Fishin' for thoughts

[Fred Voorhees]

I have a freind that wants me to build a number of heating radiator covers for his home. Being that they will be encasing the radiators, I know the heat factor will come into play. I can go with pine and either paint or stain as a finish - oak ply and go with a stain or natural finish or other options. I will probably be starting these within two weeks and thought that I would throw this out there and solicit ideas and thoughts from those who may have built these in the past and learned something along the way or after they were built in regards to the heat and venting it.

[Jules Dominguez]

Radiators shouldn't be covered during the operating season. Are your friends aware of that? (Not that that's any of my business, but I thought I'd comment just in case they don't know it.)

[Fred Voorhees]

Radiators shouldn't be covered during the operating season. Are your friends aware of that? (Not that that's any of my business, but I thought I'd comment just in case they don't know it.)

I beg to differ. There are plenty of radiator sites on the net and none of them offer any advice on not using them to cover an active radiator.

[Jason White]

As long as you build it to allow for adequate air flow (convection currents), you won't have a problem. Also, MDF is probably your best bet as all that heat can cause real wood to crack and twist.

Here's a great site, where I'm pretty sure this question has been addressed a ba-zillion times...

http://forums.invision.net/index.cfm?CFApp=2

Good luck!

JW




I have a freind that wants me to build a number of heating radiator covers for his home. Being that they will be encasing the radiators, I know the heat factor will come into play. I can go with pine and either paint or stain as a finish - oak ply and go with a stain or natural finish or other options. I will probably be starting these within two weeks and thought that I would throw this out there and solicit ideas and thoughts from those who may have built these in the past and learned something along the way or after they were built in regards to the heat and venting it.

[Fred Voorhees]

Thanks Jason for that site. I will be checking it out. I was planning on using the bubble type thin foil insulation inside the cabinet to help in alleviating the heat from actually getting to the wood structure. The insulation should reflect the heat back into the cabinet and force it to exit the cabinet in whatever ventilation method I build into it. Your thoughts on the heat factor is just what I am looking for and hope that others chime in with their views.

[M. A. Espinoza]

Thanks Jason for that site. I will be checking it out. I was planning on using the bubble type thin foil insulation inside the cabinet to help in alleviating the heat from actually getting to the wood structure. The insulation should reflect the heat back into the cabinet and force it to exit the cabinet in whatever ventilation method I build into it. Your thoughts on the heat factor is just what I am looking for and hope that others chime in with their views.

OK, I'm going to say right up front I haven't investigated this at all so this is curiosity more than a statement.

Wouldn't you want the structure to absorb or rather transfer the radiant heat instead of reflect it? Maybe reflective insulation behind the radiator to help keep the heat towards the living space.

I would think you might even want perforated metal panels in the covers to help with the heat transfer. I know convection is important but that radiant heat sure is nice.

[Stephen Edwards]

Though I've never built any of these radiator covers before I must agree with the OP in advising use something other than real wood, especially pine. I would think that either MDF laminated with wood or a good grade of plywood would be better.

[Jason White]

Lots of people just stick a piece of sheet metal behind the radiator to reflect the heat toward the room (even without radiator covers).




OK, I'm going to say right up front I haven't investigated this at all so this is curiosity more than a statement.

Wouldn't you want the structure to absorb or rather transfer the radiant heat instead of reflect it? Maybe reflective insulation behind the radiator to help keep the heat towards the living space.

I would think you might even want perforated metal panels in the covers to help with the heat transfer. I know convection is important but that radiant heat sure is nice.

[Mike Parzych]

There's no problem with using real wood as long as you allow for the seasonal movement you would in any other wood project. I've built several and encountered no problems with the wood. I've used plywood on the back since no one sees it.

I used some 98% reflective foil insulation on the inside. With this in place the wood is not even warm to the touch. The object is to direct the heat out thru a specific opening, rather than let it rise straight up. The foil should be on every interior surface - except of course the grilled opening. It's something to feel it come blasting out the opening rather than drifting to the ceiling.

Look up Wolf Radiator enclosures for the scoop on how they do it.

[Sonny Edmonds]

Fishin for thoughts?
I've been thoughten about fishin a lot lately.
Fishin fever I guess. But it isn't just me, the Grandson has it, too. :D

[Jim Becker]

I've been assisting my friend Neil with his own project of identical nature. He's using pine to match the rest of the new trim work in the house. I saw the first covers today in "finished" form and they are outstanding. I don't have pictures, but could likely arrange for a little visit if you want to see them, Fred. They live in Solbury just around the corner.

