If you have a boiler, talk to your HVAC person about hydronic radiant heat. Depends on how the addition is built, and what the heat BTU's need to be. This is NOT solved over a public forum. It's solved in person, with a HVAC engineer, and lots of money

Thanks. I am not interested in radiant heating and did not expect this to be ”solved” here - was looking for suggestions

Ditch the hot water everywhere and do a ducted forced air system. Because you cannot change out that radiator without changing out your whole home’s heating system.

Suggestions for what? That has to stay if you are not interested in changing up the heating system in the room.

@hu-655 - we're happy with the old radiators elsewhere in our 1920 house - I just wondered if we could replace this with something smaller/less obtrusive. Thanks!

You can add on a PTAC hotel motel heating/air conditioning unit. But it's just as ugly, cost way more money in electric, and is ugly outside too as a bonus.

Runtal radiators may have a style that looks good and can be integrated with your existing heating system. Here is the link: https://runtalnorthamerica.com/residential-hydronic/

https://www.google.com/search?q=myson+toe+kick+hydronic+heaters&sca_esv=564532646&rlz=1CDGOYI_enUS676US676&hl=en-US&sxsrf=AB5stBh-tyLcUheY2aq_PMqIcH-jMhedWw%3A1694480443276&ei=O7j_ZNu3EMas5NoPxqeZaA&oq=toe+kick+hydronic+heater+M&gs_lp=EhNtb2JpbGUtZ3dzLXdpei1zZXJwIhp0b2Uga2ljayBoeWRyb25pYyBoZWF0ZXIgTSoCCAAyBhAAGBYYHjIIEAAYigUYhgMyCBAAGIoFGIYDMggQABiKBRiGA0j9UFCcLFi2M3ABeACQAQCYAc8BoAHlA6oBBTEuMS4xuAEByAEA-AEBwgIKEAAYRxjWBBiwA8ICCBAAGBYYHhgP4gMEGAAgQYgGAZAGCA&sclient=mobile-gws-wiz-serp the Myson toe kick hydronic works perfectly. we removed a 6 ft long 1910 radiator from our kitchen and added the Myson has been an excellent heating sourse now for almost 5 yrs! it comes in different sizes is extremely quiet and hooks seamlessly into the plumbing when the radiator is removed. very inexpensive solution. Your current boiler furnace system will NOT be affected in any way. our entire house continues to be pleasantly heated in very cold VA winters .

Thanks @trailrunner! what size did you get? who installed it?

The Myson is right under the two drawer cabinet between the oven and dishwasher. The original radiator ran all along that wall. Its inset and no one even knows its there

I think its the 5664BTU heres a picture. The plumber installed with some assistance by my contractor since he needed two pairs of hands to get old heavy radiator out and for positioning etc.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/MYSON-Whispa-III-5-664-BTU-Hydronic-Kick-Space-Heater-Not-Electric-WHIII-5000/207131362?g_store=&source=shoppingads&locale=en-US&pla&mtc=SHOPPING-CM-CML-GGL-D26P-026_002_AIR_CIRC_ACC-NA-NA-NA-PMAX-4061067-NA-NA-NA-NBR-NA-NA-NEW-PL3_PMax&cm_mmc=SHOPPING-CM-CML-GGL-D26P-026_002_AIR_CIRC_ACC-NA-NA-NA-PMAX-4061067-NA-NA-NA-NBR-NA-NA-NEW-PL3_PMax-71700000103189470--&gbraid=0AAAAADq61UfjoBO35IJA6dGvDGuqte0xT&gclid=Cj0KCQjwmICoBhDxARIsABXkXlIIeOiAdfWx-MYqiBphfbtiy90P8jXlUkyiB91EcPVLSgerVzE8APMaAv0NEALw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds

@User - THANK YOU! So helpful. Do you have a sense of how big the room is that it's heating?

200 sq ft and that includes the adjacent small mud room. it has two fan speeds and it responds to the water temp of the boiler. So when your heating system turns on and the boiler starts heating the blower starts when the water gets to I think 90-100 degrees… don’t quote me on that as im not a heating person or plumber and dont play one in the movies 😳. Anyway it is extremely efficient and quiet. and a very very inexpensive option. its been almost 5 yrs and i love it!

A "cold" VA winter of 35 is not a cold Maine winter of -15. Which is why your HVAC folks have to be involved.

I considered various options for my steam radiators, but ultimately did not want to spend $3k+ to put a new one in (toe kick was not an option for me). Since this is recessed into the wall, I would consider simply putting a decorative metal screen over it, like those you see in these freestanding radiator covers: https://fichman.com/radiator_covers.html

Thanks @HU-918119203! you know I love your kitchen! how come you could not do toe kick?

Sally T Steam systems like mine are actually quite different from hot water, and I don't think there are any toe kicks that work seamlessly like those described in this thread. You can get electric toe kicks - I had one of them as the only heat source in my old kitchen, but even though the kitchen was closed off from the rest of the house pre-renovation, I literally never used the toe kick, even on winter nights in the single digits. Based on that, it was clear that the single dining room radiator in the newly-opened kitchen would provide sufficient heat.

Keep in mind that most old houses are SIGNIFICANTLY overheated (i.e., have heating systems that produce far more heat than necessary). They were all designed with heating systems that would be generous even without modern windows or storm windows, modern insulation, modern air-sealing, etc. As you add those things, your heating system capacity will only continue to grow relative to your house's needs. Most old houses could probably stand to lose radiators.

