Heating radiators 350 mm: aluminum, bimetallic, cast iron

11-03-2018

Heating

When constructing a heating system, it is often necessary to use not standard radiators, but options with a small height in order to locate them under window sills and in other places where space is limited or installation of products of ordinary height is undesirable.

There are many variants of designs with an axle spacing of 350 mm on the market, we consider the most common ones and tell you what advantages and disadvantages their use will give.

In the photo: sometimes radiators are not only a source of heat, but also an element of room decor.

What to consider when choosing a specific solution

Even before we consider the main types of products, we will tell you what factors you need to take into account in order to get exactly what you need, because radiators must be suitable not only in height, but also in terms of the technical characteristics of the system.

The most important nuances are the following:

Operating pressure	It is no secret that in urban apartments this figure is several times higher than in private buildings with individual heating, so you need to take this figure into account in order not to get an unpleasant surprise in the form of current batteries in the future. At the same time, take into account not only the normal indicators, but also the maximum possible values, since it is they who disable the equipment
Quality of the heat carrier	Some product variants are very demanding on the quality of the fluid circulating in the system, and with any deviations the system starts to clog or inside the corrosive processes develop rapidly. Therefore, it is important to choose a solution that will ensure reliability in your case.
Actual height	We are talking about products with a center distance of 350 mm, while the actual dimensions are noticeably larger due to the fact that the design provides for fins and other heating elements. Therefore, carefully measure what the maximum size will suit you, so that later you don’t have to replace the purchased products
Appearance	Sometimes a certain design idea is realized in the room and a certain type of radiators is needed, which may have an unusual color and configuration, in such cases you will have to look for exactly what you need. But even if there is not much difference, you should choose the option that will fit perfectly into the situation.

Note! In addition to all the above, it is necessary to take into account such an indicator as the required thermal power for normal heating of the room, it is calculated individually and depends on many factors. Materials manufacturing radiators differ in this indicator, and products of the same size can have a big difference in performance, remember this.

A tasteful radiator will organically complement the interior.

Types of products and their main differences

When choosing a specific option, you must be guided by both certain indicators and personal preferences, and financial capabilities, the price of some products is several times higher than the standard options, so if you need something unusual, be prepared for significant costs.

The cost of art products from cast iron can be very high.

Aluminum options

This option is quite widely used today because of a number of advantages:

Aluminum heating radiators with a height of 350 mm contain very little water, which reduces the capacity of the system, reduce the load on heating equipment and significantly reduce energy costs. This factor is especially weight in individual systems.
Products look quite attractive, The coating is most often made from high-quality heat-resistant paintwork materials that are resistant to high temperatures. Such products do not need additional decoration and fit perfectly in almost any environment.

The aluminum radiator of heating of 350 mm perfectly is suitable for the most different conditions

Low weight greatly simplifies loading and unloading, transportation and installation of their own hands. In addition, the structures do not exert a high load on the walls and other surfaces to which they are attached, so it is much easier to fix them securely than all other solutions.
Very high heat dissipation provides fast space heating and high energy efficiency. This indicator is very high, which allows not only to heat the room qualitatively, but also to precisely control a certain temperature with the help of installed thermostats or entire control systems that can change the microclimate according to the time of day and days of the week.

Modern aluminum radiator 350 mm, and any other size can be equipped with a convenient electronic control unit

This option has certain disadvantages:

High requirements to the quality of the coolant, it must have certain indicators of acidity and there should be no foreign particles in the liquid, as they have an abrasive effect and scratch the inner surface, causing the development of corrosion. It is for this reason that aluminum is not recommended for use in most centralized heating systems.
Also remember that it is impossible to combine aluminum with copper and alloys based on it, as this causes very rapid corrosion in the places of interfaces. Assembly is best done using plastic or galvanized steel elements.

Based on the foregoing, it is safe to say that for individual systems this option fits perfectly, as long as the system’s indicators match the manufacturer’s recommended values.

