking down the street today, and I see in the trash a beautiful, old, cast-iron radiator. I want it for the house I'm going to build. But do I really want hot-water or steam heat in this house?
Here are the factors. The house will not be used much in the winter. If I want to leave the water in the pipes, I will have to burn oil or propane. Expensive-especially right now (oil, $2.15/gallon or $54 per barrel; propane, last I heard, $2.65/gallon). If I want to shut the house down, those old radiators will, I suppose, have to be drained each time. Also expensive. If I put in those revolting electric baseboard radiators, I don't have to drain them, but electricity on the island is even more expensive than oil or propane (last I heard, 29 cents per kilowatt hour). Besides, that dry heat (don't even speak to me of forced hot air) makes my skin peel off. And solar is really not an option, given the historic district zoning and other design parameters.
What's a girl to do? Help. The radiator is still there.
fair warning: on block island or manhattan or in missouri, we can be a little salty
5 comments:
Don't even think about electric heat; the power company will add a surcharge for contemplation. Let me rephrase this.....DON'T EVEN THINK ABOUT USING ELECTRIC HEAT ON THE ISLAND!!!
Besides, you (probably not, but....) or somebody else may eventually use the house during the winter, and the power company's rates just might exceed W's greed = oil's cheaper in the long run.
Oil + drain.
Ma Chere: What..are you crazy???? Get the damn radiator! Now! You can think about it later. Besides, if you don't use it for heat, you can use it for a mooring. John took one of mine and did that very thing, and I've regretted it for 25 years. So...wait a minute...duh. I mean, give the radiator to me! What was I thinking??? Love, Angelina
Get oil for heat and use propane for hot water and cooking. Then you are not totally dependant on one source and when the power goes out (which it will)you won't be totally screwed. I also think you need an axe and having a wood stove would explain why you have one. The radiator is calling you and that is reason enough to own it.
hey moo: they put antifz into hot water radiator sys these days. no matter if radiator is from steam installation (as common in big bulds), can easily be converted by plugging the steam release valve hole left from taking off the steam release valve, for home installation where hot water runs through the system rather than steam. Best way to go: small efficient oil burnern furnace with tankless hot water, which produces hot water for your taps and showers tubs through a coil system inside the furnace, and hot water for your radaiators through a separate coil system inside the same small furnace. Don't get a Burnham if you can avoid it. While you won't have to drain the radiators in the winter, you will still have to drain the potable water side of the system. Blah blah blah. Such a set up is not maintance free I have come to learn sadly, but it is effience and effective for winter use.
so what brand DO you reccommend Mr?
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