In article , " wrote:
On Mon, 8 Mar 2010 10:15:29 -0800 (PST), mike
wrote:

On Mar 8, 9:49*am, Tony wrote:
The Daring Dufas wrote:
Doug Miller wrote:

I've read about the Scandinavian or Finnish style fireplaces that have a
huge mass of masonry which does the same darn thing. I've always thought
that if I were to ever build a home, I would want such a fireplace. Add
a bit of hysteresis to the heating cycle and keep things comfortable.

The only problem is they take a long time before putting out any real
heat. *Maybe a fire all day until the mass of masonry gets hot. *The
more mass, the longer it will take. *Also the more mass, the more even
the heating will be.

Agreed. I don't like heating systems with a large lag factor. I want
instant heat when I want heat, and when things are warm enough, I
don't want the system to keep pumping out heat.

Right. Cast iron isn't worth its hype. Copper/aluminum is the way to go for
homes (cast iron is more rugged for commercial use).

Missing the point, both of you. The "lag factor" isn't an issue when the room
stays at a comfortable temperature all the time. It's apparent that you've
never lived in a home with a hot-water heating system using cast iron
radiators.