Bimetallic radiators

A very popular and sought-after solution these days, which has a number of advantages:

The design got its name due to the fact that it consists of two types of materials - a core of ordinary or stainless steel and external edges of aluminum. This ratio gives a lot of advantages.

Bimetallic radiators of 350 mm are almost indistinguishable from aluminum externally, but inside it is a fundamentally different design.

Due to the fact that internal cavities are made of steel, batteries can withstand high system pressure., therefore, they can be used in multi-storey buildings without any limitations in terms of technical characteristics.
Aluminum provides excellent heat transfer performance., thanks to which the products are distinguished by high efficiency, while the steel located inside does not allow the metal to come into contact with the coolant, which prevents its corrosion. The designs are compatible with all types of pipes.
Products are not so susceptible to the acidity of the coolant, so they can work in almost any system, even where this indicator does not meet the standards.

Note! For difficult operating conditions, it is better to choose products in which the core is made of stainless steel, since this material is able to withstand various aggressive effects without any damage to the quality and reliability of all elements.

Low thermal inertia allows you to very accurately regulate the temperature of the air in the rooms, therefore, a certain temperature will always be kept in your house without sudden changes.

Here are the bimetal radiators 350 mm inside

Now consider the disadvantages:

First of all, this is a high cost, especially when it comes to products of famous brands. And if these costs are justified for use in apartments, then in the private sector you should not overpay for excessive reliability and you can buy products cheaper, especially since they will not be inferior in performance.
The second minus is a small diameter of the vertical cavities, with a large amount of impurities in the coolant over time, these channels can become clogged, which will significantly reduce the efficiency of the radiator.

Cast iron batteries

This option is well known to everyone, and although in our time other alternatives have appeared, it is still in demand and in demand, there are several reasons for this:

Unpretentious to use - designs work practically in any systems with any quality of the heat carrier. To ensure operability, it is only necessary to periodically flush the radiators; this is where their maintenance ends.

Modern cast iron radiators are also available in low performance, their appearance is much better than that of Soviet models.

The service life of products exceeds 50 years, as they practically are not exposed to corrosion. At the same time, the surface can be painted in any color you need, so when carrying out repairs you can choose which battery will be, of course, this factor can be considered both a plus and a minus, because you need to paint the surface periodically.
One of the biggest advantages - low price, it makes this option affordable for the widest range of buyers and preferable when setting up heating in country houses where you need to get a reliable system without spending huge amounts of money. Of course, there are artistic versions of products that are very expensive, but this option is used only for certain interiors in the classical style.

Some product variations are true works of art.

The iron has its drawbacks:

First of all, it is a lot of weight, which complicates installation and movement, and also has a high load on the walls; the instructions for fixing such options are much more complicated than any other analogue. But you can choose the options, equipped with legs, and you do not have to mount radiators, except to put the fixing bracket to the product stood on the spot.
The fragility of the material should also be noted, although it is unlikely that someone will hit it with a sledgehammer, nevertheless, if the structures are damaged, then it is unlikely to be repaired.

Steel products

Another group of radiators, which is represented by two options:

The first is tubular structures., which have a huge number of design options and perfectly fit into any interiors. The main advantage is a large internal section of the elements, due to which the hydraulic resistance of the system is low, and the channels are almost never clogged, it is better to choose products with special treatment inside, they serve much longer.

More common and popular option - panel structures, which differ in the low price and the lowest cost of one kilowatt of power that is very important. It is better to choose designs with convection elements, since they are the most effective.

Panel options look very neat and can have both side and bottom liner

As for the shortcomings, they have become:

Tendency to corrosion processes, so the coolant must be of high quality. It is also undesirable to have a large amount of oxygen in the liquid, which is why steel products are best used in closed heating circuits, as they will last much longer.
The low working pressure makes this option not very suitable for centralized heating systems. It is best to use such solutions in individual building, although in high-rise buildings such radiators are often found.

Conclusion

It is easy to pick up a small height radiator, if you take into account all the conditions and factors of operation, options with a center distance of 350 mm can be found almost everywhere, so there should be no problems with the acquisition. The video in this article will tell some additional facts on the topic discussed.