Baseboard Heating????

[Russel Ray]

Originally Posted by dvalley

I would have utilized my infrared thermometer and scanned the entire room (with the switch ON).

That's what I do. I record the ceiling temperatures at the start of the inspection, turn the systems on, and then record the ceiling temperatures after one hour. A working system will usually go from 72°F to 102°F in one hour.

[Russel Ray]

Originally Posted by tdutt

You will not see the ceiling heat system from the attic. The ones that I've seen run small electrical wires after the drywall has been installed over the top of the drywall, then the drywall finishers apply their sprayed on brocades (whatever finish) over the top of the wires. Your client should know that if they are purchasing a home with this kind of installation, that if any of those wires are cut or damaged after putting holes in the ceiling, they will lose the heat to that room. If you had to replace a small patch because of water damage, say from a roof leak, replacing the drywall would damage the heat system to that room, and the heat system would have to be replaced.

I have been a drywall finisher and contractor for 20 years, and have only seen this kind of an installation a couple of times, and they are a real pain to work with. If you had to put 5 screws or nails in a ceiling, chances are 1 of them would hit one of those wires as they are spaced so closely together.

Very useful. Thanks, Troy.

[Michael Peterson]

Hey Everybody

Yep you guys were right radiant ceiling heating. I got in touch with the HOA and the HOA guy lives in the unit below. He told me that it is radiant ceiling heating. Russell thanks for the info I am going to go back tomorrow and test the ceiling temp then turn on the heat and let it run for an hour then test the temp again. Do you think that if it is cold out and the unit below turns on their heat that it will also heat the above unit as heat rises? Hey thanks again everybody you guys are great keep up the good work!

Mark

[Roy D. Cooke, Sr]

I did the one I was talking about yesterday 40 year old home and they all seemed to work well I did the trick with the laser thermoter and also the spray water on the ceiling .
Looking at the ceiling from up or down could not tell it was radiant
Water only worked on the ceiling that did not have a good coat of paint on it ,it only just beaded up on those that were well painted .
I also printed of all the
http://dulley.com/docs/f778.htm

http://oikos.com/esb/37/radiant.html

http://www.radiantpanelassociation.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=97

http://www.clarkpublicutilities.com/...s2005/05_02_20

and gave a copy to the client, they loved the info.
Roy Cooke

[Michael Peterson]

Hey Again

Through some research I have found that there are at least two types of ceiling radiant heating systems. There is a cable system that is installed on the drywall before the texture is applied also there is panel systems that is installed first then the drywall over top of the panel. Just thought that I would pass this on.

Mark

[jschulte]

Sounds like a good place for a ceiling fan, or anti-gravity boots...

but not both

[Roy D. Cooke, Sr]

Originally Posted by jschulte

Sounds like a good place for a ceiling fan, or anti-gravity boots...

but not both

I do not think you can put in a ceiling fan with out damaging some of the heating cables they are close to gether .
Roy Cooke

[jschulte]

Well, you'll just have to go with the anti-gravity boots then. The problem will be nailing your furniture to the ceiling without hitting the wires....


Sorry, the smart-a** in me just comes out some times.

[Russel Ray]

Originally Posted by mpeterson

Do you think that if it is cold out and the unit below turns on their heat that it will also heat the above unit as heat rises?

Heat has to have some place to rise to, though. If it has no place to rise to, then it will gradually heat the air below it, and that's the theory with radiant heating in the ceiling. I have not heard of anyone complaining about their place being too hot from the units below.

[Russel Ray]

Originally Posted by rcooke

I do not think you can put in a ceiling fan with out damaging some of the heating cables they are close to gether.

Usually all you have to do is remove the light fixture that's already there and put up the ceiling fan.

[Roy D. Cooke, Sr]

Originally Posted by rray

Usually all you have to do is remove the light fixture that's already there and put up the ceiling fan.

No light fixtures in the bed rooms or Living room of the homes I have inspected that have seen Ceiling Radiant heating in .
How about the ones you have done did they have ceiling lighting in them .
Roy Cooke

[Russel Ray]

It's probably about half and half in my area. In thinking about it, I think the smaller condos rely on switched outlets while the larger condos rely on ceiling fixtures.

The 1800-SF condo out at Pacific Beach a couple of days ago had radiant ceiling and light fixtures. Client was quite impressed with my laser infrared thermometer, especially when I showed him the temperature at the start (72°F) and then an hour later (102°F). He still wasn't thrilled with the heating system--he said, "Heat rises"--to which I replied, "Yes, but where do you see the air registers on the walls for central heating?" "Just below the ceiling or above the door." Smart Client.

[Michael Peterson]

All right I made it back to the condo in question here and the verdict the two back rooms the ceiling heating works started with a temp of 75 and about and hour later it was at 90. The thermostat only goes to 80 and it was at 80 when the ceiling temp was 90. Now the good stuff the living room and kitchen don't appear to work. Now I tested the ceiling temp before it was 76 and after an hour it was 76. The thermostat only goes to 75 though and it was at 75. So I opened all the windows to let a breeze through the condo. It is very near the beach so I was able to get a very strong cool breeze into the house and cooled it to 72 at the thermostat. I let it go to see how much it would heat up and yet the ceiling stayed at 76. The key here to me is that in the back bed rooms the ceiling has the original acoustic ceiling. In the living room and kitchen has been scraped and has a new skip trowled texture. So I think during the remodel they probably hit some cables or panels and just went on to cover their work. At least that is my theory. I recommended that they get a professional HVAC person that is familiar in this type of heating to inspect this further. By the way the bedrooms had lights in the ceiling and in the living room the lights are on receptacles.

Thanks Again
Mark

[Roy D. Cooke, Sr]

Originally Posted by rray

It's probably about half and half in my area. In thinking about it, I think the smaller condos rely on switched outlets while the larger condos rely on ceiling fixtures.

The 1800-SF condo out at Pacific Beach a couple of days ago had radiant ceiling and light fixtures. Client was quite impressed with my laser infrared thermometer, especially when I showed him the temperature at the start (72°F) and then an hour later (102°F). He still wasn't thrilled with the heating system--he said, "Heat rises"--to which I replied, "Yes, but where do you see the air registers on the walls for central heating?" "Just below the ceiling or above the door." Smart Client.

Radiant heating is different then convection heating . Think of the sun it is radiant in the shade the most heat you get is reflected or convection.
The only difficulty I have heard of with radiant heating is sitting at the table your legs and feet can get cold as the ceiling can not radiate the heat through the table .
This is when convection takes over the absorbed in the room warms the air in the room.
Remember radiant heat you can be warm in the sun when it is very cold if there is no wind to remove the heat. same day in the shade you would be cold.
Roy Cooke