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#1
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Looking to switch from Radiant to baseboard heat
I am looking to update my heating system in my home. I live in a ranch house
that is approximately 5500 sq/ft. The downstairs (~2000 sq/ft) is finished and has radiant heat in the floor. The upstairs (~3500 sq/ft) has radiant heat in the ceiling which I am considering replacing to a baseboard style. I am thinking of installing an under cabinet toe kick heater(s) in my kitchen. In my living room/dining room which the back outside wall is all windows, I am looking at either a floor vector or the in floor cabinet. Should I just stay with the radiant in the ceiling? Any advice or suggestions? Thanks in advance |
#2
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Looking to switch from Radiant to baseboard heat
On Sep 17, 7:37*am, "djvjr" u46278@uwe wrote:
I am looking to update my heating system in my home. *I live in a ranch house that is approximately 5500 sq/ft. The downstairs (~2000 sq/ft) is finished and has radiant heat in the floor. *The upstairs (~3500 sq/ft) has radiant heat in the ceiling which I am considering replacing to a baseboard style.. * I am thinking of installing an under cabinet toe kick heater(s) in my kitchen. In my living room/dining room which the back outside wall is all windows, * I am looking at either a floor vector or the in floor cabinet. Should I just stay with the radiant in the ceiling? Any advice or suggestions? Thanks in advance Radiant in ceiling, so its unheated above? That wastes a major portion of your heat-money up and out. What you have on the first floor is best, in floor. Are you running a low temp around 110f with pipe in the floor as the radiator, the large cast iron radiators I have are hardly warm at 110f, radiant in floor pipe operates at much lower temps. I think a conversion will pay for itself over time. To bad you cant consider floor radiant for the second floor, maybe there is a way. |
#3
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Looking to switch from Radiant to baseboard heat
On Sep 17, 8:37*am, "djvjr" u46278@uwe wrote:
I am looking to update my heating system in my home. *I live in a ranch house that is approximately 5500 sq/ft. The downstairs (~2000 sq/ft) is finished and has radiant heat in the floor. *The upstairs (~3500 sq/ft) has radiant heat in the ceiling which I am considering replacing to a baseboard style.. * I am thinking of installing an under cabinet toe kick heater(s) in my kitchen. In my living room/dining room which the back outside wall is all windows, * I am looking at either a floor vector or the in floor cabinet. Should I just stay with the radiant in the ceiling? Any advice or suggestions? Thanks in advance I think you are describing a different type of radiant heating than most people think of when they think of radiant heating. Please describe you system. |
#4
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Looking to switch from Radiant to baseboard heat
My house was built in the late 50's. The heat is a 3/8 diameter soldered
copper pipe radiant heat in the ceilings in the main living area (upstairs). The tubes form numerous "U" shapes throughout each room and extend to about 1 foot away from the edge. The upstairs is on 2 seperate zones. This is a classic radiant heat system, just not one that is in the floor for some reason. Also, do radiant heat temps run different than baseboards? Pat wrote: I am looking to update my heating system in my home. Â*I live in a ranch house that is approximately 5500 sq/ft. The downstairs (~2000 sq/ft) is finished [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] Thanks in advance I think you are describing a different type of radiant heating than most people think of when they think of radiant heating. Please describe you system. -- Message posted via http://www.homekb.com |
#5
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Looking to switch from Radiant to baseboard heat
On Sep 17, 7:19*pm, "djvjr via HomeKB.com" u46278@uwe wrote:
My house was built in the late 50's. *The heat is a 3/8 diameter soldered copper pipe radiant heat in the ceilings in the main living area (upstairs). The tubes form numerous *"U" shapes throughout each room and extend to about 1 foot away from the edge. *The upstairs is on 2 seperate zones. *This is a classic radiant heat system, just not one that is in the floor for some reason. Also, do radiant heat temps run different than baseboards? * Radiant heat can be very comfortable and efficient, but back in the 50's they were not too worried about comfort and they certainly did not worry about efficiency. If you have proper (sufficient) insulation above the ceiling area, that should be good heat, comfortable and efficient. Two zones is a plus, more zones could be better, depending. In fact how well designed and installed the system is, makes all the difference. Baseboard can also be comfortable and if you work it right, it can me very efficient. Again it depends on how well it is designed and installed. (designed means customized for your home and situation) |
#7
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Looking to switch from Radiant to baseboard heat
On Sep 18, 6:07*am, "djvjr via HomeKB.com" u46278@uwe wrote:
Its not that the heat is not good. *I just think I'm wasting it. *I have lots of insulation in my attic. *No bare spots in the winter on the roof as if heat was escaping. *Im just thinking that baseboard would be more efficient than the ceiling mounted heat. wrote: My house was built in the late 50's. *The heat is a 3/8 diameter soldered copper pipe radiant heat in the ceilings in the main living area (upstairs). [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] Also, do radiant heat temps run different than baseboards? * * Radiant heat can be very comfortable and efficient, but back in the 50's they were not too worried about comfort and they certainly did not worry about efficiency. * If you have proper (sufficient) insulation above the ceiling area, that should be good heat, comfortable and efficient. *Two zones is a plus, more zones could be better, depending. *In fact how well designed and installed the system is, makes all the difference. * Baseboard can also be comfortable and if you work it right, it can me very efficient. *Again it depends on how well it is designed and installed. *(designed means customized for your home and situation) -- Message posted viahttp://www.homekb.com- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - In this case I doubt it. Once you put the heat into your home, it is all about insulation. Ceiling radiant can loose heat above, but with good insulation above it, that heat will not be lost. Changing to baseboard does not change that. If the room needs 6,000 BTU per hour, it will need the same amount from the baseboard or the ceiling. The ceiling has the advantage of a large warm surface radiating heat into the room. Some of that will land on you and make you fell as if the room is really warmer than it is thereby reducing energy usage while maintaining comfort. The baseboard will do the same thing but to a lesser extent. The baseboard is generally less likely to loose heat through the wall to the outside, but a properly insulated ceiling installation will not loose any more. The more you tell me, the more I think you will end up with higher operating cost, no more comfort and an un needed capital expense. |
