Recessed Cast Iron vs. Baseboard

CJRS

Your last response is a good one. You got a littel bit of everthing around your house not to mention mixing different types of Baseboard in your Living Room. Lets just talk about your new room. Know what heat load is required for that room based on the exterior wall surface, windows or doors to the outside. Once you know what you need you can make your decisions. Cast iron is expensive to the tune of about $50/lin ft. but a price some will pay since iron reatins the heat and makes these type rads more comfortable than convectors and at is important in a large cathedral ceiling type room that you have. (excluding radiant floor options) Keep your heating baseboard to outside walls. If you require more than your walls have area for, you can consider piggy backing or go to an interior wall locaiton. I see potential problems and that is you are mixing convector type with the cast iron. If it seems comfortable and balanced heat in your house, then you got there by shear LUCK becasue it would never be recommended under normal design consideraton.
As far as yoru recessed option. The best is to surface mount the bseboard. if you recess it (such as CI baseboard)be sure ot have insulatoin behind and then a aluminim flashing surface to help project heat out and protect the wall surface. Notheing wrong with recessing radiatiors however, design a case that allows good air flow from in front and in back of the rad and which allows proper convection currents to help heat the room. I just want ot menton that if your house system was designed with convector rads then it may be wise to stay with majority rules. Again, mixing the type makes it hard to balance your room heating.

Rkoudelka

Recessed Cast Iron vs. Baseboard

I have an extension on my house that Im unsure of how to heat. The room is 14x24 with a cathedral ceiling (16 feet at peak running the 24' direction).

One 14 foot wall has a doube hung window. The othe 14 foot wall has a regular door. The one 24 foot wall has a set of 4 windows covering 11 feet long, with a six foot 1/2 round above them. The other 24 foot wall is an 18 foot opening to my living room.

I am wondering if I should use 2 cast iron radiators. The type that recesses into the wall. I would put one under the 11 foot runof windows (that one is about 42 inches long and 20 inches high, by 5 inches deep) and another under my double hung (this one is 36 inches long).

From what I have calculated, there radiators will do the room BUT im concerned about efficiency if I recess them into the wall. I would use solid styrofoam to insulate behind them and i would get about R9 from that.

Will these be very inefficient? Would I be better of going with 50 feet of baseboard around the room?

I like the way the radiators look better, and thebaseboard is probably easier - but I want what is best.

Any thoughts?

Joe Brix

How about

Cast Iron Baseboard. You shouldn't need 50ft. and it would hung the wall better. Maybe just under the full length of the windows? You'll get about 600 BTU/ft @ 180° water.

michael_15

Radiators

Did you consider the sharp drop in convective output if you recess the radiators? I'd say you're better off not recessing in front of an outside wall and creating a conduit for heat to escape from the home, since presumably you won't have much insulation in it.

Myson and Runtal make some fairly attractive radiators (or at least, I think so) with a fairly low thickness that you can bolt to the wall. Of course, I'm fairly biased since I don't like the look of baseboard. . .

-Michael

Mike T., Swampeast MO

What heats the rest of the home?

Rkoudelka

Well, heres the deal...

Thanks for the responses. Ill try to answer them all. For starters, a big reason I want to use the radiators is because I already have them - so I wont have to go buying anything.

But, if I AM going to buy, Id prefer regular baseboard - because of price.

As for recessing them, I did think about heat loss/inefficiency ... thats really the main reason I posted. But, Id like to get an idea - if possible - as to HOW muchheat loss/ inefficiency. Does anyone know.

I could recess them just 2 inches (and 3 inches would protrude) which would allow me to get R13 (4 pieces of 1/2 foam at 3.3 per half inch) Thats what the rest of my walls have (R13 fiberglass) but Im notsure if this situation is different.

I COULD put one of these on an inside wall. I do have a four foot wall where i could fit the 3 foot radiator. I would still put the 42" one under the windows though. But Im not sure how that would look on the inside wall - probably not too bad.

The only thing about the cast iron baseboard is that it is expensive , right?

I was also thinking put my 42" under the windows, and then cast iron baseboard on each 14 foot wall ( a total of 28 feet) but not sure of cost.

Oh - i just rememberd one more question to answer. The rest of my house is mixed up. The house came with convectors. WhenI redid my bathroom, I put cast iron baseboard (just a two footer) and I also got another cast iron radiator in my living room (that I got for noting) so I replaced one convector. So my living room has one of each. All other rooms have convectors, but they are all on different zones (I have 4 zones set up)

Rkoudelka

well..

Well, I will probably go with teh radiators if they are good considering my heat loss ( Im still tryingto figure it out). I guess I see what your saying about sticking with 1)majority rules and/or 2) what the house was built with but Ill probably go against good advice here. Plus may get access to another cast iron unit which will go in my living room and this way my mix and macth will be more logical. 2 zones will have all cast iron, and 2 zones (bedrooms only) will have convectors.

My main concern is the recessing. A few people have said not to recess, but these are sunrads made for recessing.

Still, should I put flashing behnid it? I will put foam insulation - either 1.5 or 2 inches to give me R10 or R13.

If I do that, are you suggesting that after the insulation I put some aluminum flashing and then an air space (maybe 1/8 inch or so)and then then radiatior?

If I did, would that air space need to "vent" into the room. would I leave a small space (maybe 1/8 again) above that radiator so the air could come out?

Is this recommended with a unit that made it be recessed or are they designed differently so dont need the same air flow?

Rkoudelka

Well...

Well, I will probably go with teh radiators if they are good considering my heat loss ( Im still tryingto figure it out). I guess I see what your saying about sticking with 1)majority rules and/or 2) what the house was built with but Ill probably go against good advice here. Plus may get access to another cast iron unit which will go in my living room and this way my mix and macth will be more logical. 2 zones will have all cast iron, and 2 zones (bedrooms only) will have convectors.

My main concern is the recessing. A few people have said not to recess, but these are sunrads made for recessing.

Still, should I put flashing behnid it? I will put foam insulation - either 1.5 or 2 inches to give me R10 or R13.

If I do that, are you suggesting that after the insulation I put some aluminum flashing and then an air space (maybe 1/8 inch or so)and then then radiatior?

If I did, would that air space need to "vent" into the room. would I leave a small space (maybe 1/8 again) above that radiator so the air could come out?

Is this recommended with a unit that made it be recessed or are they designed differently so dont need the same air flow?

Ted_9

panel rads

Panels rads give you more size choices and btu outputs.

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bob_50

The two radiators

that you have will put out 11,000 btuh total with 170F average water temp. if they are not recessed. If you recess them with a 3/4" space at the top and sides and 1/2" at the back, reduce output 5%. If recessed tight at top and sides but with 1/2" at back reduce output 15%. If you install foam behind radiator you should fire-proof it.