Waste Not, Want Not: Ceramic Beverage Warmer
by Collin Dunn, Corvallis, OR, USA on 11.13.07
How's this for a smart idea to better harvest what you're already using: if you've got an old-school radiator, skip the goofy USB mug warmer and let your heating do double duty. "Natural Wave" is ceramic plate that fits tidily over your radiator, sucking up a few of the BTUs that would otherwise float off into space; put a coffee cup there, and you won't be running back to the microwave when you're half way done for a quick nuke. Sort of reminiscent of AGA stoves, without all the wasted heat and always-on functionality, this slick idea is a handy reminder to waste not, want not. ::Yanko Design via ::Core77
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as the owner of a house with old radiators I would point out a few flaws
1) there are hundreds of rad designs with different sizes, so this unit would only fit the particular rad it was designed for; the teeth on this one would not fit my rads.
2) by blocking the convection upwards it is decreasing the efficiency of the rad.
3) if it is hot enough to keep your coffee hot then you have your boiler set way too high.
Another flaw would be that a lot of radiators in my house are located beside or underneath windows that tend to make the air directly above the radiator slightly colder. Neat idea though.
lloyd is correct about the different sizes and shapes. One way to get around this is to use paving stones or flatish rocks. Very cheap, and you might even be able to get them from someone's old garden or sidewalk.
One of the advatages to placing stones/concrete on your radiator: The stones get heated and then continue to provide heat even after the boiler is off.
Steam itself is over 212 degrees. This leads me to think that the radiator, filled with steam, is likely more then 130 degrees on the side the steam comes in on (The other side is cooler). Every member of my family has bent over at some time after taking a shower on a cold wintery day and can testifiy that the radiator was very, very hot.
it is obvious that what Lloyd is mentioning is right. is a waste of energy, in multiple ways. also, they are not even using a high conductive element. metal surface would do the trick.
many houses in europe dont have drier because the rack and hanging likes are above the radiator.
Wait a minute - radiators are filled with hot water - not steam! There probably exist places heated with steam, but not normal houses with cast iron radiators. (Case in point - they have bleed valves on the top to release the excess air that can accumulate. Radiators make for terribly inefficient heating if not properly bled once or twice a season...)
We have a coat rack above one radiator, and it sure makes it nice and toasty having a warm coat to put on!
And I do agree that a large plate atop a radiator could hurt efficiency by slowing airflow, I can't see something small having much effect. Maybe a metal coaster paired with a metal bottomed mug - now there's a system!
Radiator covers help keep the heat in the lower in the room, and thus make rooms feel warmer. You waste less heat heating your ceiling, and force the air out into the center of the room. This also adds thermal mass which would keep the room warmer after the radiators turned off. But they would only heat beverages if they were steam radiators and not water radiators.
Who takes that long to drink a cup of coffee?
Covers won't hinder the hot air rising to the ceiling and thus won't make the room feel warmer. They will just hinder the convection and impair the total efficiency of the radiator. So this nice idea turns out to be a device to stop your radiator from working properly.
(If your ceiling is too high and the circulation too low to distribute the warm air evenly in the room, just buy yourself a ceiling-mounted fan, with switchable directions. Good for winter and summer.)
If your coffee gets cold, serve yourself in a smaller cup, for crying out loud. What's next? Keeping coffee warm with your breath??
I've gotta say, I think you're all just kicking over the teacup here.
Efficiency loss will be minimal - currents will simply move around the warmer. Or I like the idea of just a flat stone better than this custom made kiln fired device.
And wouldn't the stone radiate some heat as well? You could even take it off the radiator, and use it under the covers in bed... lots of uses.
I think it look cools, but as we all know these old radiators are not efficient they have no fins to aid convection.
Plus the product only fits a certain type of radiator
It does not fit my Mickey Mouse Mug :-(
Suppose I could get some ceramic tiles and place them on top to do the same job
Between this and the dish drier with the plant in it, I feel rather out of step with the Treehugger community. This is a simple and brilliant idea.
Can you cook bacon on it?