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Low Profile Rescom 2100 Aluminum Baseboard Radiators

LB
LB Member Posts: 2
<strong>Review of Rescom 2100 Baseboard Radiators by Ecotech</strong>



I am a professional engineer and renovation contractor and I needed some low profile rads in a zone in a new (mostly) under floor radiant heating system with high efficiency mod/con wall mount boiler

with outdoor reset. 



It's an old house having an addition put on and has forced air for AC (and formerly heat) - and I had access to

basement ceiling (for first floor joist bays) and 2nd floor addition

joist bays - but not the 2nd floor existing bedrooms and bath - so an 'in room' emitter would be needed for one zone.



The house has never had radiators and the owners didn't want big, bulky, ugly, finned or super expensive radiators.  Working with the architect we found the Rescom 2100 made by Ecotech out of Ontario - by doing some searching on google and on this and other heating and hvac forums.  I also  found a clip of "This old house" using rescom something similar - where they connected the radiator panels with pex at the bottom of the wall around the room, and then trimmed them out with metal base shoe and cap just like mopboards so they really blended in architecturally.  They looked very promising.



The BTU/hr output ratings of the Rescom 2100 from Ecotech looked respectable even at 140-150 degrees - as I'm trying to keep my boiler in the condensing range as much as possible (other zones have mixing valves to keep them low temp).  They looked  nice and clean and I thought I could make them 'disappear' into the old house mouldings  after install.



So I ordered enough for 4 rooms - and by my heat loss calcs and the Rescom btu/hr ratings - they should have been able to do the job.  I ordered various lengths - and on some walls connected two segments together.  I ordered various cover plates to hide the piping connections at the ends of the panels.  I had two branches of the panel radiators connected together by 1/2" pex/1/2" copper (5/8" o.d. to connect to the panel connector ends) split off from a single 3/4" copper supply/return to the boiler wall/zone circulator.    I came up from the basement into the back of a closet and one supply went right and one went left - connecting panels in 3 bedrooms - with approximately the same linear feet of panel emitter on each branch.  I put in two globe valves to be able to balance the branches by slightly restricting flow to one branch if necessary.



They were made up right then (cut from aluminum extrusions I guess and enamel painted - gloss white) and then shipped out quickly getting to me the next week.  There were a few shipping  and import hoops to jump through to get them into the US - but it was quickly resolved.



They arrived looking great.  All the panels are aluminum with brass threaded fittings already attached at each end - and compression nuts and sleeves included to connect to pex or copper tubing.  The ones I got are for closed loop hydronic systems - so the aluminum is protected by lack of fresh oxygen entering the system.  They include reflective bubble insulation to go against the plaster/drywall behind the panels - and they screw in with clips that the panels mount to - that allows them to expand and contract with the heating cycles.  They've been very quiet once I tweaked a few mounts due to walls being out of plumb (took them out of hard contact with the painted mouldings in a few spots to eliminate some clicking).



They hooked up very smartly - and I had them throwing heat right away after some pressure/leak testing.  All connections were good.



After monitoring the system over the first month or two, I can say that I am very happy with their heating performance, ease of installation and looks.  They've thrown out nice heat at only a 135-140 degree water temp - and really blend in to the moulding profiles of the baseboards.  I think you could use these as baseboards in lieu of a 1x8 and then just trim them out with cap and shoe. 



I had previously upgraded the insulation and envelope characteristics of the zone I have them in - which certainly helps get the most out of them.  They may not give off as much heat as a large radiator or a runtal type panel as they are just not that large  - but if you are looking for a panel radiator to go with a radiant hydronic system, you put in sufficient linear feet, your heat loss characteristics are reasonable and you need something very low profile to blend in architecturally - these panel radiators just might do the trick.



Good luck.



Links:



<a href="http://www.ecotech.ca/rads.html">http://www.ecotech.ca/rads.html</a>



<a href="http://www.ecotech.ca/RESCOM%20Brochure.pdf">http://www.ecotech.ca/RESCOM%20Brochure.pdf</a>



email

<a href="mailto:ecotech@rogers.com">ecotech@rogers.com</a>

Comments

  • More feedback on Rescom 2100, pros & cons.

    While needing more linear footage to heat the same space as hydronic , would the Rescom 2100 require more energy from the boiler to do the same job? Any and all info on this product would be appreciated.
  • BHH
    BHH Member Posts: 1
    RESCOM Rads

    Hi there ... more info on the baseboard rads can be found at www.baseboardrads.com . Contact info@baseboardrads.com .

    Cheers!
  • SWEI
    SWEI Member Posts: 7,356
    edited July 2014
    They certainly are cute

    but they make you work to find the output capacity.  Here's a cleaned up version of the info p.7 of the installation instructions:



    PANEL HEAT OUTPUT PER LINEAL FOOT (BTU)

    Test results have been adjusted to reflect a 15% radiant efficiency factor.

    Data derived from factory tests February 1996. Complete test data available on request.
  • Rich_49
    Rich_49 Member Posts: 2,766
    Imported

    Very similar product made by Hydronic Alternatives in Springfiels Mass .  Been around for quite awhile too . Sorry about your shipping nightmare , maybe they just escaped your search .  http://www.hydronicalternatives.com/Products/Radiant-Panel-Baseboard-and-Accessories.aspx
    You didn't get what you didn't pay for and it will never be what you thought it would .
    Langans Plumbing & Heating LLC
    732-751-1560
    Serving most of New Jersey, Eastern Pa .
    Consultation, Design & Installation anywhere
    Rich McGrath 732-581-3833
  • c12brown
    c12brown Member Posts: 1
    Hi there ... Hydronic Alternative BTU output per foot about 1/3 of the RESCOM 2100 baseboard ... ie. 104 BTU/ft at 140' vs. 316 BTU/ft at 140' by RESCOM. Just Sayin'. C
    Brewbeer