# hot water heat exchanger out of old baseboard radiators?



## d.dumont (Jun 23, 2010)

I'm in the process of removing my baseboard radiators & installing in-floor radiant. wondering if the old baseboard units (copper pipe/aluminum fin) would work better than plain copper pipe for my storage tank exchanger (closed loop collector set up) any thoughts??? I imagine it can't be any worse than plain copper & would be recycling the units back into the system...



Dan


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## TnAndy (Sep 15, 2005)

You'd probably be better off to go with smaller pipe...most likely those baseboard tubes are 3/4".....if you made an exchanger out of 1/2 or 3/8" copper, you could get more surface area in the same space.


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## SolarGary (Sep 8, 2005)

Hi,
I think that if these heat exchangers go into the tank (ie immersed in the tank water), the fins will add to the efficiency, but I think its very likely that you will get galvanic corrosion between the fins and copper.  You might end up with no connection between the fins and the copper in a fairly short time -- but not sure.

Some of these systems have homemade copper and PEX heat exchangers immersed in storage tanks -- might get some ideas:
http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/WaterHeating/water_heating.htm#Example1KSystems
and Tom's system:
http://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/SpaceHeating/TomLargeCol/TomCol.htm

Gary


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## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

If your thinking of immerging that Al finned copper pipe in water you are going to have a galvanic action. . . . . a mess.


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## Jim-mi (May 15, 2002)

I was typing while Gary posted.

The proven best exchangers are copper to copper.


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## Ross (May 9, 2002)

What was hooked up to the baseboard heaters to provide heat before? If you were planning to run potable water through the old base board heaters they might be contaminated. I wonder if the aluminum fins are soldered onto the copper with lead solder.


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## d.dumont (Jun 23, 2010)

Didn't even think of the dissimilar metals in water.... Glad I asked.. thanks,



Dan


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## strawhouse (Aug 7, 2010)

I used about 50' of type K 3/4" copper coil for my heat exchanger. It sits in a 135 gallon stainless steel tank, just off the bottom. It transfers the heat from my solar thermal panels which is in a closed loop system. It works absolutely amazing, the 3/4" copper transfers the heat quickly. On a sunny day the panels will bring the 135 gallons from 65f to 180f in about 30 minutes.


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## Ky-Jeeper (Sep 5, 2010)

Have not been here in awhile. Anyway I was wanting to do the same thing with 2 new American Standard 6' baseboard radiators with single 1" copper pipe setting in polyproplene glycol/water mix 100 gal tank. I bought them for $10 apiece. Rethinking now ???


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