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steam heat wasted just to keep 2nd floor bath pipe freeze. Should I just use a small space heater?
Hello!
I have steam heat....and love it....
I have 2 story house. two bed rooms and a bath on the second floor. We only use the second floor once in a while during winter.
But I keep upstairs heated during winter so pipes going in to the bathroom would not freeze.
Pipes are in the attic closet (next to the bath room), the closet is no more than 10 feet long, 5 feet wide, the roof in a angle.
I was wondering if it would be worth while for me to reduce the steam heat on each radiator to lowest possible (on the second floor rooms), and then put a small electric space heater in the closet to keep the pipes from freezing?
Each room is about 15x15 ( or little bigger) bath is about 10x15. The closet is 10x5, insulated, but the roof is to an angle and I dont have that many sq feet to heat in the closet where the bath room pipes are at.
I figured if I keep the space heater to be about 45F, drop all three room temps to be the lowest adjustable vent valve setting, I could save fuel and money...
Would I have significant amount of oil saving by doing so?
Would the electricity cost can be higher than what I save on oil?
I do not know much about heat loss upstairs would have a impact on downstairs heaters, etc
Would this be a good idea?
Thank you
I have steam heat....and love it....
I have 2 story house. two bed rooms and a bath on the second floor. We only use the second floor once in a while during winter.
But I keep upstairs heated during winter so pipes going in to the bathroom would not freeze.
Pipes are in the attic closet (next to the bath room), the closet is no more than 10 feet long, 5 feet wide, the roof in a angle.
I was wondering if it would be worth while for me to reduce the steam heat on each radiator to lowest possible (on the second floor rooms), and then put a small electric space heater in the closet to keep the pipes from freezing?
Each room is about 15x15 ( or little bigger) bath is about 10x15. The closet is 10x5, insulated, but the roof is to an angle and I dont have that many sq feet to heat in the closet where the bath room pipes are at.
I figured if I keep the space heater to be about 45F, drop all three room temps to be the lowest adjustable vent valve setting, I could save fuel and money...
Would I have significant amount of oil saving by doing so?
Would the electricity cost can be higher than what I save on oil?
I do not know much about heat loss upstairs would have a impact on downstairs heaters, etc
Would this be a good idea?
Thank you
@LS123
Steam Heat Enthusiast
-- In Learning Mode --
"Trust But Verify" <-- Suzanne Massie, an American scholar
*Always Safety First*
** Not Everything Is DIY**
***Quest For Knowledge Is Important ***
Steam Heat Enthusiast
-- In Learning Mode --
"Trust But Verify" <-- Suzanne Massie, an American scholar
*Always Safety First*
** Not Everything Is DIY**
***Quest For Knowledge Is Important ***
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Comments
You may get enough "stolen" heat as long as the first floor is 65 F. What happens when the power or boiler go out and the first floor drops to 45 F?
You may not save as much as you think. There is probably no insulation between the first and second floor but you will use less steam.
How your boiler reacts to this only time will tell. No harm in trying
Thank you all for the feedback!
Steam Heat Enthusiast
-- In Learning Mode --
"Trust But Verify" <-- Suzanne Massie, an American scholar
*Always Safety First*
** Not Everything Is DIY**
***Quest For Knowledge Is Important ***