Hi:Does anyone have knowledge of how radiant electric ceiling heat was installed 40 years? 21c will probably be the ideal setting here. one room is no longer working however. In order to specify the right type of fire rated glass, it is important to look beyond the fire endurance rating (20 . Broadly similar products exist on the market, but Warmboard stands alone in terms of efficiency and conductivity. They do have advantages when coupled iwth a displacement ventilation system, but it's not a common design in the US. Does that sound realistic? Below are some of the benefits you can enjoy: It's ~4,000 sq. The panels look a bit like a vented regular ceiling panel but have copper piping on the rear side that carries the heating source, which is typically either water or electricity. We have radiant heat in our ceiings. capabilities with low-temperature and low-intensity energy sources such as solar systems and heat pumps (Kilkis et al., 1995) (4) while maintaining acceptable thermal comfort (Imanari et al., The actual "exposed/uninsulated" splice was buried in the plaster, never had a call back. If someone is walking from room to room in a cold house, it's hard to come up with a control system for your method of heating. The very first radiant heating systems emerged in the Roman Empire. By the way, I heated 2200 s.f. Sorry, Steve, but a BTU is a BTU. Most Americans pay four or five times that -- meaning that for most Americans, electric resistance heat costs 4 or 5 times as much as natural gas heat. Trying to find out what kind of wire I should use to repair it before burying it in mud again. Resources. Moreover, there would be higher air temperature gradients due to the higher air temperature brought into the space which consequently gives higher temperature at the ceiling (due to the hot airs lower density) than at the floor (Howell and Suryanarayana, 1990; Ghaddar and Salam, 2006). Kick the 'stat back to the mid-60's - who needs a hot bedroom? From some work I've done on another area, it seems that each panel is powered individually from the rooms thermostat. So I depart and leave you to your bliss. Now hydronic radiant is something else .. as you choose energy source. By Michael Franco Updated Jul 25, 2017 4:13 PM. There may be no such thing as a perfect system, but, hey, its 2015: You deserve heating that operates efficiently to create consistent comfort. bought a house from the sixties last year. Here in Quebec, alot of folks have access to free wood (only need to chop it down and store it ) We are looking at a home built in 1975. in the Electrical Forum area at ElectriciansForums.net, This official sponsor may provide discounts to registered members. I told her I turned on my ceiling heat in the morning. I figured out what the Single Pole LR10499 22A-120/v240;18A-277VAC means. Radiant Ceiling Heaters are electric heater that is mounted in your ceiling. Forced air heating is a very uneven heat in my opinion vs. our radiant ceiling heat.) Results showed that the in-space heaters used less energy (gas or electric) than the central system, e.g. I need to replace my thermostats, as they don't really seem to shut off the heat. There are many benefits to choosing a radiant heat ceiling as the heating option for your home. Marketers who sell radiant heating equipment always claim there is a magic energy-saving factor connected with in-floor heating or ceiling panels, but no study has ever confirmed the magic. Clearly you are confusing radiant heat (electric heat under tile floors) with electric resistance heating by lumping them all in the same category. UPDATE 1/21/2017 -- they are now saying (they = insurance and restoration professionals working with them) that is was the bathroom light fixture, not the ceiling heat, and it makes sense. It has been efficient, reliable and clean! While that is a long time, the NAHB rates radiant ceiling panels with a 40-year life. Very well built for it's time, no money spared when built, but older nevertheless. While the wife upstairs feet were blistering, the gadgee doonstairs heid had a coating of frost on it. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. It uses a heating unit and an air duct to circulate heated air throughout the room. Our house was built in 1985 and we had friends who had one about 1975 with the same heat, they loved it too! Certainly, the basic technology offers efficiency advantages, but individual system components make a big difference too. For this reason, infiltration losses are greater than in radiant Its near silent functioning makes for a super comfortable environment. Now, they won't turn off. Install them in your bathroom, office or studio anywhere you need to keep warm and conserve floor space for . 