Temperature discrepancy between floors

cdhigs

Hi everyone. We are in the process of redoing the house and just recently replaced radiators in the downstairs with forced hot water baseboard. The upstairs (same heating zone also - house built in 1920) currently still has radiators. The upstairs gets HOT with the thermostat at 68. The downstairs says it’s barely hovering above 60. Is this because of the baseboard vs radiator? The radiators are working I have felt them.

mikeg2015

Baseboard doesn’t mix well with high mass cast iron unless it’s zoned.

Only fix are TRVs thermostatic radiator valves) which work pretty well.

I have a steam system and TRVs on most of the upstairs radiators and it’s spot on. Each bedroom can be adjusted and I like the bathrooms a little warmer. But I also have a undersized boiler which is tricky with steam and can present balance issues, but works fine on my system.


Other option is to lower the water temp and have the pump stay running longer After cycle ends to even it out a little. The downstairs will “steal” back a little heat from the upstairs radiators.

Jamie Hall

Do the baseboards you put in have the same rated heat output at the same temperature as the radiators you took out? If not, you have created a real balance problem and may be obliged to put in two separate zones to manage it.