[Jules Dominguez]

Fred, it's possible to cover a radiator and still get some heat into a room from it, but a radiator is designed to move heat by straight line travel of heat rays from a hot surface. To whatever extent the straight line flow of these rays is blocked, the effectiveness of the radiator in providing uniform heat throughout the room will be reduced. Heating will still occur, by air making direct contact with the radiator heating surfaces at the floor level, and then the heated air rising by natural circulation to the top of the room. But that's not what radiators are designed to do and the room won't be heated as uniformly or efficiently as it would if the radiant heat weren't blocked. I don't doubt that a lot of people cover radiators for appearance, but perhaps it's because they haven't researched the subject of heat transfer. http://www.sawmillcreek.org/images/icons/icon12.gif

[Jim Becker]

Jules, the covers that I'm helping my friend build have wire mesh to provide the proper convection from the hydronic baseboard units. For larger units, I agree that they also must provide a way to directly or indirectly radiate (!) the heat produced. That's also typically handed by some kind of metal grating or mesh.

[Jules Dominguez]

OK, Jim. My comments were directed to pure radiant heaters. I see that there are also hybrid baseboard heaters that use a combination of convective and radiant heat. My comments would still apply to the radiant component of the hybrids.
I don't mean to be anal about this, but I spent a lifetime working as a mechanical engineer in the industrial power field, and it sets off alarms to hear someone say they're going to cover radiant heaters.http://www.sawmillcreek.org/images/icons/icon12.gif

[Al Willits]

Remembering I'm from Minn.

After 30+ years of HVAC I've seen my share of the old style cast iron radiators not keeping a room warm from just them decorative tops that people like to use to put stuff on top of them.

Much less enclosing them, I don't care what any site says, you enclose a radiator and you restrict airflow, you restrict airflow you lessen its efficency.

Think back to the coldest days you can remember, if your heating system had no trouble keeping up, covers might be a option, if not, your just adding to the cost and subtracting from the efficency of heating your home.

There may be exceptions, but dam few of them.
imho

Al

[Paul Demetropoulos]

Not quite as cold as Minn where I live but around here many people cover radiators for safety reasons, to keep toddlers from being scalded.

[M Toupin]

I think some folks have a misunderstanding of what type of radiator the OP is talking about. Seems to be split between the northerners and southerners. Boiler radiators are a northern thing, heat pumps are the norm in the south.

Just so everyone knows what the OP is talking about, it a "radiator", not a "radiant" type heater. "radiators" have been covered for years. I'd not recommend covering a "radiant" heater though unless you like that smoked barbecue smell in the house:D

Boiler fired "radiator"...

http://www.ancrumplumbingandheating.co.uk/images/heater.jpg

Radiant heater...

http://product-image.tradeindia.com/00089090/b/Radiant-Heater.jpg

Mike

[David Kreuzberg]

I have a freind that wants me to build a number of heating radiator covers for his home. Being that they will be encasing the radiators, I know the heat factor will come into play. I can go with pine and either paint or stain as a finish - oak ply and go with a stain or natural finish or other options. I will probably be starting these within two weeks and thought that I would throw this out there and solicit ideas and thoughts from those who may have built these in the past and learned something along the way or after they were built in regards to the heat and venting it.

I built one for the kitchen in an apartment we own. Used poplar, as I recall. Allow for an opening as large as possible in the front (sides, too, if you can). I rabbeted in aluminum grille that you can find at the big boxes. made the top of glued-up poplar, so it could be used as a bench.

Dave

[Tom Godley]

My house in the city had radiators -- we did make covers for some of them.

You will affect the output of the units.


The big old cast iron units used a combination of convection and radiant heat to provide comfort -- if you cover them incorrectly both will be greatly affected.

If you put a solid top on the cover it dramatically reduces the proper convection of the unit -- I was surprised how much it was reduced by just placing a slab of granite on top for some plants.

The old units are comfy when sitting in a room and having the radiant heat hit you - when you cover them this is also reduced or eliminated.

The type I was told worked the best were the metal units -- because they have so many holes and basically become the radiator -- but they are not much better looking.

You need to provide open space at the bottom and top and to cover the fronts as little as possible - we ended up getting metal mesh for the fron and sides that we painted to match the other casework in the room. But it did reduce the response of the unit in heating the room.