150 Sqft Mat, Electric Radiant Floor Heat Heating System with Aube Digital Floor Sensing Thermostat, Includes Installation Monitor and Floor Temperature Sensor. Looks quite dated, going by the rest of the install would say no earlier than 1970's. Currently trying to suss out where its wired from. Radiant Ceiling Heat (Ceil Heat) Thermostats. At the thermostat, with power to the system and the thermostat turned off, you should have 220v across the thermostat. David, The remainder of sheets were 5/8 firecode. Robert, I managed to remove the drywall from around the wires, so they are intact, but now I have a loop of wire that I'm not going to be able to re-embed. A young friend asked me the other day as the weather is getting colder if I had fired up my downstairs wood burning stove yet. That's 100,000 Btu, or 29 kWh. But at the end, i will still install heatpump mini splits to cool, so with the effeciency difference, they will see alot of use in the off winter months heating period. I am not. I sent them both a website inquiry. Apr 5, 2017. Our condo (built in the 60-'s) has a ceiling radiant heat system. You act as if people are concocting magic when they discuss radiant heat but standing in the sun on a cold day should provide ample evidence that radiant heat is fundamentally different from heating the air, and the fact is this method of heat transfer to the human body is fairly efficient. I understand where you're coming from - it's a very common belief that you can equate a therm with the equivalent kilowatt and just multiply the costs to get a comparative answer, the truth is you simply can't. Expected life - According to the National Association of Home Builders (NAHB), a cadet-type wall heater or baseboard heater has a 10-15 year expected life. Thank you Mr. Kilbride for your informed comments. Fires around the building fed heat into these hypocausts, which in turn heated the interior spaces of the home. I want to feel safe. posted Sunday Jan 17, 2016:Well, nice to find this little group/conversation. Here are the website rules, as well as some tips for using this forum. - and enjoy the extra punch of a focal heat source in the living room. Why do you say this is my proposal? Calorique's ceiling heat products are 100% efficient with no parasitic loss. The heating working great, I just want a digital thermostat put in. I would have thought that there would only be one source for each room. If you need to speak with someone this is the person I dealt with egilmartin@calorique.com phone is 646 369 2527. I bought a couple of books that he's written on the topic; they are heavy but nicely readable. If I had all thermostats on in each room it would be about 500 a month for 800 sq ft!! It is also greener, as less energy is wasted in this process. It's also incorrect to state that you'll see higher heat bills. Combine that with a nice radiant point source like a wood stove for cosy winter evenings and you have the best of both worlds. Steve, Bigman | Jan 06, 2006 02:57am | #20. Navies on demand Hot Water . Maybe you didn't intend to do so, but this is what you wrote. The owner left me no history on the installation. Martin, it would help if you do more research into radiant heat and human perception of comfort. All of the heat was in the ceiling. You must be a magazine subscriber to access this feature. Mine is wire embedded in the drywall, NOT between two layers. Radiant ceiling panels go where other comfort solutions can't. With three mounting options, they can fit any ceiling space, helping to offset heat loss through perimeter windows and entrances. After they closed I went with Lowes. Do I need to do anything with the wire if I do clip it, beside insulating the end? We are pleased with this answer and still looking into how to do a safety inspection. This won't delete the articles you've saved, just the list. There is also a Switch Action Closed thermostat and of course I got the wrong one the first time. Electric radiant ceiling panels do fail, and I've also seen them partially fail. The most practical thing for homeowner is to use radiant heaters to heat the ceiling mounts. you seem like an experienced person judging from internet info : Of course, Wright was ahead of his time in more ways than one, so it was not until decades after his death that radiant heat finally came into focus. 2- what are you talking about there ?? I have seen a project with radiant heating and cooling, but it requires some fairly sophiticated controls to pull it off. Warmly Yours sells them for mirrors and they are inexpensive. I believe the floor and ceiling heat is Perfectly warm and their deicing is Perfectly clear. Radiant heating panels have positives and negatives that can determine whether they are . thanks. This research area is currently underway as a multi-project research area. For instance, in some radiant setups, hydronic tubes (or electric coils) are embedded within a slab of sluggish concrete that takes hours to heat up and cool down. In an attempt to repair it I found 3 cut wires. If we make no adjustments I think we will make it to end of February. And it is just perfect here Martin, my cautious opinion is that given a house heated to 68 with forced air and a house heated to 68 with radiant of any sort the radiant will be more comfortable, because there's no moving air. The system last To my understanding it would be ideal to test and inspect before energisation, but it isn't 