Naked Science Forum
General Science => General Science => Topic started by: neilep on 13/12/2004 18:19:12
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Hello Everybody,
When wifey put's hand towels on the radiators in our bathroom and loo etc...she covers the whole top of the rad....I insist that it's folded into quarters and just placed on the edge rather than covering the whole top.....so, we end up playing tag-team-towel folding all day and night !!!
Am I being too fastidious ?..or am I right in thinking that my way gets more heat into the room ?
Your answers I'm sure will be fuel for a heated debate....HA HA HA HA HA....oh , I give up !!!!
'Men are the same as women...just inside out !'
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Is this a cast-iron radiator, or is it something else, because the answer depends on the details.
I'll assume its an old-fashioned cast-iron radiator. In that case, yes, anything you put on the radiator will interfere with heat transfer into the room. Towels stacked on top of the radiator will slow down the convective movement of air through the radiator. I can't quantify the loss of efficiency however, that is a test item. The other multiplier is whether this is a habit throughout the home, or just in one spot. Typically a bathroom is small, and the radiator is overkill heating anyway. The heat that doesn't come into the bathroom will show up in the rest of the house, if all those radiators aren't blocked too.
In a hot water or steam heating system, the efficiency of the heater is dependent on the boiler. The efficiency of the room radiator has only a weak effect on the boiler efficiency. So you are not worrying about the heater's efficiency here, just the amount of heat that comes into the room. If the bathroom is warm enough, don't worry about it.
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Well this will all depend on whether the towel is wet or dry. If it's wet and you fully open it out over the radiator then it'll dry relatively quickly. If it's wet and folded up it'll take forever to dry. If the towel is dry and it's fully opened out over the radiator then all you're doing in effect is insulating the radiator. Thereby stopping it's heat getting out into the room.
So I would say your method is correct for dry towels, your dear lady's is right for wet ones. Now how diplomatic is that ? [:D]
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Thank you gsmollin, thank you Les...thank you both kind sirs........they are cast-iron rads and I appreciate the answers you have both given me....whilst I too must use some diplomacy I will bring forthwith wifeys gaze upon this screen to impart upon her the font of knowledge that you have both prevailed upon us......and while she's reading it...I will be pulling faces at her from behind her back .....!!...thank you......and I love you Wifey xxxx mwahh mwahh xxxx
'Men are the same as women...just inside out !'
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wifey feels she has learned something today....and I have learned that I have to buy her some earings to make up for being right !!!.sheeeesh !!!
'Men are the same as women...just inside out !'
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But then you get the satisfaction of being right. And she even admitted she was wrong - which, for a woman, is very difficult !
Chris
"I never forget a face, but in your case I'll make an exception"
- Groucho Marx
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Don't forget to edit out the part about making faces before you show wifey.
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quote:
Originally posted by gsmollin
Don't forget to edit out the part about making faces before you show wifey.
Too late !!...hence the earrings !!!
'Men are the same as women...just inside out !'
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LOL neilep!
1. Open mouth.
2. Insert foot.
3. Twist vigorously.
4. Buy peace offering. (I usually go for flowers.)