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#1
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Heating question
I have recently moved into a house with electric baseboard heaters. My
living room has a very large window and an electric baseboard heater below it that runs the full length of the window. There are curtains on the window that we draw at night for privacy. The bottom of the curtains is about 6 inches above the baseboard heater. Last night we closed the curtains and for the first time turned the heat on. The room got warm, but we noticed that a lot of the heat was going behind the curtain and filling the space between the curtain and the window. Is this right? Thanks to all. |
#2
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Heating question
Remi wrote:
I have recently moved into a house with electric baseboard heaters. My living room has a very large window and an electric baseboard heater below it that runs the full length of the window. There are curtains on the window that we draw at night for privacy. The bottom of the curtains is about 6 inches above the baseboard heater. Last night we closed the curtains and for the first time turned the heat on. The room got warm, but we noticed that a lot of the heat was going behind the curtain and filling the space between the curtain and the window. Is this right? Thanks to all. No, it's not really "right", but it's a common problem. Doesn't really matter whether it's electric baseboard, hydronic baseboard or floor vented forced hot air. If the window treatments (curtains, blinds, etc.) are further forward than the baseboard or vent, when they are closed they direct a sizable portion of the heat right out the window greatly reducing efficiency. In a similar situation with hydronic baseboard and vertical blinds I installed a curtain rod bracket at each side, just above the bottom of the blinds. At night when the blinds were closed I simply placed a length of unobtrusive white PVC pipe across the brackets so it pushed the blinds back against the wall and behind the face of the baseboard. This allowed the heated air from the baseboard to go into the room instead of behind the blinds where much heat would be lost before it exited at the top of the blinds. This made a noticeable difference in both room comfort and fuel bills in the cold New England winter. Pete C. |
#3
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Heating question
In article 0zTQg.11531$1T2.7038@pd7urf2no,
"Remi" wrote: I have recently moved into a house with electric baseboard heaters. My living room has a very large window and an electric baseboard heater below it that runs the full length of the window. There are curtains on the window that we draw at night for privacy. The bottom of the curtains is about 6 inches above the baseboard heater. Last night we closed the curtains and for the first time turned the heat on. The room got warm, but we noticed that a lot of the heat was going behind the curtain and filling the space between the curtain and the window. Is this right? Thanks to all. If I were you , I would convert these radiators to true radiators and not convection units as they are. If you have no small children, remove any tin that blocks the radiant energy from these units. and add deflectors over them to divert the rising heat from the curtains. good luck. g. g adds. MONEY , what a concept |
#4
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Heating question
direction vents or covers...the simple solution.
Empressess #124457 The best Games a href=http://www.gamestotal.com/Multiplayer Online Games/a a href=http://www.gamestotal.com/Strategy Games/abra href=http://uc.gamestotal.com/Unification Wars/a - a href=http://uc.gamestotal.com/Massive Multiplayer Online Games/abra href=http://gc.gamestotal.com/Galactic Conquest/a - a href=http://gc.gamestotal.com/Strategy Games/abra href=http://www.stephenyong.com/runescape.htmRunescape/abra href=http://www.stephenyong.com/kingsofchaos.htmKings of chaos/abr Pete C. wrote: Remi wrote: I have recently moved into a house with electric baseboard heaters. My living room has a very large window and an electric baseboard heater below it that runs the full length of the window. There are curtains on the window that we draw at night for privacy. The bottom of the curtains is about 6 inches above the baseboard heater. Last night we closed the curtains and for the first time turned the heat on. The room got warm, but we noticed that a lot of the heat was going behind the curtain and filling the space between the curtain and the window. Is this right? Thanks to all. No, it's not really "right", but it's a common problem. Doesn't really matter whether it's electric baseboard, hydronic baseboard or floor vented forced hot air. If the window treatments (curtains, blinds, etc.) are further forward than the baseboard or vent, when they are closed they direct a sizable portion of the heat right out the window greatly reducing efficiency. In a similar situation with hydronic baseboard and vertical blinds I installed a curtain rod bracket at each side, just above the bottom of the blinds. At night when the blinds were closed I simply placed a length of unobtrusive white PVC pipe across the brackets so it pushed the blinds back against the wall and behind the face of the baseboard. This allowed the heated air from the baseboard to go into the room instead of behind the blinds where much heat would be lost before it exited at the top of the blinds. This made a noticeable difference in both room comfort and fuel bills in the cold New England winter. Pete C. |
#5
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Heating question
Where would I buy direction vents? Home Depot?