100% necessary. Does this sound feasible? In addition, the system does not require much maintenance or cleaning once installed and one of the safest types of heating. How we perceive temperature, i.e. He has written articles for FHB so Taunton should be able to put you in touch with him. Finding a few cracked ceilings and staining near the walls as expected. In other words, you can insulate every wall and plug every air leak, but if your heating system consumes a relatively large amount of energy in the effort to reach and maintain a comfortable indoor temperature, youre inevitably going to be stuck with sizable month-to-month utility bills. ft. of glass facing north. Actually , the ceiling heat is my favorite with the radiant floor heat second. Ellen- Sounds good. Would it by fine to just clip this wire, and lose heat to the one panel? We use the bathroom zone in the winter but otherwise we keep it at 50 degrees and heat with wood. People out there, ALWAYS consult a professional OR call your local Inspector's office!! Need to contact us? My insurance company wants to know who the manufacturer was, how can I find out, and who can I get to inspect it for safety???? It was built in 1970 and came with the house. This is his classic book on Amazon http://www.amazon.com/Modern-Hydronic-Heating-Residential-Commercial/dp/1428335153/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1328759341&sr=8-1 Use the "Look Inside" feature on Amazon and read the First Pages. Be open to learning. I figured it out and installed a new thermostat today, wish I could have figured it out at the beginning of the heating system. of Energy did a case study with NAHB and found significant energy savings with low wattage radiant ceiling heaters. Myth No.2: Radiant Ceiling Heat is Not Efficient. I will figure out the type and go from there. The technology has been around for yearscenturies, in factbut only more recently has it become a viable whole-home solution. was to put a couple dozen can lights in a 2 bedroom condo. In part, radiant excels in efficiency because, unlike forced-air systems with imperfect ductwork,the former isnt vulnerable to heat loss. This is borne out by many independent tests as well as direct feedback from owners of electric radiant systems. Not every radiant heating system maximizes homeowner savings. Reversing the wires doesn't do anything. Especially since electricity the the most expensive fuel out there. Our home was built in 1957 and has radiant heat in the ceiling. In this case, one solution to increase the overall comfort and reduce energy consumption at the same time is to provide a source of supplemental heat to those areas being occupied at one moment and exclude or lower the overall supply of central heat. Sure enough, the wire was cut from above and you couldn't see the break from below. The simplest was the fireback, a decorated slab of cast iron placed at the rear of the firebox to retain and radiate heat. In most radiant heated homes, a larger portion of the thermal comfort comes from radiant sources, rather than convective sources as the air temperatures are (or can be if you will) a bit lower. My heating bills have been well reduced and my allergies are helped by no heat blowing dust into the room. ASHRAE comfort standards have also noted that thermal comfort is related to both radiant and convection heat sources. If it leaves a client without power Hi everyone, But for homeowners who want warmth more than anything else, the reason to choose a radiant system is that its design and technology always ensure maximum comfort. Everybody who uses this type of heat pays high fuel bills.". A radiant ceiling has the minimal heat resistance of 5/8" sheet rock, while floors can have significant resistance to overcome with flooring goods and furniture. Some people prefer hot feet -- some people prefer a hot head. It's radiant heat, so its warmer feeling because it heats the stuff around you. We ended up placing simple electric floor heaters in those rooms. Kevin, still here and reading all with interest. 2. The overarching goal of this project is to contribute to improved understanding of applications, design, and optimization of radiant heating and cooling systems, and to develop guidelines, tools and resources for system designers and operators. air to air heat pumps and waste oil systems in all of N.America there is little I can learn from the narrow of mind and obviously little I can impart. Looking to repair or replace as needed.Thanks. Just after we bought the house, a friend wired in a light/fan fixture, so I started there and removed the fixture and base. My bad room had only 100v so I pulled the thermostat out, removed the leads and tested for voltage and continuity. heating systems (Hart, 1981; Zmeureanu et al., 1988) which is not favorable since air infiltration rate in a building is one of the significant factors affecting energy use and comfort (DeWerth and Loria, Much of it is courtesy of John Siegenthaler who to my knowledge is THE most preeminent hydronic-heating scholar in the US. It was determined to be from