Having correctly selected heating radiators, you will ensure yourself warmth and comfort in the house. When choosing, it is necessary to take into account a lot of important points, such as the area of the room, what the building is made of, etc. But we are not talking about that now. Let's talk about what are cast-iron heating radiators, which are better and how to make the right choice. Despite the fact that everything may seem quite simple, this is not entirely true, and in this article you will find out why.
Some general information
A heating radiator, commonly referred to as a battery, can be made of the following materials: steel, cast iron, aluminum, copper, etc. But we will only talk about cast iron. Its main advantages are that corrosion processes are extremely slow. It is for this simple reason that more than one heating radiator has not surpassed the cast-iron in durability. Another important plus is the high heat transfer. For example, you have turned off the heating. In this case, the cast-iron battery will heat up much longer than steel or aluminum. But this is far from all that cast-iron radiators can boast. Technical specifications are also on top. Hydraulic shocks, critical pressure drops in the system, or not the best heat carrier quality are fatal for copper or aluminum products.
All of the above advantages suggest that this is an excellent solution for heating the room. "But it can't be so perfect!" - you say. Of course, cast-iron radiators have their drawbacks. For example, it is difficult to imagine something heavier than a battery of this metal. Another minus is the design, which often does not fit modern interiors. But partly this problem is being solved, more and more original models in retro or modern style appear on the markets. Let's look at cast-iron radiators, which are better and which are not worth your attention.
About product specifications
We have not yet said that the cast-iron battery is suitable for any type of heating, this is due to the large hydraulic resistance, therefore, regardless of whether you have forced or natural circulation, this radiator will work perfectly. The main technical characteristic that matters to you as a consumer is power.
To understand what performance radiator you need, you need to use a fairly simple calculation. So, for one room with an area of 10 square meters, having one window and an external wall, a battery of 1 kW of power (thermal) is needed. If the room has several external walls (corner) and one window, then you need 1.2 kW. When the room has 2 windows and two external walls, a battery with 1.3 kW of thermal power is best. Based on this, you need to choose cast-iron radiators. Specifications are always very important. Lack of power will lead to poor heating of the room, and excess will lead to increased temperature in the room and overpayment. But this is far from all that concerns the technical side, so let's look at this issue in more detail.
Cast-iron heating radiators: product specifications in detail
Let's talk in more detail about batteries made of cast iron. The first thing to say is that their heat transfer coefficient here is relatively small, about 40%. In fact, 60% goes only to heating the radiator, and the remaining 40% - to directly heat the room. But here, not everything is as bad as it seems. As noted above, cast-iron batteries cool for a very long time, therefore, they will heat the air much longer than a product made of another metal. As an example, to consider the technical characteristics, let's take cast-iron heating radiators of Russian production made in accordance with GOST 31311-2005.
The length of one section of such a battery is 9.3 centimeters, and its weight is about 7 kilograms. The heat flow in this case will be no more than 0.16 kW, provided that the area of the heating surface is 0.24 square meters. From this we can draw a simple conclusion that for heating a small room of 10 squares, 7-8 sections are enough. As you can see, cast-iron heating radiators have very good technical specifications. In addition, the temperature of the coolant can be 130 degrees Celsius, and the permissible pressure in the system is about 9 atmospheres or 0.9 MPa. In principle, this is a good solution for heating both residential and industrial buildings. But you need to correctly calculate the thermal power.
Cast Iron Heating Radiators: Customer Reviews
Despite the fact that we have already familiarized ourselves with the main advantages, I would like to talk about what consumers say and experts recommend. Firstly, almost everyone is talking about smooth operation for 30-50 years. This suggests that after installation you can not worry for a very long time that a breakdown will occur. Holders of central heating systems have always complained about the quality of the coolant. But what is remarkable for cast-iron batteries is the fact that they work normally even in extreme conditions, ordinary consumers cannot fail to note this. Adherents of such radiators also note resistance to abrasive wear, which plays an almost decisive role in choosing.
Of course, cast-iron radiators, reviews of which are mostly positive, have their drawbacks. For example, it is almost impossible to complete installation alone, due to the large weight. This is especially true for batteries, where the number of sections exceeds 5-6 pieces. Sometimes there are negative feedback about the poor quality of the weld. But this is, rather, a disadvantage of a particular manufacturer, rather than the product as a whole. In general, cast iron radiators have positive reviews, even though there are more profitable solutions today.
Overview of batteries from the STI Nova range
Russian cast-iron heating radiators from this manufacturer are of high quality and attractive design. It is worth noting that this company produces mid-range products, and with regard to quality, it is one bar above the average. For example, cast-iron radiators "500-Nova" for 10 sections will cost about 5,000 rubles apiece. In exchange for money, you will receive a product from gray cast iron, the durability of which during normal operation reaches half a century. O-rings are made of modern polymer, so the leakage of the coolant is practically excluded.
