Types of heating radiators: cast iron, aluminum, convection

It's no secret that the use of liquid heating systems is the most efficient way to heat residential buildings during the cold season, because heat-transfer fluids have a high heat capacity and also allow you to quickly transfer heat from heating equipment to end users and evenly distribute it throughout the house.

One of the most important components of household consumer equipment is liquid ribbed radiators, which are a heat exchanger with a lot of flow channels and a large outer surface area, which ensures the transfer of thermal energy from the heated coolant to the ambient air and objects inside the room.

Overview of domestic heating radiators

You can find a large number of different types of household liquid radiators in home improvement stores, which have their own advantages and disadvantages, so each of these types is designed for use in certain specific conditions.

In order for each owner of a dwelling house or apartment to choose the most suitable model of this device for his or her home, the article will then present a brief overview guide, which describes the positive and negative sides, as well as the main technical features of using liquid radiators of one type or another.

Cast Iron Cast Battery

The most common type of water radiators for most urban residents of multi-storey buildings are ordinary cast-iron batteries, which until now are often installed in most of the residential apartments connected to the central heating system.

Thinking about how to choose a heating radiator for your apartment, many consider cast-iron batteries obsolete, but this type of heaters has unique performance characteristics that are not typical of modern radiators, therefore, in some cases, is the only suitable option.

1. Gray cast iron, from which they are made, is very slightly susceptible to corrosion in water and most other corrosive liquids with an acid or alkaline reaction; therefore, it can be used in almost any heating systems, regardless of the quality and chemical composition of the coolant;
2. Another positive feature of this material is a high heat transfer coefficient, thanks to which one cast-iron corner radiator is able to maintain a comfortable temperature in a room of sufficiently large dimensions;

1. The internal design of this device assumes the presence of vertical flow channels with a large cross-section, which ensures high throughput and minimal hydraulic resistance to the movement of the coolant;
2. The thick-walled cast iron battery has high mechanical strength and can withstand high temperatures for a long time, significant pressure drops and short-term peak loads caused by hydraulic or steam impact during routine tests of supply lines, so they can be used without restriction in autonomous or centralized heat networks.

Note! The massive construction and relatively large weight of cast iron batteries are compensated for by their high specific heat capacity, due to which they are able to accumulate and retain heat for a long time, gradually transferring it to the surrounding air as it cools.

Aluminum and bimetal radiators

Currently, outdated cast iron batteries have been replaced by more modern heating radiators, which in most cases are made of technical aluminum or its alloys.

More advanced models are made by bimetallic technology, which involves the use of a strong internal frame made of steel flow tubes for coolant, located in the body of a ribbed aluminum radiator.

1. Batteries of pure aluminum or its alloys are not susceptible to corrosion in pure water, but can oxidize in more aggressive environments, moreover, they are not designed for high fluid pressure, therefore, are intended for use only in autonomous systems with a closed heating circuit;

1. The steel tubular frame inside the bimetallic battery is more resistant to corrosion, and besides it is highly resistant to high temperatures and shock loads, therefore such devices can be used both in centralized and autonomous heating systems;
2. Aluminum has a good heat dissipating ability and low inertia, so these radiators can be installed in systems with automatic temperature control, which can significantly reduce heating costs;
3. Bimetallic and aluminum sectional radiators are made to meet aesthetic requirements, so the modern models of these devices have a stylish ergonomic design and a wide variety of colors, which helps them organically fit into the interior of any apartment.

Tip! Due to its compact size and low weight, it is easy to mount and connect an aluminum battery with your own hands using a special mounting kit, which can be purchased at any hardware store.

Convection heaters

This type of household heating devices has a fundamental difference from the usual batteries, primarily because in its work, in addition to infrared radiation, the principle of cyclic convection is also used.

Structurally, the convector is a closed flow heat exchanger with through vertical open channels, into which cold air flows from below, and after heating rushes up and out, drawing the cold air from the bottom of the room.

1. Such heaters are made of steel water pipes, therefore they are reliable and highly durable, which means they can be installed in heating systems of any type;

1. Another significant positive quality of such devices is a discreet unobtrusive design and relatively low price, compared with other household heating appliances;
2. Constant air circulation in the convection channels contributes to a uniform and rapid heating of the room;
3. The same principle is used to make floor mini radiators that create a thermal curtain in front of the window, which prevents cold air and drafts from entering the window opening.

Tip! For efficient operation of the convector, its upper and lower grids must always remain open, and vertical convection channels must be periodically cleaned of accumulated debris and dust.

Household electric heaters

In the event that an apartment or a house is not equipped with a water heating system, household radiators can be used to heat the dwelling, which are most often of two types and differ in the principle of heat transfer.

1. Oil Cooler in its appearance and principle of action it is very similar to the usual cast-iron battery, but differs from it in its low weight, smaller overall dimensions and mobile design, which allows it to be installed in any place of a residential building;

1. Wall mounted or portable electric thin radiators convection type work on the same principle as water convectors, while they are considered a more economical option than oil heaters.

Conclusion

Electric heaters consume a large amount of electricity, so they can only be used as an auxiliary measure, and for heating a large house of permanent or seasonal residence it is more expedient to use a water heating system with a gas or solid fuel boiler.