#8
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Looking to switch from Radiant to baseboard heat
On Sep 18, 7:10*am, wrote:
On Sep 18, 6:07*am, "djvjr via HomeKB.com" u46278@uwe wrote: Its not that the heat is not good. *I just think I'm wasting it. *I have lots of insulation in my attic. *No bare spots in the winter on the roof as if heat was escaping. *Im just thinking that baseboard would be more efficient than the ceiling mounted heat. wrote: My house was built in the late 50's. *The heat is a 3/8 diameter soldered copper pipe radiant heat in the ceilings in the main living area (upstairs). [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] Also, do radiant heat temps run different than baseboards? * * Radiant heat can be very comfortable and efficient, but back in the 50's they were not too worried about comfort and they certainly did not worry about efficiency. * If you have proper (sufficient) insulation above the ceiling area, that should be good heat, comfortable and efficient. *Two zones is a plus, more zones could be better, depending. *In fact how well designed and installed the system is, makes all the difference. * Baseboard can also be comfortable and if you work it right, it can me very efficient. *Again it depends on how well it is designed and installed. *(designed means customized for your home and situation) -- Message posted viahttp://www.homekb.com-Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - * *In this case I doubt it. *Once you put the heat into your home, it is all about insulation. *Ceiling radiant can loose heat above, but with good insulation above it, that heat will not be lost. *Changing to baseboard does not change that. *If the room needs 6,000 BTU per hour, it will need the same amount from the baseboard or the ceiling. * *The ceiling has the advantage of a large warm surface radiating heat into the room. *Some of that will land on you and make you fell as if the room is really warmer than it is thereby reducing energy usage while maintaining comfort. *The baseboard will do the same thing but to a lesser extent. * *The baseboard is generally less likely to loose heat through the wall to the outside, but a properly insulated ceiling installation will not loose any more. * *The more you tell me, the more I think you will end up with higher operating cost, no more comfort and an un needed capital expense.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - I dont agree I have lived with radiators and floor radiant, with floor radiant I can keep my thermostat lower since the heat comming up the floor is where I am when sitting. Heat first all rises, his losses are in several forms, radiant and convection, I dought he has any radiant barrier above the ceiling and the insulation is hot, he mentioned all snow melts, the first sign of an underinsulated house is melted snow in winter. I would guess 50% of his second floor heat is wasted, that doesnt mean he will save 25% by going to radiators since 1st floor heat is partialy heating the second floor, but he will save alot by putting heat where he is , down low. Convince yourself, get a pro to take an IR photo this winter, Get an energy audit and blower door test done.You likely have an 80% efficent boiler, consider a 96-98% efficent unit. Best would be taking up the second floor and work in a radiant pipe, when you find out the cost of radiators and new manifold system , [ since you will need to seperate temps, higher for radiators] it might be not far off. Maybe there is a type of wall panel you could buy or make for the low temp that could radiate enought heat. I raised by insulation to R 100 and cut increased 2nd floor temps 3-4f in winter so I was able to reduce airflow on a furnace. |
#9
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Looking to switch from Radiant to baseboard heat
From a comfort point of view radiant
heat from the ceiling is not a good idea as ones head needs to be cooler than ones feet. All heat rises so radiant heat from the cieling is going in the wrong direction. During the past few years there has been a move to install it in offices where there is a requirement for cooling during the summer, in situations where the summer cost of cooling is greater than the cost of winter heating this seems to work as cold air falls. However, in these situations installers put in masses of insulation, lots more than would have been installed when yours was done. Radiant under floor heating, where the wires or pipes are installed in concrete is not a good idea as the mass of concrete is slow to warm up and, even slower to cool down. If the sun shines into your room, then you can spend good money in the morning to heat the room only to find the sun comes out a bit later and suddenly you are boiling needing to let the heat go through the open windows. Light weight radiant under floor heating where the pipes are installed just under, the wood floor and , the floor is quick to warm and almost as quick to cool, is the best way to go. I lived with base board heating which I installed, for 28 years, I had thermostatic valves in all rooms and the home was split into two zones living and sleeping. This worked for me, my heating bill was always the lowest of six identical homes and my home was always comfortable. T shirts and shorts were the order of the day at all times of the year. Nine years ago I added a sun room with underfloor heating, this worked well for all year round living, except for the sun, once the sun came out it was impossible, too hot and so bright you couldn't see. Perry |
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