The STI Nova-500 battery operates at a normal system pressure of 1.2 MPa, but can withstand a load of 1.6 MPa, so water hammer will not damage the radiator. The heat flux of a single section is approximately 0.15 kW. In total, you get a battery with a thermal power of 1.5 kW, which is enough to warm up a room of 13-15 square meters. As for the design, we need to say a separate "thank you" to the manufacturer. The product is designed in such a way that resembles a modern steel or aluminum battery. In principle, cast-iron radiators Nova are famous for this. Customer reviews agree that the product fits perfectly into any room design, and this is important.
A small overview of the radiators MS-140
This is a Soviet cast-iron battery, which was installed in both residential and industrial facilities. A distinctive feature of the MC-140 is that the sections are wide and capacious, thanks to this it was possible to achieve a minimum hydraulic resistance. But I had to sacrifice a coefficient of performance, which fell to the level of 40-60%. Casting iron is used as the material for the manufacture, the sections are interconnected by means of nipples made of cold-rolled steel or malleable cast iron. Old samples were primed and painted.
But today, the cast-iron radiators for heating the MS have been somewhat modernized. Of course, their main characteristics, such as heat dissipation, weight and dimensions, have changed little, but the appearance has become completely different. Moreover, there are models designed to work in aggressive environments, places with frequent temperature drops and high humidity. In this case, the characteristics of cast-iron heating radiators are somewhat different from conventional products. Sections are additionally polished from the upper as well as the front side, and painting is carried out according to a two-stage method. As a paint, resistant epoxy enamels are used, which are processed by polymerization at a temperature of 200 degrees Celsius. As a result, you get a battery that can withstand any load and will last for many years.
Russian-made radiators Konner
The company is located in St. Petersburg and produces a wide range of batteries. In particular, it is bimetallic, aluminum, extruded and cast iron. We are only interested in the latest type of batteries. This company differs from the rest in that it produces radiators of various models, there are more than 10 of them. There is a choice between “Modern” and “Retro”, “Light” and “Olympic”, “Fort” and “Hit”, and so on. All this suggests that you can find a battery for every taste, no matter what your design and interior. Konner cast-iron radiators are equipped as standard. These are sectional blocks for 4, 7, 10 or 12 sections. In principle, such a choice should be enough, although many say that this is not enough? and you need to use non-standard equipment.
As for the technical characteristics, then they are almost all standard. The coolant temperature is up to 130 degrees Celsius, and the working pressure in the system is about 13 atmospheres. But there are a few nuances. For example, a retro-style battery has a thermal power of 100-130 watts, but Modern radiators have 130-150 watts, which is slightly higher. This also applies to other characteristics, as well as the dimensions of the product.
Which company radiator to choose?
This is perhaps one of the main issues for those who decided to stay on batteries from this material. There are several important points. Firstly, regardless of the manufacturer, the product should not have mechanical damage. For example, chips and cracks will soon lead to complete destruction of the product. Since cast iron is a very fragile metal, impacts during loading / unloading are simply unacceptable. As for the manufacturer, Konner, offering a wide selection at an affordable price, will be an excellent solution. This manufacturer has 80% positive reviews, which indicates a decent quality of products.
We talked with you about the radiators of the STI Nova company. These are pretty high quality products. Many consumers say that battery life reaches very impressive numbers, it is 50 years or more. All this suggests that cast-iron batteries "Nova" are bought once and for life. There are a lot of brands on the market today worthy of your attention, among them are both European and domestic.
What do experts advise?
Which cast iron radiators are better? This should be asked by experts. Most recommend the popular European brand Paladin. The company produces products with high power and high quality, which is its main features. Paladin cast-iron batteries are best suited for the classic design of the room, but you can choose retro or modern for the order, etc. The German company Guratek has long established itself as a reliable and responsible manufacturer of cast-iron radiators. Today its products are one of the most expensive, but it pays off not only with exceptional quality, but also with design. The working pressure here is 8 atmospheres, so if your system often has all 10 or even 12, then these radiators will definitely not suit you.
Conclusion
So we talked about what cast-iron heating radiators are. Which is better, you have to decide for yourself. You can, of course, listen to a consultant, but it is advisable to buy what you like best. In most cases, products from different manufacturers differ only in design, sometimes in the quality of the front and top surfaces. Gray cast iron is almost always used, so there is no need to say something about the quality of the material. Most often, consumers are faced with the fact that the battery starts to flow. However, it is safe to say that these are isolated cases. For example, Conner radiators do not have this defect, the same applies to Nova, as well as the MS-140. Do not forget that regardless of the brand, installation of cast-iron radiators should be carried out by specialists, then you will ensure yourself warmth and comfort in the house when there is a snowstorm and cold outside.