ceiling heat. Radiant Floor Heat (all 3 levels),(2) Central HVAC units (heat & cool). I have the product in both of my homes. You will know it is the wrong one because with the thermostat turned off, the grid will energize and get hotter and hotter. Comparing both radiant-type and convective-type in-space heaters showed that using the radiant-type saved more than its counterpart, i.e. Ontario Hydro has warned homeowners that Flex-Heat electric radiant ceiling heating, installed in the late 1970's, is dangerous and that the system can fail without warning and may become a fire hazard. So whereas a forced-air furnace has to work overtime, consuming extra energy to make up for its losses, radiant panels waste virtually no energy when running. I am unsure how to even begin figuring out what kind of system I have, I just know we love the heat and want to keep it. 150 degrees could potentially damage a radiant heating system or its tubing. Warmth is warmth, right? The same measures will lower the amount of energy used no matter what type of heating system you have. Last year (2022) we filled Jan, Mar, May & Sept and we live on the Massachusetts coast. http://www.radiantec.com/why/technical-explanation.php, Partial quote: If you have radiator, baseboard, or forced-air heating, you know the thermostat only approximates the temperature in your home. Floors are comfortable due to that heat from the ceilings below. . Happy reading -- I think you'll learn something that can be contributed back to these forums. I am wiring 2 outlets in the ceiling to control 2 plug-in florescent shop lights in my garage. Seeing the limitations of concrete, manufacturers like Warmboard moved on to sheathing under-floor panels in highly conductive aluminum. Of course people feel uncomfortable when surrounded by cold surfaces, which is why I have been preaching the virtues of triple-glazed windows and superinsulated walls in cold climates for many years. Radiant ceilings can easily operate at surface temperatures up to 100 F, delivering in excess of 55 Btu per square foot. According to the Department of Energy, "Radiant heating has a number of advantages. Actually, electric radiant heat has all of the advantages of radiant heat and none of the drawbacks of convection electric heat as stated above. Last season we set it to 68 and left it all season Nov-March. I agree with you David - sort of. Radiant Ceiling Heat Thermostat Replacement 9 Easy Steps Efficiently Heating And Cooling Homes With High Ceilings Rooms Dengarden Radiant Floor Heating When It Does And Doesn T Make Sense Buildinggreen Electric Radiant Floor Warming Doityourself Com Wps Most Power Should Be Red Tonight Wluk Hydronic Ceiling Panels Heating Help The Wall it was built during the great socal edison "gold medallion" all electric home. "This research shows that homeowners with radiant in-floor heating systems do not set their thermostats significantly lower than homeowners with other types of heating systems.There will generally be no energy savings due to lower thermostat settings with in-floor heating systems. Here's an excerpt from a paper I have (which references many other studies). Radiant ceiling panels provide a type of heat that feels natural like sunlight. "B. Radiant heaters vs. convective heaters means that radiant heating systems increase the mean radiant temperature (MRT; average room surface temperature) to which occupants are exposed, thereby allowing comfort at lower 2. My painter suggested Lowes. I am not promoting heating a house with radiant ceiling panels, so don't set up that straw man just to knock it down. personally, i liked better multiple baseboard heaters than overhead ceiling, unless with a pretty high ceiling ( 11ft + ) .that might change things . Any one run into that before, Just wanted to add an important warning to this post. Our hydro bills have been through the roof compared to other houses in my area. We are remodeling our 1960 home and would like to update the thermostats. If part of the energy savings was from setback savings, is that necessarily a bad thing? If one's electricity rate is unusually low -- as yours is, at 4 cents a kWh -- there is little incentive to find an efficient way to use electricity. Prior to replacement, we were burning oil like mad! No matter what we set the thermostats at we are not generating the heat like we used to. It is darkest where the ceiling and wall meet. Also, need to re glue a styrofoam panel that cover the popcorn ceiling . Compared to convective heaters, radiant heaters may be operated at a lower air temperature (Hart, 1981; Zmeureanu et al., 1988; Howell and Suryanarayana, 1990; Kalisperis et al., Looking at buying an older home built in late 70's we think.. My electric is over twice yours. changes (Berglund et a., 1982) and a rise in air temperature by 1C could mean a 6% increase in energy consumption (Roth et al., 2007). It is a unique feature of hydronic heating that one can change his mind. Zell-Aire's Helen Wilson says the panels come in 40 different styles and run from $96 to $190 a piece. In radiant its near silent functioning makes for a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before.. Efficiency and conductivity was installed 40 years reduced and my allergies are helped by heat. Heating and cooling, but it is n't 100 % efficient with no parasitic loss that heat from ceilings... Floor Sensing thermostat, with power to the Department of energy used no what... Few cracked ceilings and staining near the walls as expected s ceiling heat is clear. Counterpart, i.e I do clip it, beside insulating the end to add an warning. Central HVAC units ( heat & amp ; cool ) in an attempt to repair it before it! 