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radiant heat question

Matt_70
Matt_70 Member Posts: 14
in THE MAIN WALL
I'm meeting with a plumber tomorrow to go over some radiant heating options for my house, but I was hoping I could pick some brains in the meantime.  I'm going to be renovating my master bathroom in the coming year.  Currently my master bedroom and master bath are on the same heating zone (hot water boiler).  The bedroom has your typical baseboard heat and the bathroom has toekick heaters - which I hate.  I want to put radiant in the bathroom.  Question is - is there any way to put radiant in the bathroom without running a new zone??  I know I wouldn't be able to using the current baseboard heat in the bedroom, but can those baseboards be changed out for some type of "low temperature" baseboards??   If I have to run a new zone it isn't the end of the world, it just means a TON of drilling and cutting into the ceiling in my kitchen and living room - it would be about a 50' run from the boiler (in the back of the house on the first floor) to the bathroom which is in the front of the house on the second floor..



thank you!!

Comments

  • Brad White
    Brad White Member Posts: 2,399
    If it is just a small zone,

    there is always the Roth Mini-Shunt, a small circulator and mixing valve in one. That can connect as a slave zone to your BB zone. (BB has to be "on" but you can refine that with a TRV or other limit control). No matter what, though, you will be opening up the ceiling below unless you are replacing the floor. At the very least you will be opening up to insulate.



    Start with as accurate a heat loss and figure out how many net SF of floor you have that can act as a radiator for you. If a room with only a small window and well insulated, you should be in range, but you have to calculate to know.



    Typically, your floor temperature should not be above 85 F. as a rule of thumb and that equates to roughly 26 BTUH per SF in a 72 degree F. room. Too much to tell you, but there are a couple of nuggets for now.



    p.s. I hate toe kick heaters too. But at least they are low so you can kick them. The words "Toe Kick Heater" comes from the Latin, "Designer was out of ideas".
    "If you do not know the answer, say, "I do not know the answer", and you will be correct!"



    -Ernie White, my Dad
  • CMadatMe
    CMadatMe Member Posts: 3,086
    You Can Do Radiant

    Use Quik Trak or some other type of above the floor panels and use indoor reset via a diverting valve remotely in the closet. Try this. Used it. Works like a champ.



    http://www.hydronicalternatives.com/EM-32_Installation_instructions-2010-04-01.pdf

    There was an error rendering this rich post.

  • Matt_70
    Matt_70 Member Posts: 14
    follow up

    Thanks for the replies -  those toe kick heaters are so damn loud.  And as if that wasn't loud enough, in the wall I have what I believe is called a "convector" ??  It is basically the same principle as the toe kick heater but built into the wall.  Loud and ugly!  



    The bathroom is quite large, @ 12' x 15', and we are going to completely gut it.  When I moved into the house last year I noticed a wall tile coming loose in the shower.  When I took it off I noticed that used 4 or 5 golf ball sized drops of thinset to adhere the tiles to the wall and no waterproofing membrane in the shower - the tiles are 12x18".  I figure I'm on borrowed time until a leak develops - plus it's a good excuse to add the radiant.  So yes, I'm going to take the entire floor up. 



    Hopefully the HVAC / Plumber coming over tonight is as knowledgeable as you guys!  Thank you again!  I'll post back what he says...



    Matt 
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