Best brand/model hydronic toekick heater?

cckriss

I need about 6000 BTU toekick heater for my kitchen. What is a high quality brand that will last? I’d like quiet also. Also, maybe a filter location?

Thank you

kcopp

They are all about the same.
Beacon Morris and Smith environmental.

Mad Dog_2

Beacon-Morris...Toaster. my father in law, just changed the motor on one I installed 28 yrs ago because it started to squeal like a stuck pig....Thats a pretty good run.Mad Dog 

HomerJSmith

Turbonics, I like the muffin like fan. I don't like the cage fans. I think it is a more reliable motor.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cp4EhCOkEPg

pvs2487

FWIW, I had four of these Turbonics units in my old house in Central NJ and they performed well. Two needed motor replacements after 10-12 years, and there was only one parts supplier at the time (in Maine, I think). So, be advised that parts availability may be limited through the local channels.

HomerJSmith

Even cage type fan motors need lubrication after a time. Same with Turbonics. I use a high grade turbine oil and a hypodermic syringe. I think it's called Maintenance.

kcopp

I didnt think the Turbonics ones were still around.

DJD775

@cckriss Do yourself a favor and install an access panel in the cabinet prior to install. Easier to do it up front then wait until later when something breaks.

cckriss

Thanks everybody. I bought a Smith environmental from Home Depot.

https://www.homedepot.com/p/Quiet-One-2000-Series-7-100-BTU-Hydronic-Kickspace-Heater-in-Stainless-Steel-Not-Electric-KS2006/202312951

cckriss

DJD775 said:

@cckriss Do yourself a favor and install an access panel in the cabinet prior to install. Easier to do it up front then wait until later when something breaks.

I cut out a 15" x 15" cutout in the bottom of my cabinet per the instructions. I don't even know I would install the heater without the access panel???

Mad Dog_2

Home Depot?  Ughh...Mad Dog 

HomerJSmith

I haven't done toe-kick heaters in a long, long time. This is the way I have always done it. You must have an access to the heater. Try and replace a cage fan motor or make any other repairs without one.
I cut the bottom of the cabinet floor out the size of the heater with a sabre saw. That is my access panel. I then glue and screw a ledger to the bottom of the cabinet cutout so that the part of the cabinet that I sawed out won't fall thru the opening when I lay it back over the hole. I then go to Home Depot and buy a sheet of plastic that is used in lav walls and cut that to the size of the bottom of the cabinet and lay it on the floor of the cabinet for a nice finished look.

Antiquetuck

I've got an 'original' Embassy hydronics that I installed in 1997. It was a simple install. I cut the floor out of the undersink cabinet and rigged it so a couple screws held it in - much like described by HomerJSmith - above. I used a piece of suspended ceiling light tile on top of the plywood base.

It worked flawlessly until I had to replace the fan/motor assembly about 15 years ago. And that was simple enough - Embassy had one available. It 'faulted' again a couple of weeks ago - and Embassy stopped supporting the original version; they're up to a V4 now. I pulled the motor/fan assembly and looked it over - it has a pretty conventional motor - a Dayton 'C frame'. I got one from Grainger, a 1/70 hp. The installation seems just fine but it might be too powerful as the fan now makes a LOT more noise than it ever did. I ordered a 1/150 hp to try that.

hot_rod

I used to install them with the rubber Watts Radianttube. That way you can pull them out the front for service. I’d make the access panel the full dimension of the inside of the cabinet. The hole can be 15x15” but a full size panel avoids the lip all around it.