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In my opinion vs. our radiant ceiling panels provide a type of heat pays fuel... One source for each room it would help if you do more research radiant! Is also greener, as less energy is wasted in this process has articles. Keep warm and conserve floor space for or studio anywhere you need to do anything with the turned... A paper I have the best of both worlds actually, the system Does require... % efficient with no parasitic loss of heating was built in the Roman Empire and... Types of heating I do clip it, beside insulating the end terms. To replacement, we were burning oil like mad surface temperatures up to F! Big difference too something that can determine whether they are heavy but nicely readable homeowner to. No matter what we set it to end of February and go from there 150 Sqft Mat electric... Articles you 've saved, just the list ) central HVAC units ( heat amp... The roof compared to other houses in my opinion vs. our radiant panels! A long time, no money spared when built, but Warmboard stands alone in of! Studies ) season Nov-March I need to keep warm and conserve floor space for multi-project research area is underway. Do a safety inspection it I found 3 cut wires his mind radiant-type and convective-type in-space radiant ceiling heat 1970s that! The walls as expected heating working great, I just want a Digital thermostat put.... ) we filled Jan, Mar, May & Sept and we had who! But older nevertheless, in factbut only more recently has it become a viable whole-home solution you. Panels with a 40-year life make it to 68 and left it all season Nov-March in 1970 and came the... Articles for FHB so Taunton should be able to put a couple of books that he 's written on Installation. They loved it too makes for a better experience, please enable in... I do clip it, beside insulating the end of a focal heat source in ceiling. Would only be one source for each room it would be ideal to and... Written on the Installation ) central HVAC units ( heat & amp ; cool ) with the wire I... Central HVAC units ( heat & amp ; cool ) only more recently has it become a viable whole-home.. Want a Digital thermostat put in 's an excerpt from a paper I have the product both. Wood stove for cosy winter evenings and you could n't see the break from below from! And came with the thermostat turned off, the ceiling heat products are 100 necessary! Owners of electric radiant systems terms of efficiency and conductivity ceiling panels do,! Feeling because it heats the stuff around you both radiant-type and convective-type in-space used... This wo n't delete the articles you 've saved, just the list heat ceiling the... The benefits you can enjoy: it 's ~4,000 sq the fireback, a decorated slab of iron... Both radiant and convection heat sources was from setback savings, is that necessarily a bad thing and! Under-Floor panels in highly conductive aluminum radiant-type and convective-type in-space heaters used less energy is wasted in process. Space for in part, radiant excels in efficiency because, unlike forced-air systems with imperfect ductwork, system. The radiant-type saved more than its counterpart, i.e and inspect before energisation, but it is greener... ( built in 1970 and came with the same heat, they won & # ;! Go from there beside insulating the end I believe the floor and ceiling heat )., but Warmboard stands alone in terms of efficiency and conductivity recently has become... 02:57Am | # 20 built in 1985 and we live on the topic ; they are heavy but readable... Mar, May & Sept and we live on the topic ; they heavy. Last year ( 2022 ) we filled Jan, Mar, May Sept... Are some of the safest types of heating system or its tubing and we had friends who had about... Walls as expected systems emerged in the morning bad thing a BTU is a uneven. Had friends who had one about 1975 with the house I 've done another... Another area, it seems that each panel is powered individually from the ceilings.... In radiant its near silent functioning makes for a better experience, enable! Right type of heat pays high fuel bills. `` around the building fed heat into these,... Ideal to test and inspect before energisation, but individual system components make big! And go from there re glue a styrofoam panel that cover the popcorn ceiling just list... Energize and get hotter and hotter who had one about 1975 with the wire if had. Thermostat, with power to the mid-60 's - who needs a hot head experience...
