Despite the emergence of new and more efficient heating devices, radiators made of cast iron are not inferior to their positions. Owners of private houses and apartments appreciate them for their quality and reliability, therefore, even Soviet monsters of the "accordion" type (MS-140) are still in demand. As for modern products, they eliminated the main drawback - the significant weight of cast-iron batteries, although massive models can also be found for sale. Let's see what role the mass of the radiator plays during installation and operation, but first we reveal ...
Pros and cons of cast iron radiators
It can be said without exaggeration that the shortcomings of the ribbed batteries made of this metal are compensated by the merits. Let's start with the second:
- Cast iron, although brittle, is strong and durable. Products from it quietly serve up to 50 years.
- Any radiator cast in cast iron is highly resistant to corrosion, and therefore it is used in networks with low-quality coolant (for example, in central heating systems of apartments).
- A wide selection in appearance. Modern aluminum radiators here clearly lose out to beautiful radiators made of cast iron in various styles - retro, modern and so on.
Now about the negative sides. Given how much the radiator section of a cast-iron battery weighs (and their mass is tens of kilograms), the following disadvantages can be highlighted:
- inertia;
- the complexity of installation in terms of mounting to the walls;
- decent cost of heating appliances.
For reference. Some manufacturers managed to significantly reduce the weight of cast-iron radiators and thus improve their technical characteristics, which we will discuss later.
Inertia is a prolonged heating and cooling of heating batteries, resulting from the massiveness of the cast-iron sections and a large volume of water. It takes time to heat up the body of the device and the coolant, which makes it difficult to automatically control the temperature in the rooms using radiator valves with thermal heads. However, with a sudden shutdown of the boiler, such a system generates heat longer than aluminum or bimetal heaters.
Heavy radiator sections made of cast iron are difficult to fasten to walls built of modern porous materials - aerated concrete and foam block, not to mention frame houses and cottages made of SIP panels. You have to bear additional costs in order to buy special brackets for fastening cast-iron heavy radiators and design-matching taps.
How much does one section weigh?
We will carry out a comparative analysis of heating devices by this indicator, and take the old Soviet "accordions" as a reference point. So, the weight of one section of the cast-iron traditional battery MS-140 is 7.12 kg, and the capacity is 1.5 liters of water with a standard center height of 500 mm. That is, the total mass of 1 section of the radiator in working condition comes out 7.12 + 1.5 = 8.62 kg.
Mass calculation example. As a rule, in private homes, heating appliances are used with the number of sections from 4 to 12 pcs. Take the average number - 7 sections, then the mass of the battery of the old sample will be 8.62 x 7 = 60.34 kg, and without water - 49.84 kg. This colossus alone is not easy to install, you definitely need an assistant.
In the table below we will present various options for new heaters, including cast-iron euro batteries, where we indicate indicators that concern homeowners - the weight of the fin, its capacity, heat dissipation and price in arbitrary units.
Brand and model of radiator | Country | Weight, kg | Heat carrier volume, l | Thermal Power, W | Price, y e. |
Viadrus KALOR 500/70 | Czech Republic | 4 | 0.8 | 70.3 | 20.05 |
Viadrus Bohemia 450/220 | Czech Republic | 9.9 | 2.4 | 110 | 78.25 |
Demir Dokum Nostalgia 500/200 | Turkey | 9.6 | 2.3 | 163 | 52.20 |
Retro Style Anerli 560/230 | Russia | 17 | 3.29 | 189 | 229.60 |
EXEMET Modern 600/100 | Turkey | 4.3 | 0.7 | 102 | 32 |
EXEMET Classica 500/176 | Turkey | 9.3 | 1.95 | 145 | 76.85 |
Note.The numbers after the brand name and model mean the following: distance between the axis of the plugs / depth in mm.
As you can see, we selected products of approximately the same height and different depths, affecting the massiveness of each rib. To assess the real mass of radiators, we propose to calculate it based on the required heat output for heating a standard room of 20 m². Putting 100 W of heat on a square of the area, we get the required heating power of 2 kW.
Calculation of the real weight of heating appliances
Now let’s calculate how much weight and number of sections the cast-iron heating batteries provide, providing a heat transfer of 2 kW. Let's start with the old model - MS-140, whose power is 160 watts from one edge. To gain 2000 watts, you need to divide them into 160 watts, we get 12.5 sections, rounded 13 pcs. The total weight of the finished batteries will be 13 x 7.12 = 92.6 kg, and with water - 112 kg. That is, for every kilowatt of heat transfer there is 112/2 = 56 kg of the mass of the radiator filled with coolant.
In the same way, we calculate the specific gravity of the above cast iron batteries and find out how far the manufacturing technologies of such heaters have gone. The results are listed in the table:
Brand and model of radiator | Power 1 rib, W | Number of sections providing 2 kW of heat | Weight with water, kg | What weight is the heat transfer of 1 kW, kg | The price of a radiator is 2 kW, y. e. |
Viadrus KALOR 500/70 | 70.3 | 29 | 139 | 69.5 | 582 |
Viadrus Bohemia 450/220 | 110 | 19 | 234 | 117 | 1487 |
Demir Dokum Nostalgia 500/200 | 163 | 13 | 155 | 77.5 | 679 |
Retro Style Anerli 560/230 | 189 | 11 | 223 | 111.5 | 2526 |
EXEMET Modern 600/100 | 102 | 20 | 100 | 50 | 640 |
EXEMET Classica 500/176 | 145 | 14 | 158 | 79 | 1076 |
Comment. From the table below it is clearly visible how much modern cast iron costs for heating apartments and private houses. For comparison: the price of the MS-140 section is 8.3 y. e., and the whole radiator for 2000 watts - 108 at. e. These prices limit the number of homeowners who can buy designer products.
Based on the analysis, we can draw the following conclusions:
- The thermal power of the heating device is practically independent of its mass, only on the surface area.
- Manufacturers make both massive and lighter models of cast-iron batteries that are attached to the walls.
- The heaviest cast iron radiators are made in the "retro" style, lightweight - in the "modern" style.
- If we compare the new heaters from different brands with the "accordions" in terms of coolant volume, it becomes clear that this indicator has not changed much.
- Massiveness is ensured by the thickness of the cast-iron walls. This means that the thinnest walls are on products from Turkish brands EXEMET and Demir Dokum, and the thickest are on Russian manufacturer Retro Style.
- Note that the weight of cast iron affects the final price of the product. The heavier the product, the more expensive it is.
Conclusion
Since cast iron is a brittle metal, it is pointless to cast thin-walled products from it. Therefore, radiators made of this material will forever remain heavy compared to aluminum and bimetallic "brothers." On the other hand, they look much more beautiful and harmonize with any interior of the home. Due to this, current batteries made of cast iron could become a very popular product, if not for the high cost.