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Heating above a ceiling

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jpknobody
jpknobody Member Posts: 1
in THE MAIN WALL
working in an older school school and found finned tube radiation and unit heaters above the ceiling to heat the space between the roof and ceiling tiles. all on separate thermostats. plenum ceiling in an old vav system.
why did they install such a system?

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  • mattmia2
    mattmia2 Member Posts: 9,706
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    Keep the pipes from freezing up there?
  • STEVEusaPA
    STEVEusaPA Member Posts: 6,505
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    System was there before the drop ceiling?

    There was an error rendering this rich post.

    JUGHNEratio
  • Solid_Fuel_Man
    Solid_Fuel_Man Member Posts: 2,646
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    Possibly to heat up the return air if it's all plenum. Gotta love plenum ceilings....3" of nasty fuzz and dust on top of every tile!

    Snowmelt for the roof :smiley:
    Serving Northern Maine HVAC & Controls. I burn wood, it smells good!
  • STEVEusaPA
    STEVEusaPA Member Posts: 6,505
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    Solid_Fuel_Man said:

    Possibly to heat up the return air if it's all plenum. Gotta love plenum ceilings....3" of nasty fuzz and dust on top of every tile!



    Snowmelt for the roof :smiley:

    I'd put my money on that...

    There was an error rendering this rich post.

  • ratio
    ratio Member Posts: 3,643
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    At my school building, the radiators in the children's restrooms are above the ceiling. They obviously went in long before the drop ceiling went up. I imagine they worked just fine back then, as the primary heating from a radiator is (wait for it…) radiation. They don't work so well now, even though the rocket surgeons who installed the ceiling put eggcrates directly underneath.
  • JUGHNE
    JUGHNE Member Posts: 11,069
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    Parents of children do not want their offspring to go to a building that has exposed piping.

    I attended a trade school in the late 60's. The school was considered top grade then and now. There was a waiting list to get in.
    When I was there the preformed concrete ceiling/roof was exposed, I enjoyed seeing the construction methods used for the building. Floor was plain concrete.

    I visit 30 years later and see it is all hussied up with drop ceilings, carpeting, and full face brick covering the CMU block walls......can't follow the conduits and ductwork anymore...not as interesting as it used to be.
    And this is for the students of trades.
    But parents make the choice of where their child attends, the parent is offended by the exposed mechanical piping.

    There is still a waiting list of up to 18 months to get into this trade school because of the quality of education......not because of the building.
    BTW, 3 unexcused absences or being tardy 3X per quarter and you are out.
    Still a serious place in that respect.

    Off my soap box now. :o

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