wrote in message ps.com... direction vents or covers...the simple solution. Empressess #124457 The best Games a href=http://www.gamestotal.com/Multiplayer Online Games/a a href=http://www.gamestotal.com/Strategy Games/abra href=http://uc.gamestotal.com/Unification Wars/a - a href=http://uc.gamestotal.com/Massive Multiplayer Online Games/abra href=http://gc.gamestotal.com/Galactic Conquest/a - a href=http://gc.gamestotal.com/Strategy Games/abra href=http://www.stephenyong.com/runescape.htmRunescape/abra href=http://www.stephenyong.com/kingsofchaos.htmKings of chaos/abr Pete C. wrote: Remi wrote: I have recently moved into a house with electric baseboard heaters. My living room has a very large window and an electric baseboard heater below it that runs the full length of the window. There are curtains on the window that we draw at night for privacy. The bottom of the curtains is about 6 inches above the baseboard heater. Last night we closed the curtains and for the first time turned the heat on. The room got warm, but we noticed that a lot of the heat was going behind the curtain and filling the space between the curtain and the window. Is this right? Thanks to all. No, it's not really "right", but it's a common problem. Doesn't really matter whether it's electric baseboard, hydronic baseboard or floor vented forced hot air. If the window treatments (curtains, blinds, etc.) are further forward than the baseboard or vent, when they are closed they direct a sizable portion of the heat right out the window greatly reducing efficiency. In a similar situation with hydronic baseboard and vertical blinds I installed a curtain rod bracket at each side, just above the bottom of the blinds. At night when the blinds were closed I simply placed a length of unobtrusive white PVC pipe across the brackets so it pushed the blinds back against the wall and behind the face of the baseboard. This allowed the heated air from the baseboard to go into the room instead of behind the blinds where much heat would be lost before it exited at the top of the blinds. This made a noticeable difference in both room comfort and fuel bills in the cold New England winter. Pete C. |
#6
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Heating question
Don't be so quick to keep warm air away from windows. There are
reasons houses are designed with heat sources under windows. 1. It prevents condensation and the accompanying mold, mildew and water damage. 2. It prevents a "drafty" feeling when you're next to windows by ensuring the windows are warmer and thus giving off almost as much radiant energy as interior walls. Yes, it wastes some energy, but if you're that set on saving energy, look to newer windows.... although I won't guarantee you'll save money in the effort. |
#7
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Heating question
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#8
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Heating question
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#10
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Heating question
Pete C. wrote: The heat sources are located in proximity to the greatest heat loss areas i.e. windows so that the room heats more evenly, it has nothing to do with condensation or mold. Move the radiator to an interior wall and you're far more likely to have a steep temperature gradient from over hot by the radiator to bloody chilly by the window. Pete C. I agree with the first statement, but not the second. Condensation, mold, and mildew problems regularly appear in window areas when people try to block warm dry air from flowing over windows, and is especially a problem with single paned and aluminum pane windows. |
#11
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Heating question
wrote in message oups.com... wrote: Don't be so quick to keep warm air away from windows. There are reasons houses are designed with heat sources under windows. 1. It prevents condensation and the accompanying mold, mildew and water damage. 2. It prevents a "drafty" feeling when you're next to windows by ensuring the windows are warmer and thus giving off almost as much radiant energy as interior walls. Yes, it wastes some energy, but if you're that set on saving energy, look to newer windows.... although I won't guarantee you'll save money in the effort. Where do you get your information? Heat sources, as you call them, are NOT installed under windows for the reasons you mention. Radiators, either electric or hot water, are installed on OUTSIDE walls because of convection.......Cooler walls cause the warmer air to rise, which in turn, cause warm air to circulate. Actually, it's neither. It is called perimeter heating. You are simply replacing the heat energy that is lost. If you had perfect insulation you would have no heat loss. you would need an A/C to cool you and your appliances. You can probably Google its progress through the 20th century. It was accepted around the turn of the century, (NOTE*bad memory=possible bull****check facts) then from somewhere around 1910-1920ish until the 1950's the opposite was believed to be true and hot air heating was all the rage. This is why the old gravity furnaces had the supply registers along the interior walls. Then, we're back to perimeter heating. Now, a few years later, incorporate cooling. Higher air velocities, fighting stratification zones.... so yes, now we have "air circulating". And to the other poster "windows are as warm as interior walls".... yes you've overcome the heat loss and are now feeling the additional heat. So you're both kinda right! 8-) -zero |
#12
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Heating question
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#13
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Heating question
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#14
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Heating question
As I noted, I did this in cold New England and it made a noticeable comfort and fuel economy difference. It made no detectable difference in condensation or mold. I rarely had any condensation except for the kitchen and bathroom after high moisture activities and that quickly dissipated. I also use bleach containing cleaners which inhibit mold growth anyway. There's a good reason for this, too. THe air that would normally be carrying heat to the windows is the same air that would be carrying water to them. |
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