About Cast Iron Radiators - Some Manufacturing
History
Cast iron radiators as we know them, can date as
far back as the early 1830’s. The ingenious sectional
design (see image on right) of these cast iron radiators
gave the manufacturers of the day an immensely flexible
product, where by simply attaching individual sections
of radiator together one by one, it was possible to
assemble radiators in various sizes and heat outputs.
Another major advantage to this design was the ability
to be able to assemble radiators to fit into awkward
spaces such as window bays and alcoves. The overall
design of these radiators meant that in most cases,
it would be possible to supply radiators that would
produce an ample supply of heat in any given situation,
and at the same time be aesthetically pleasing in
terms of proportions. Another major benefit in producing
radiators in a sectional format, was to eliminate
the problems involved in having to man handle and
transport the larger radiators that in some cases
could weigh in excess of half a ton. Instead these
larger radiators were delivered to the jobsite in
a dismantled state, where they would be assembled
by a heating engineer a few feet away from their point
of operation, slid into position and plumbed in.
The basic design is still used today by the companies
that produce modern reproduction cast iron radiators.
Unfortunately these reproduction radiators still lack
the elegance and quality of finish that is only found
on original period radiators.
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