The aim of this work is to make a numerical and experimental verification of two inverse methods based on the control volume finite element method and the control volume method. In order to improve the solution accuracy for a laboratory stand, both methods are formulated in cylindrical coordinates. The experimental verification is conducted during a heating process of a steam header. Both developed inverse methods are applied for the reconstruction of transient temperature distribution in the steam header cross section. In order to reduce oscillations, the data is "smoothed out" using eleven subsequent auxiliary point digital filter. The calculations allow the identification of the phenomena occurring inside the chamber during the conducted experiment. Based on temperature distribution an unknown boundary condition is estimated. The reconstructed transient temperature distribution by both inverse methods is verified by a comparison of the calculated and measured temperature transients at points inside the wall of the steam header. The presented methods can be used for optimization of the power block's start-up/shut-down operations and may allow for heat loss reduction during these operations. As a result these methods may extend the power block's life span. The presented methods herein can be applied to monitoring systems that work in conventional as well as in nuclear power plants. (C) 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.