Best kickspace heaters?

Glenn Harrison · February 2003

I'm thinking that what your going to have to do if you want hydronic kickspace heaters is to run a hot water loop off the bottom of the steam boiler,run it htur a heat exchanger, and then a second pressurized loop up to the kickspace heaters.Of coures since I havn't seen your house I can't even be sure this can be done, but it's a idea.

Glenn Harrison, Residential Service Technician

Althoff Industries Inc.

Mechanical and Electrical Services

Crystal Lake, Illinois

<a href="http://www.althoffind.com" target="_blank">Althoff Industries Website</a>

A. Riley · February 2003

Best kickspace heaters?

Homeowner here. We're wanting to remodel the snug little (10x12) kitchen in our 1916 house near Chicago. There's a cast-iron radiator in the corner, and we'd like to replace it with kickspace heaters under the cabinets-to-be. We had our furnace guy out and he suggested kickspace heaters with electric heating elements -- but doesn't seem like the best solution to me, what with the hot-water pipes to the old radiator already in the kitchen. And we like hot-water heat!

What would you recommend? I've found several kinds of hydronic kickspace heaters on the Internet -- Myson, Slant-Fin, a few more. But as you can tell, this isn't my expertise -- you all know so much more than I do. What in your experience is the best kind for that application?

Thanks for any information. Warm thanks. (Warm, get it?)

Steve Minnich_1 · February 2003

I've had

much success with Beacon-Morris hydronic kickspace heaters.
Very quiet and reliable--and more importanty, I'm located in the Chicago area.

Steve,

Radiant Comfort Systems

To Learn More About This Contractor, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Contractor"

David Sutton · February 2003

turbonic....

thay have a very wide range of btus and are reliable as well i like then cause they have 2 speed blower there on click on temp stat and can be run as separate zone or mono-flowed off a exciting zone. as well can be run from h2o heater.this is the only brand i use and have been using them for 10 years and put a lot of them in.. hope this helps...David Sutton

steve_6 · February 2003

circulating pump or gravity circulation

what does your system have. If it's gravity kick space heaters don't work well. Have you considered a radiant floor. This way no drafts.

kevin · February 2003

i'm a beacon morris...

fan , Turbonics is ok. Quiet ones(by vrv) may cost a bit less bit over time they don't hold up.kpc

rich_6 · February 2003

in-floor

check the in-floor heating systems if you can get to the under side of the kitchen floor, a much better idea.* cold morning-warm floor:)

A. Riley · February 2003

I think our system's gravity

I think. I don't think there's a circulator. The only pump I know of is something that draws more water into the boiler every once in a while and screeches when it does it. (See why I ask the experts?)

So a gravity system wouldn't work well with kickspace heaters? Hmm. We gotta have something to heat the kitchen -- and putting radiant heating under the floor isn't in this decade's budget, sad but true. Are there other solutions I don't know about?

Among the kickspace heaters, I detect some votes for Beacon-Morris, is that right? And some votes for Turbonic? Anything else?

More warm thanks. And it's good to know that at least one expert's in the Chicago area.

ScottMP · February 2003

Screechs ?

Please check, you may have a Steam Boiler. Does the radiator have a vent can about 3/4 of the way ?

Does your boiler have a gauge glass in the front to show you how much water is on the system ?

I know of NO boiler that would/should make a sound like that.

If it is forced hot water, then we use the Quiet One. Never had a problem with longevity but I'll start to pay more attention. I am not a fan of mixing toespace heaters with cast iron in any system. I know it can work, but not very well and not all the time. They heat and cool much differently than cast iron, and because of that don't balance well. A lower temp aquastate would help. I find panel radiators match the cast iron system better than the toespace.

If you have to do it and your house is forced hot water than I would suggest another zone.

JMHO

Scott

If you do have

To Learn More About This Contractor, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Contractor"

Steve Minnich_1 · February 2003

The screech

you hear may be a bad bearing on a pump(i.e. forced circ.). I have used BM kickspace heaters a gazillion times with CI and they have worked perfectly. And you also have the option of zoning it independently as I have done in the past.

Many times in small areas such as bathrooms or kitchens where the entire floor is covered by appliances or cabinets, radiant heat is not enough to cover the heat loss.
Therefore, you need to supplement it with additional heat such as a kickspace heater or other means.

JMO

Steve,

Radiant Comfort Systems

To Learn More About This Contractor, Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A Contractor"

steve_6 · February 2003

pictures

can you post a picture of your boiler and what you believe to be the pump??

A. Riley · February 2003

It's got a sight glass on the front

so I guess it's steam heat. And I examined the radiators -- the pipes to the radiators all go in at the top (and there's the valve) and out at the bottom. Steam, right?

I wish I could post a picture but I don't have a digital camera (yet).

A. Riley · February 2003

I'll go dig out the paperwork on that thing in the basement and post what I find out.

steve_6 · February 2003

radiator

would you consider moving the radiator ?

A. Riley · February 2003

moving that radiator in the kitchen

Well, it's a small kitchen (10' x 12'), and putting some form of radiator under the cabinets would make it possible to put more storage space, etc., in there. The radiator we have is 2' tall, 3' long, 1' deep -- which sounds small but in a 10' x 12' kitchen, that's a lot of floor space to take up. (Now if the budget were unlimited, we'd add on three feet in all directions and our troubles would be over!)

A. Riley · February 2003

The boiler's a Carrier

It's a Carrier 61ASB187, with a Safgard liquid level control model OEM24R4D, if I'm reading those chicken scratches right. It's the Safgard that makes noise every once in a while, and I mean once in a long while. I haven't heard it in weeks and it's been cold here in Chicago -- but we've been nice and warm inside.

Best kickspace heaters?

Comments

Categories