Ham Hall
Circulated Hot Water Radiator System

Ham Hall is heated with circulated hot water and Fin Tube Radiation. Steam from the Central heating Plant is piped into the building where it is used to heat the circulated water. The water is then pumped around the building to heat the spaces.
Sensors located throughout the building monitor the room temperatures and report that information to an Energy Management Computer System also located in the basement. This information is transmitted to a Master Computer System in the Central Heating Plant where it is checked against a heating program dedicated to the Ham environment. The automatic valves respond to this program to maintain the spaces at Setpoint ( the equivalent of a Thermostat setting).
The Engineer operating the Heating Plant when necessary can override this program.
Along the outside wall of each room is a section of Fin-Tube Radiation. The radiation is behind a face board with an opening at the top and at the bottom that allows air to flow over the hot pipes. This design depends upon a clear path for the air to naturally enter and exit the radiation area in order to heat the room. Cool air from the floor area enters the bottom of the heater where it is heated as it passes by the fin-tube piping. The warm air then rises out of the heater and into the room, displacing any cooler air so that the cycle can repeat itself. This type of heating is called CONVECTION.
There is no individual control for a system like this. Any change to the flow of hot water through a single piece of radiation would have a significant effect on all the radiation on the same piping loop. This system is balanced when first installed and remains so unless changes are made to the piping system.
This system provides for generally even space temperatures and compensates for changes in outside conditions.

Data provided by MHC Facilities Management Department