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Man that is very cool! One of these would have been great in the kitchen of our 1917 foursquare in NY!

Here's a plumbing question....our old house had the radiators piped into the original gravity loop in the basement, which was updated to be fed by a Taco pump from the new gas boiler. Most of the radiators were connected to the loop with either either 3/4" or 1" iron pipe, except for one in the kitchen that was plumbed in with 1/2" copper. Looked like it was added later. That radiator was 2nd farthest from the boiler but got hotter faster than all the rest.

You would think a bigger pipe would deliver more hot water, but it seems like the smaller pipe was more efficient. One of the projects I never got to before we moved was to replace the gravity loop with a manifold and run 1/2" pex in the basement to every riser (leave the CI risers that attach to the rads).

What made me think of it was seeing this pic with the radiator plumbed in 1/2" copper. What makes the small pipe more efficient than the big pipe?

certainly, two factors are the size of the radiator and the length of the feed and return.
there is no simple answer to your question.

this is why they installed valves at each radiator.
you can adjust the hot water going to each radiator should the individual piping be too large or too small.

Packy, why do you think that was designed that way? not enough heat to cook food. Forced hot water radiators historically ran on 150-degree water.

Early warming oven to keep food hot.

Also, bread warmer and plate warmer functions.

That's exactly right, it wasn't hot enough to cook on one of those, but was intended as a warmer. Fancier new ovens have a "warming drawer" for that same purpose. Also great for drying wet gloves and socks!

I showed that pic to my wife and she was fawning over it....but also said that radiator would be $$$$ IF you could even find one. I remember our old house, as with many houses built in that WWI era, went through a "modernizing" phase in the 50's where they replaced one of the old radiators with HW baseboard. What a goose chase trying to find an old radiator that was the right size! A guy in CT has a scrapyard full of them but he gets $300+ based on size and they are UNTESTED.

Packy,

There's a store in Philadelphia that specializes in radiators

On FB: "Wagner Salvage Specializing in Cast Iron Radiators"

[www.ebay.com]



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can it be used to dry wet clothes?

Around these parts that unit striped and primed would fetch thousands easy.

my cat would sleep in there.

There are modern cast iron radiators in production.

Merely the first link I found with good pics.

NOT, I repeat NOT, a 'recomendation' nor an endorsement - merely pictures.

[www.castrads.com]

configurable for hydronic, two pipe steam, and one pipe steam

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"Measure Twice & Cut Once" - Retired U.A. Local 1 & 638