Radiant Steam

Ken_8

We would like your opinion on the following situation....
A very substantial 100-year old house has a one-pipe steam system. To accomodate the all new "ultra" kitchen layout, the contractor ripped out the existing rad(s) in this large area and all that's left is a 3'X 8' horizontally hung rad under the kitchen floor - actually hanging from the basement ceiling directly under the center of the kitchen floor.

The kitchen floor is 8" thick concrete with an inch or so of mud on top - with embedded tight-weaved brick/tile surface. Quarter-sawn oak cabinetry and ultra-primo top-of-the-line showcase appliances.

The kitchen is cold. The 3 X 8 foot horizontal basement ceiling hung rad has a potential output of somtheing like 84 S.F. EDR.

The rad is turned off. We know by turning it on, we will get both radiant and convected heat into the 9-inch thick floor slab directly overhead.

You guessed it. We will turn on the rad, see what happens after a few days - and measure the upper surface temp to see what we can get woithout anything else than simply turning he rad back on. We suspect the slab will get a few degrees warmer - given enough time.

However, we suspect we could substantially enhance the underfloor rad's perfomance in heating the slab by eliminating the insulating nature of the 2-3" void between the rad's top face and the underfloor/slab.

Our thoughts were to place some wire mesh on the top of the already horizontal rad, pack the 2-3" void with cementatious material (concrete, mortar, etc.) and thereby induce conducted and radiant heating into the slab underfloor.

Any other ideas out there?

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Ken_8

Radiant Steam

We would like your opinion on the following situation....
A very substantial 100-year old house has a one-pipe steam system. To accomodate the all new "ultra" kitchen layout, the contractor ripped out the existing rad(s) in this large area and all that's left is a 3'X 8' horizontally hung rad under the kitchen floor - actually hanging from the basement ceiling - directly under the center of the kitchen floor.

The kitchen floor is 8" thick concrete with an inch or so of mud on top - with embedded tight-weaved brick/tile surface. Quarter-sawn oak cabinetry and ultra-primo top-of-the-line showcase appliances abound.

The kitchen is cold. The 3 X 8 foot horizontal basement ceiling hung rad has a potential output of somtheing like 84 S.F. EDR.

The rad is turned off. We know by turning it on, we will get both radiant and convected heat into the 9-inch thick floor slab directly overhead.

You guessed it. We will turn on the rad, see what happens after a few days - and measure the upper surface temp to see what we can get without anything else than simply turning he rad back on. We suspect the slab will get a few degrees warmer - given enough time.

However, we suspect we could substantially enhance the underfloor rad's perfomance in heating the slab by eliminating the insulating nature of the 2-3" void between the rad's top face and the underfloor/slab.

Our thoughts were to place some wire mesh on the top of the already horizontal rad, pack the 2-3" void with cementatious material (concrete, mortar, etc.) and thereby induce conducted and radiant heating into the slab underfloor.

Whaddaya think?

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Unknown

I like that.

> We would like your opinion on the following

> situation.... A very substantial 100-year old

> house has a one-pipe steam system. To accomodate

> the all new "ultra" kitchen layout, the

> contractor ripped out the existing rad(s) in this

> large area and all that's left is a 3'X 8'

> horizontally hung rad under the kitchen floor -

> actually hanging from the basement ceiling -

> directly under the center of the kitchen

> floor.

>

> The kitchen floor is 8" thick concrete

> with an inch or so of mud on top - with embedded

> tight-weaved brick/tile surface. Quarter-sawn

> oak cabinetry and ultra-primo top-of-the-line

> showcase appliances abound.

>

> The kitchen is

> cold. The 3 X 8 foot horizontal basement ceiling

> hung rad has a potential output of somtheing like

> 84 S.F. EDR.

>

> The rad is turned off. We know

> by turning it on, we will get both radiant and

> convected heat into the 9-inch thick floor slab

> directly overhead.

>

> You guessed it. We will

> turn on the rad, see what happens after a few

> days - and measure the upper surface temp to see

> what we can get without anything else than simply

> turning he rad back on. We suspect the slab will

> get a few degrees warmer - given enough

> time.

>

> However, we suspect we could

> substantially enhance the underfloor rad's

> perfomance in heating the slab by eliminating the

> insulating nature of the 2-3" void between the

> rad's top face and the underfloor/slab.

>

> Our

> thoughts were to place some wire mesh on the top

> of the already horizontal rad, pack the 2-3" void

> with cementatious material (concrete, mortar,

> etc.) and thereby induce conducted and radiant

> heating into the slab underfloor.

>

> Whaddaya

> think?

>

> _A

> HREF="http://www.heatinghelp.com/getListed.cfm?id=

> 68&Step=30"_To Learn More About This Contractor,

> Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A

> Contractor"_/A_

Unknown

I like that.

> We would like your opinion on the following

> situation.... A very substantial 100-year old

> house has a one-pipe steam system. To accomodate

> the all new "ultra" kitchen layout, the

> contractor ripped out the existing rad(s) in this

> large area and all that's left is a 3'X 8'

> horizontally hung rad under the kitchen floor -

> actually hanging from the basement ceiling -

> directly under the center of the kitchen

> floor.

>

> The kitchen floor is 8" thick concrete

> with an inch or so of mud on top - with embedded

> tight-weaved brick/tile surface. Quarter-sawn

> oak cabinetry and ultra-primo top-of-the-line

> showcase appliances abound.

>

> The kitchen is

> cold. The 3 X 8 foot horizontal basement ceiling

> hung rad has a potential output of somtheing like

> 84 S.F. EDR.

>

> The rad is turned off. We know

> by turning it on, we will get both radiant and

> convected heat into the 9-inch thick floor slab

> directly overhead.

>

> You guessed it. We will

> turn on the rad, see what happens after a few

> days - and measure the upper surface temp to see

> what we can get without anything else than simply

> turning he rad back on. We suspect the slab will

> get a few degrees warmer - given enough

> time.

>

> However, we suspect we could

> substantially enhance the underfloor rad's

> perfomance in heating the slab by eliminating the

> insulating nature of the 2-3" void between the

> rad's top face and the underfloor/slab.

>

> Our

> thoughts were to place some wire mesh on the top

> of the already horizontal rad, pack the 2-3" void

> with cementatious material (concrete, mortar,

> etc.) and thereby induce conducted and radiant

> heating into the slab underfloor.

>

> Whaddaya

> think?

>

> _A

> HREF="http://www.heatinghelp.com/getListed.cfm?id=

> 68&Step=30"_To Learn More About This Contractor,

> Click Here to Visit Their Ad in "Find A

> Contractor"_/A_

Unknown

I like that.

What's the plan if it works too well?

Maybe a remote bulb TRV on the vent line?

I think it's going to condense a lot more than it used to, the supply might get overwhelmed with return water.

I think it's a great idea, in view of the options. I know where two of these are in a basement, heating an outside patio above, as snowmelt. It works well, from what I saw.

Noel

P.S. Aren't we due for another trip out to Kennybobscottport, soon?

Steamhead

That might work

but if it doesn't, some of those ultra-modern steam radiators might be the answer.

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