Baseboard radiator recommendation

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Maxie

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I have a 24" run of slant fin radiator in a small bathroom. I sometimes see more modern streamlined baseboard heating in pictures, but I have no idea what other products are out there that are inexpensive, yet smaller than your typical baseboard radiator. A google search landed me Runtal Flat Panel Hot Water Baseboard Radiators, but they are super expensive. The room is too small for a wall set unit, so I stuck with the baseboard, but now I'm wondering what options I may still have.
 

Jadnashua

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Big difference between slant fin and a radiator, and thus the cost differences. THe radiator will perform better at lower temperatures and be more comfortable. A radiator works by (tada!) radiation, and a slant fin by (primarily) convection...radiation heats you, convection heats the air. Think bright sun on a cool day verses a hot wind.
 

Dana

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When you say "smaller than your typical baseboard radiator", I'm not sure in exactly which dimension you mean? The Runtal UF2-24 isn't any tinier than a 2' section of Slant Fin, though it might look a bit nicer.

Replacing a 2' fin-tube with a 2' cast-iron baseboard takes about the same space with comparable BTU output, but it's not super cheap when bought new, but not Runtal-priced either.


But this sort of stuff shows up on Craigslist all the time, at ~$15-25/foot.

They clean up and repaint easily. If you're not the DIY type you can probably find an auto body shop willing to do a bake-on automotive white (or some even nicer color) on the cheap next time they're doing a car-job and it'll look BETTER than new stuff, and still come in well below new cost on cast iron baseboard.

If going with used cast-iron, make sure it's not a middle section, but a standalone, with the cast-in leg on each end, with pipe threads on each end. It comes from a few manufacturers, at a few different heights too, so pay attention to the dimensions.

The tiniest flat Buderus might fit your space (or not), not super cheap, but they come with a thermostatic mixing valve to fine-tune the output.
 

Maxie

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By smaller I meant thinner. The Runtal is only 2" deep, and although the one we have might only be 3.5 or 4" deep, the floor area of the bathroom is only about 4.5 x 5 feet, so every inch counts. But, when I saw the price of the Runtal, I decided I would just let him install the regular slant fin style radiator. For now I think this stays, but I'm taking notes on all your suggestions for other rooms that will be getting renovated.
 
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