Sally we regularly have days on end of cold in the teens particularly the past couple winters. We definitely do NOT have only a low of 35 LOL !!! HVAC does NOT have to be involved . Plumbers deal with the boilers as well as hydronics. Old houses as HU has said are really well heated. Our home is wonderful with all the radiators and the heat they generate for hours after the thermostat shuts them off is FREE heat. We couldn't have remodeled our kitchen adequately with a radiator in place so I am very glad this alternative exists. I hope you can achieve a similar success.

@User and @HU-918119203 - thank you SO MUCH. This kitchen is perplexing because it's always colder than the rest of the house in the winter and warmer than the rest of the house in the summer. Thus, I suspect that giant radiator isn't doing much - we are putting cabinets on the half wall facing that radiator so could put in a toe kick heater there. The rest of the house is pretty warm with the 1920s radiators. @HU-918119203 - we had steam heat in our last house, built in 1880, and my husband LOVED this book - he was really into tinkering with the steam heat and making it quieter.

In reading your original post i wonder if the radiator is even hooked up correctly?! have you bled it to make sure the water is getting through it adequately? all the radiators in the house should be bled annually at the start of cold weather. I bet it just needs to be serviced. if you decide to use the plumbing and remove the radiator whoever is doing the work will see how its plumbed . You could put a low cabinet in its place with a toe kick or a window seat

@User - that's a great question - I'll ask my husband. I'd prefer to rotate the current couch and put it under the window so that it faces the kitchen. My husband wants to replace the current radiator with a smaller one but not get rid of it completely because it's the coldest part of the first floor.

That area is totally open to the kitchen, like a keeping room. I'd love for it to be a sitting room with a smaller couch and comfy chairs where people hang out when we're cooking or my kids do homework. Definitely not an eating area. Right now people don't really use it when they're over because the couch faces the sliding doors toward the backyard, away from the kitchen. Does that make sense? TOTALLY open to ideas of how to set up the room best. Thanks!

So, a room was added without adding heating capacity. No wonder you think it's inefficient. Did they skimp on insulation, too? (I ask from experience)

Hot water radiators can work well, but they are an element in a larger scheme.

You may prefer radiant floor heating, but that will be a major project.

There are also different style HW convecteors, but they will still need to be properly sized.

JM$.02W

@hu-178658043 - yes, increased room without adding heating capacity. It's SUCH a large radiator that it should be sufficient - I suspect it's so far into the wall that it doesn't radiate heat properly.

I appreciate the vote for radiant heat floors, but that's a no-go. But thank you!

Have you considered getting an old cast iron radiator to replace that one. That's what my daughter did in her 1920s house, when a previous owner updated to a new fin-style baseboard radiator that was significantly insufficient. She had the new (old) radiator painted a dark blue/black Farrow and Ball color (I forget which one). It looks pretty cool. In ker kitchen she went with an undercabinet blower type. Honestly, I think your current radiator looks good, but if it is insufficient, I understand why you want to look at something else. I think I would go with a couple of chairs and a coffee table in that nook. If you had an old fashioned cast iron radiator with a radiator cover that could act as an additional table.

I suspect it's so far into the wall that it doesn't radiate heat properly.

I think that is the basic problem. Radiators whether they are cast iron or a fin type rely on convetion to radiate heat. The hot air rises and circulates in the room. In this case most of the heat is trapped inside a wall cavity. If there is no bump out on the exterior wall behind the radiator then is a minimal amoun of insulation behind it. A lot of the heat is be lost through the exterior wall.

Having a couch in front of the window to face the kitchen makes sense and makes the space more functional. If that is the plan then the raditor should be moved so that the cavity can be insulated and closed up. You could install a baseboard radiator and wrap it around the walls starting from the sliding door to the opposite corner. The couch would be placed in front of the base board. That should work as long a you leave some space between the couch and the window.

I also like the idea another poster suggested using the hydronic radiator with the fan. You could install one of those inside the current cavity and then insulate and close most of it. Then get a couch that has an opening below it, similar to what you have now, so that the warm air can flow into the room.

@mike_home - thank you - that's so helpful. Do you have any links or info about a hydronic radiator with a fan? Thank you!

I was referring to the item Home Depot sells listed above:

Whispa III 5,664 BTU Hydronic Kick Space Heater (Not Electric)

They come in bigger sizes which should not be a problem given all the space currently available. I don't have experience with this type of heater, so I suggest you do some more research and find a contractor experienced with installing this type of heater.

Renovations can be such a journey, can't they? When it comes to replacing that hot water radiator, you might want to check out Radiator Village. They're the experts in all things radiators, and they could have some fantastic suggestions to both enhance the aesthetics and improve efficiency. Plus, they offer a wide range of options to choose from. Adding that electric toe kick heater sounds like a smart move to keep things cozy. Good luck with your kitchen project – it's going to be amazing!

Hi there, my home is from 1917, and there was once a radiator at some point in my kitchen before I moved in. It was removed because they converted part of the interior porch into an office right off my kitchen. No heating was ever put back in and between the office and the kitchen, it would get downright COLD in the wintertime while the rest of the house was nice and toasty. I didn't have anywhere to put a radiator in once I redid my kitchen and office, so the heating company I reached out to said that for around a similar cost, they could install radiant heating from the basement (I didn't have insulation or ceiling drywall beneath the kitchen) because of the way the basement was.

For around $6k, they connected hot water tubes and insulated them in my basement, and now my kitchen and office maintain a nice temp alongside the rest of the house. Bonus for me was that the heating elements were so efficient, the basement stays pretty ambient now too and my water pipes won't freeze and I could do laundry comfortably. It was well worth the cost imo.