Need Help! Opinions!!

Shasha

We live in a home built in 1905 and have hot water heat/radiators. Now the kitchen has one small baseboard heat element which in on the far wall. In the 1980's the kitchen was remodeled and the island blocks the heat so the sink area in freezing cold!! It really doesn't heat the area effectively. My question to you all is: Thoughts on wall panel radiators (to replace the baseboard one)? Best company to purchase one-i.e. Runtal, Myson...Any suggestions other than gut the kitchen will be most helpful. A sincere thank you. Here are some pictures of the kitchen too.

Gordan

FYI - pictures didn't work

Can you repost?

Mark Eatherton

Been there, done that, and you're not going to be happy with the results...

Your system was most probably a gravity circulated system. It used LARGE cast iron radiators to put the heat into the living space.



Putting in a baseboard is fruitless as it pertains to keeping a space warm that was originally done by a radiator. Two completely different methods of heating, with two completely different end results.



I'm guessing you have one thermostat in the home, and that stat is in the core of the home, and this room is an outer appendage, no?



Pictures would be nice. Need to be a JPEG file extension.



ME

Shasha

Pictures

Let's try this again!

Shasha

Response

Well the only heat control is on the dining room hall. There is the old servants stairs between the kitchen and dining room and a hallway to the kitchen-no heat source here either. Although the tall radiator that faces towards the hallway heat it well.



I agree that the baseboard heating in the kitchen is deficient!! That is why I'm questioning the wall panel radiator system.



I tried to upload my jpg's but said their server is down-which is what happened last night.

Shelley

Mark Eatherton

Nothing other than a large cast iron radiator is going to work...

ANd as I said, you probably didn't want to hear that, but the reality is this.



The old system (regardless of whether or not it has pumps) is depending upon the one thermostat to call for heat. If you had the original cast iron radiator, it puts out heat over a long period of time due to its heavy mass consideration. Panel radiators are a low mass emitter, and will give up their heat in short order, and then the kitchen will be cool again in no time.



If it were me, and the kitchen were uncomfortably cool, I would look into an electric below the counter toe space heater. Noisy, yes, but comfy without having to over heat the rest of the house.



If you ever decide to buck up big time and replace the whole heating system, you could then consider sub zoning the kitchen into a zone unto itself. But as configured, other than dropping a large cast iron radiator into the mix, there is not a low mass emitter that is going to keep you comfortable.



ME

Mark Eatherton

PS...

Picture posted for me OK. Might try it again.



ME

Shasha

Response

When we bought this house 2 years ago-we put in a brand new boiler with extra zones capacity as we were going to add an addition. Although since living in this house-it's big enough already so re thought the process and will remodel with the space we have!



But the economy took it's toll! Will try the jpg's again... The kitchen really has no place to put a radiator as the width is only 11 ft !! All wall space is taken up except the back wall which is the basement stair wall-that's where that base heat is.

Shasha

Response

When we bought this house 2 years ago-we put in a brand new boiler with extra zones capacity as we were going to add an addition. Although since living in this house-it's big enough already so re thought the process and will remodel with the space we have!



But the economy took it's toll! Will try the jpg's again... The kitchen really has no place to put a radiator as the width is only 11 ft !! All wall space is taken up except the back wall which is the basement stair wall-that's where that base heat is. Tried uploading again and came back server error.

Paul Pollets

Toe Kick convector

If the new boiler uses pumps, than it would be possible to install a hydronic toe-kick convector. If you're gravity system has no pump, than it won't work. An electric toe kick will. Most conversions have a pump.



Like Mark said, the cast iron radiators work best with cast iton or steel radiators. Runtal makes a 21/2"high  (UF-1)  wall panel which could be installed under the toe-kick. However, the installation would require separate piping from the CI rads. Posting pics of your boiler installation would help.