old radiant ceiling

Dave Palmer_3

to look at a boiler replacement tommorrow.Cast radiators on the second floor and the first floor is heated by radiant in the ceiling.How would I do a heat loss for the first floor? Do I assume the dead men that did this sized the 3/8 copper correctly? I don't know but I would image it has a Taco pan-trol on the 1st. floor and high temp on 2nd. Any ideas/suggestions?Thanks Dave Palmer

Dale

interesting

Heat loss is figured the same. If the persons were comfortable on the first floor what boiler temp was set. I think the ceiling needs to run at at least 140 degrees water so a condensing boiler may not be able to condense, a little cast iron should do the trick.

Dave Palmer_3

looked

at it today,2nd floor is convectors (always cold,owner says)
can see all the piping in basement.It does have a old Taco Pan-trol on the system,I was thinking of seperating the 2nd floor off into its own zone.Running the 1st floor radiant thru a mixing valve,that way I could install a hot water maker and run the 2nd floor at a higher temp. sound okay? thanks Dave

hot_rod

How is the

ceiling radiant installed? Generally any concrete, gypcrete, sheetrock, plaster, etc products handle 140F MAX. If this is a plaster installation I think you have a good idea in limiting the temperature to the ceiling radiant. Maybe even use a reset control that would modulate the temperature slowly, as opposed to a bang/ bang temperature control.

Regardless, I still think you first step should be a heatloss calc. You need to get a base to work from.

Ceiling radiant is a fairly powerful emitter seeing as they rarely have furniture or coverings, and nobody walks on them allowing a higher surface temperature You should be able to get some serious BTU/ square foot from that installation.


As for the upper level, check the insulation value above that area, if possible. Blowing in some additional R value will offer a good payback and help you heat loss numbers.

hot rod

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Robert O'Connor_3

What does it look like?

Dave,

How would I be able to tell that there's a radiant heat ceiling in a home without the homeowner telling me. In my case (I'm a home inspector) the home owner is often not available.

And, how old is the house you're working on? How old is the radiant ceiling?

From the wethead wannabe, Arlene

Dave Palmer_3

it....

seems to be gypcrete with a plaster finish,other ones in my area are concrete ceilings on wire mesh.Heat loss is 130,000,wanted to do oil fired with indirect and second floor high temp. and run mixing valve for radiant about 130*. sound ok ? thanks Dave Palmer

Dave Palmer_3

Dave Palmer_3

first...

if you don't see radiators,convectors or baseboard but you have a boiler that is the first clue. Then look around the main loop to see if there are 1/2 or 3/8 branches off of that disapearing up into the walls.Sometimes if the job was sloppy you can see tubing in the attic(peek under the insulation).The house is a small cape about 40 years old so the radiant is the same,no signs of leaks anywhere(yet);{
but I told her don't be surpised if she see a spot or two in the future. Dave

Mark Hunt

Arlene


Want me to bring some pics of old radiant ceilings in September?

Mark H

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