This category includes radiators, convectors, baseboard heaters, and finned-tube units—anything that circulates hot water or steam for space-heating purposes. Some of the simple things that help to keep them operating at their best:
- Remove any obstructions in front of the unit to keep air moving in and out of the heat exchange coils
- Radiators depend on the natural convection of air (hot air rises), so if this process is affected in any way, the performance of the system suffers.
- Keep all heat-transfer surfaces clean for the most efficient operation.
Air collects at the high point of any hydronic system. When it does so, it keeps hot water from circulating freely through the system. Then the unit short cycles and waste fuel. Consequently, it is important to purge air from the system often—especially in older systems and in those which have had such problems in the past.
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Excerpted from Going Green, available as an eBook at this list of eBook retailers online.