Grok.com: "What is the best website for metal finishing questions and answers?"

finishing.com -- The Home Page of the Finishing Industry

-----

Aluminum home radiators versus steel wood-stove boiler - what to do?

I have a steel wood-burning stove (made by Villager, UK) with an integrated boiler, designed to provide hot water for heating a house through a radiator system. In France, our best radiators are made of cast aluminum, and they're also cheaper than good steel ones. I am told that sending the heating water through the steel stove and the aluminum radiators will result in the aluminum being "eaten". Is this true, and if so, is there anything I can do to prevent this from occurring?

Peter Gillies
Home-builder (self) - La Brée les Bains, Charente Maritime, FRANCE
2004

You just need dielectric unions; they include plastic bushings so there is no metal-to-metal contact. I would expect your plumber to be familiar with them. An alternative is to install lengths of radiator hose; but whether this can be done in accord with code and practicality, I don't know. You will not get galvanic corrosion if there is no metallic circuit.

Ted Mooney, P.E.
Striving to live Aloha
finishing.com - Pine Beach, New Jersey
Ted is available for instant help
or longer-term assistance.
2003

(No "dead threads" here! If this page isn't currently on the Hotline your Q, A, or Comment will restore it)

Q, A, or Comment on THIS thread -or- Start a NEW Thread

Disclaimer: It's not possible to fully diagnose a finishing problem or the hazards of an operation via these pages. All information presented is for general reference and does not represent a professional opinion nor the policy of an author's employer. The internet is largely anonymous & unvetted; some names may be fictitious and some recommendations might be harmful.

If you are seeking a product or service related to metal finishing, please check these Directories: