radiant electric ceiling heating

dsm

I have just purchased a new house with electric radiant heating in the ceiling, but can't find any information about this type of system. Can any one help me out in terms of efficiency etc ?, it doesn't seem as popular as floor heating

SWEI

Most electric resistance heat approaches 100% efficiency (in terms of delivering metered energy to the space being heated.) The power plant and distribution network delivering that power runs closer to 30% efficiency, and the cost can often be unbearable.

What are your costs for electricity and other energy sources like?

dsm

Thanks. I guess I also need to understand the effectiveness of the ceiling heating system. I can't find anyone who has experience living with this type of system, especially in australia.

I am use to low cost heating by using wood and a heat bank using cheap over night electricity

SWEI

Ceiling radiant works quite well -- and unlike floor heat, is essentially immune to the vagaries of floor coverings and furniture placement.

If you can modulate the ceiling temperature using outdoor reset, the comfort level should be excellent. This will likely require an updated thermostat or control system.

Gordy

I live with ceiling radiant of the hydronic variety. I can tell you that it is very effective in terms of comfort, and efficiency. The devil in the details is your KW cost to run an electric type of ceiling radiant.

One thing you have to wrap around is the "heat rises" term. Radiant energy heats objects not the air. So when people try to tell you radiant ceilings are not efficient because heat rises they are dead wrong. They do not understand how radiant energy works. Hot air rises yes.

As SWEI pointed out using an outdoor reset strategy can increase efficiency. All though I'm not quite sure how to accomplish this with an electric type of radiant resistance heating. Since hydronic radiant ODR modulates water temps where electric resistance is a bang bang type of system. If anyone could come up with a strategy it would be SWEI though. It would seem to me some way to regulate the wattage to the elements so they only reach certain temps in correlation with outdoor temps. Certainly is doable it's a matter of a control to integrate with the system.

SWEI

Gordy said:

an outdoor reset strategy can increase efficiency.

...and dramatically increase comfort.

As I suspected, Aube offers it.

Gordy

SWEI said:

Gordy said:

an outdoor reset strategy can increase efficiency.

...and dramatically increase comfort.

As I suspected, Aube offers it.

Kurt please elaborate on how that would modulate watts to the elements? Seems those are sensors, and probes to monitor indoor, and outdoor temps, or room temp averaging.

SWEI

Can be used with the TH144 to provide outdoor reset and indoor feedback.

Turns out the TH144 is not a line voltage thermostat. Darn. Aube offers the widest selection of line voltage thermostats in North America. They were bought by Honeywell a few years back, and many of their models are sold here under that label.

I'll have to ask Thermolec if they make anything suitable.

MikeG

In the early 70s during the oil embargo days in our area new built homes were restricted on using oil, NG or propane. Resistant electric baseboard or radiant electric ceiling cable was popular. Maybe not popular but it was widely used. My dad did plastering and we installed a lot of ceilings with the radiant cable throughout the whole house. Not a whole lot different than the radiant electric floor heating used in bathrooms etc. It offered room by room control. The challenge was getting people to realize it wasn't the hot blast of heat they were use to with forced air. It was better than resitant base board or resistant furnaces. The other good thing with it in the ceiling was usually no problem damaging the cable except while plastering. I really don't know the energy use part of it. Mike

dscottmilner

Thanks for the comments, you guys are fantastic.
Sounds like it's well worth to give the system the benefit of the doubt and keep it. No doubt it will provide comfort and when I switch to solar electricity the running costs will be neutralised . Great !