Radiator improvements?

fierohink

As with everybody, I'm trying to get the most out of my heating dollar. I have a 1906 2 story farmhouse, 1600 sqft, electric baseboard heat on the 2nd floor and 4 cast-iron hydronic radiators on each of the rooms on the 1st floor heated by a single zoned fuel-oil burning boiler.

Would there be any advantage to adding something to the water in the boiler system like Water Wetter? I have used it in automotive applications and saw a noticeable improvement in transferring heat out of engines and thought maybe it could work the other way.

Has anybody tried something like this? How about building a radiant barrier along the walls behind the radiators out of foam insulation and aluminum foil? Would that help?

techpappy

You would benefit much more by upgrading windows, doors, attic insulation OR just put plastic over windows to keep out drafts.

fierohink

Doors have been replaced, the attic has been re-insulated with r-38. I am replacing the windows as I go through the house and demo/rehab which includes pulling the plaster and lathe, insulating the walls, and hanging new drywall. In the rooms I haven't got to yet, I shrink-wrap the windows.

Soon I will have a much tighter house. I'm looking to see if there are any other improvements or advantages I can make to improve on 100 year old technology. Shredded newsprint, single pane windows, and water filled radiators were the height of technology at one time. I was just seeing if there was anything out there that might be better.