Cast Iron Radiators An Eco Friendly Choice

By Author: Edward Hall
Total Articles: 93
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Today we are looking more and more at eco friendly options for every part of our lives. We are all encouraged to think about this wisely and take action, decreasing our individual carbon fit print wherever we can.

The choice of radiators for our home is probably an obscure way of achieving another way of decreasing our carbon foot print. There are eco friendly boiler systems on the market today that utilise natural fuels such as reconstituted wood blocks, bark chip and willow wood, yet little is known about the eco friendly radiator choice which these natural fuelled boilers will give heat to.

Cast iron radiators are tremendously efficient and are a good eco friendly choice. The revival and now wide availability of the 200 year old cast iron radiator in reproduction form has allowed us the choice for more efficiency within our homes. The old ideas are the best ideas and in the case of the cast iron radiator this is certainly true for heating efficiency. The base material, cast iron, has a very high heat capacity which means it can hold a lot of heat energy. Because air only requires a small amount of energy to ...
... increase in temperature, cast iron provides the perfect medium to continually supply heat to small and large spaces. Metals, such as steel and aluminium used for modern radiators, have lesser heat capacity and hence do not do the job so efficiently.

The nature of cast iron also provides us with a more constant and consistent heat source without the rapid hot then cold properties of steel. A cast iron radiator once switched off will lose its heat gradually which is far more comforting and efficient. Many people who enjoy cast iron radiators within their homes have noticed the gentler ambient heat which radiates from these radiators.

Cast iron radiators also can be placed on a system that utilises natural sources with no problems at all such as ground source heating, air source heating and with the new boilers which utilise natural fuels. Those who have teamed up natural heat resources to fuel their central heating systems in conjunction with cast iron radiators have found the heat from their cast iron radiators to be more constant and less drying, a gentle ambient heat working well with the natural energy being utilised.

Another way to increase efficiency and therefore be eco friendly as well as saving cost is to attach your cast iron radiators to an electrical element which will heat your radiator effectively as each electrically heated radiator is running independently to the main hot water system. If each radiator is placed on a timer switch, room spaces may be heated one by one so if you are downstairs all day the upstairs heat can be switched off thus saving energy. This control of each room heat is a good idea and with the combination of using cast iron is certainly a winning formula for eco friendly purposes.

If being eco friendly is the way forward the cast iron radiator is the way forward as a radiator choice for a secure future.

With many years in the heating and plumbing industry Edward Hall has for sometime now been writing on such subjects as the cast iron radiator, its history and benefits and imparting his vast knowledge on the subject.