Disabling part of a water-based baseboard

[blackbluecat]

Hello and happy new year!

In our bedroom we have baseboard (it's hot-water-based) running along one of the walls.

Our bed's headboard is right above the baseboard and my wife complains of the heat heating up the bed and her head, making her very uncomfortable (and before any of you suggests a new wife, that's out of the question, so keep on reading). ;-)

I had an idea a few days ago, which consists of having a plumber replace the middle section of the finned pipe in the baseboard with regular copper pipe and putting some pipe insulation around it to ensure that the section under the bed radiates NO heat whatsoever (visit

to see what I mean).

Questions:

1. Does this seem like a good approach (other than the wife-replacement solution that's out of the question)?
2. How hot will the pipe get? The insulation on the web site above is rated for up to 210 deg. Farenheit; will this be enough or do I need to get industrial-grade insulation?
3. What about just wrapping insulation around the mid-section of the baseboard (the part under the bed) and forego any plumber's involvement?

Thanks!!!!

Desperate Husband in Hoboken, NJ

[Edwin Pawlowski]

It can work., but may not bee needed.

Most heating systems are set at a max of 190. Depending on the route it travels the temperature will be down a bit when it gest to the bedroom.

Much cheaper idea. Blocking air flow over the fins greatly reduces the amount of heat given off. You may not have to cover the rest of the tubing. To check ot how well it work any sort of insulation will work on a temporary basis. You can probably find something around hte h ouse to wrap it in for the night.

Since younixed the replacement wife, I want to add another comment. This may or may ot affect you as it is age dependent. Assuming the insulation works, you may still go to bed and your wife will say "honey, I'm really hot". If you are say, 20 to 35, don't plan on much sleep as you have work to do. . If you are 45 to 50, it means she is having a hot flash. Come back in 15 minuets and she will complain it is cold. Bu 55 or so, that passes.

>

[willshak]

On 1/3/2005 3:45 PM US(ET), [e-mail] took fingers to keys, and typed the following:

#3 is the way I would go. You could probably close off the slat in that section and then build a simple 2 piece (top and front) wood cover as wide as the bed, or wider, for that section. The wood cover will prevent most of the heat from rising straight up in that area and any excess build up of heat will flow out the ends of the wood cover. If you rearrange the furniture in the room later, no permanent harm has been done to the heat.

[Bob]

You could do the insulation thing, or put a small fan under the bed to re-distribute the heat away from the bed, or some combination of the two. This would still allow the room to be appropriately heated.

Bob

[Greg O]

If the baseboard is more than big enough to heat t he room, just block off part of it in the area that bothers your wife. Good old tin foil is good for this. The only downside is it is possible the room may be a bit cool. Another option is to just move the bed out 6" so the hot air can circulate easier. Greg

[Red Neckerson]

or shove something UNDER part of the baseboard. Here is why:

Old farm house with baseboard heat (and a 60 year old boiler!). Previous owner never had trouble with heat. New people could not get heat in the master bedroom. Seems they installed a carpet with thick padding that went all the way to the wall UNDER the baseboard heat. Not enough space for the convection affect. As soon as they pulled the carpet back, they had all the heat they needed.

Maybe you could do part of the baseboard at the head of the bed?

Just a thought.....

[MrAoD]

Glad to hear you married a millionaire's daughter. ;-)

1)Move the bed. Is that an option?

Won't work, sorry. That product's designed to maintain a minimum level of heat for the water IN the pipe. Cuts down on leakage but doesn't eliminate it. So if you went that way you'd still have some heat coming through, probably ca.

50% of what you've got now.

Depends on whether you're willing to void the manufacturer's warrantee (if any still remains, and whether the water loop is under pressure. If it's a low pressure system you could probably void the warrantee by your ownself. Hacksaw, thick wall copper pipe, deburring tool and compression fittings if the pressure's less than 50 psi.

If you choose to go this route the 210 is fine. If you're running hot water through the pipes I'm guessing the outer surface of the line wouldn't exceed

125-135 F.

This is worth a shot, just for s's 'n' grins. If you can find some cloth that's fire retardant (at minimum, if not fireproof), simply block the section that runs behind the bed.

Drink plenty of black coffee, sit up all night and monitor for at least 3 nights. ;-)

Or, if you don't mind removing and capping the whole system, get an electrical, non-circulating, radiant heat appliance and put it in the coffin corner of the bedroom.

HTH,

Marc

[Warren Weber]

We also have hot water heat. The pipes come up through the floor for input and output of the finned heater. If you have access to this under the floor just have the heater removed and the pipes connected under the floor. W W

[FEngelman]

first thing, close the damper on the baseboard unit, that will cut down the convection currents.. stuff the bottom of the baseboard with something to stop it, as was previously suggested... cut the aluminum fins off the copper pipe, carefully, then insulate.... the temperature of the water is never going to be above about 180 degrees, farenheit, so don't worry about the insulation melting.... but have you considered moving the bed?