panic attack

tm

I worked with a plumber for a few years but did not do a whole lot of hwbb work although a worked alot with copper (water lines renovating kitchens and baths)
I re-piped my entire first floor loop without a leak and it works very well - this after renovating the whole 1st floor. Now I've moved up the the second floor (attic if you will). This floor also had hwbb. It was run in a big loop completly around the space with the copper hidden with-in the knee walls. I wripped everything out in order to renovate the walls. I don't really want to go this route as it seems easier to run the copper back underneath each baseboard to get back to the return in the center/back of the house. I've never done this and have alot of concerns and questions.
Like:1. Are there do and dont's when running in this manner?
2. Because I can't come up under each unit from the floor below, I guess I need to run the enclouses from wall to wall (which I hate the look of) - any way around this?
3. Is it OK/code to have inacessable joints (in the floor) or do I need an access panel in the ceiling of the 1st floor?


Is it time to call in a pro or am I able to pull this off
after success before?

PS - Would it be ridiculous to use a couple of 10' electric heaters in each bedroom and just heat the bath and central hall with hwbb? This would be an ideal installation for me. The electrics could be kept low or off during the day since no one would be up there.

Al Letellier_9

renovations

Tom, you didn't detail your experience or exactly what your skills are today, but I would suggest this...contact a realiable and well recommended heating professional. Offer to pay him for his time to come over and "consult". He should be able figure things out and show you what to do in just an hour or two. It will be money well spent as long as you have the skills to do the work. It is not code as far as I know to need access to soldered joints in the ceiling. It is done thousands of times a day everywhere in the trade. Just make sure you test it before you bury it.
As to electric heat, it is a viable option when access to piping runs is difficult. Electric heat is 100% efficient in that you use it all with no waste or by-products....but it is the most expensive source of BTU's. This option happens a lot in remote areas or upper floors. Good luck.

tm

great advice Al. Is electric that much more to operate. In other words how much more is it to heat with electric vs. hwbb in any given space? double? or not that bad?

Also - is it OK to place a heater along a knee wall (about 3' high) where the cathedral ceiling above slopes up to about 9'?
Will the heat roll into the room effectively in this location - or is it better to place it on a vertical outside wall?

Kevin_in_Denver_2

Electric vs. gas

To find out the relative costs, call your supplier(s). For years, gas was roughly 4 times cheaper per BTU. Things are way different now.

You can also study your billing statements. The things you need to know to make the comparison calculations are:
1. Your system efficiency. This is always lower than the steady state boiler efficiency, so the gas boiler efficiency is best case.
2. There are 3413 BTU's in a KWH.

tm

I don't have gas in my area so I am using a fuel oil burner on my hw boiler. Fuel oil is now about $2.41 per gallon. I was just looking for an rough guide as to how much more electric is - nothing exact needed.