What are the pros and cons of having radiant heat in your ceiling? My apt. building has it in the ceiling and I'm not sure how well it works. I was looking through webpages and the radiant heat systems were all in the floors.
cross-posting removed.
I have never lived with either. Are they still building the ceiling version?
The cost at the time they were being built was far less for ceiling.
Since heat rises I think the floor would result in a more even temp.
Colbyt
What about the bottom floor?
I live in an apt building where I had serious noise problems from the radiant heat so they turned my heat off. The noise continued and we discovered that the noise happened when my next-door neighbor's heat went on or off. The plumbers eventually came and put rings around the pipes so they wouldn't make the noise. They had to knock holes into the ceiling.
I never turned the heat back on, though I'm considering it. When the heat (ceiling radiant heat) was on, I'm not even sure how much it helped. I didn't even know it existed until after I'd lived here for years!
Last night it was about 64 in my bedroom and it bugged me. It was about 40 outside. I have a portable radiator-shaped heater which only helps a little.
I also have a small fan heater which is great for the bathroom but not so great for the living area. I have to sit right next to it to get an effect.
Older apts in Chicago often had it in ceilings too, it works, but floor is better, or radiators under windows, etc. Sounds like it may be an older building?
The main thing to consider is how the floor is heated, or whats under the floor. Having only ceiling heat with a cold floor is rediculous. The main thing about floor heating is walking on it, and heat rises. The ceiling would have to be pretty hot before enough radiant heat would be enough, and any air current would rapidly change the room temp, and the ceiling would be too hot to touch !
greg
So how many floors do you have. If the ceiling is heated, then the apt. below ceiling will be your floor.
greg
Unless there some mechanism for moving the air around in your rooms, you won't get as much benefit from heat in the ceiling as in the floor. In a multi-story building, you'll probably be heating your upstairs neighbor's place more than your own.
My old office had a radiant panel in the ceiling and I found the heating effect on the top of my head to be downright creepy.
My impression is that all the apts have only the ceiling radiant heat and that's it. What is so ridiculous about having just ceiling heat? (I live on the top floor if that matters.)
The secret to apt, condo living, if you have individule heat sources and are paying for it, is to keep your apt. at a lower temp than our neighbor. They will heat you apt. for pennies on your bill.
greg
The bottom floor would be better with radiators, the others it would be floor heat for the guy above, for the top floor it would be a big energy waster if it was ceiling also, but It would not be necessary.
Why, was it inappropriate for the other group or are you just being a netnanny? Crossposting exists for a reason and it was used appropriately in this case.
Well, in the floor you have a warm floor and the heat rises from there. In the ceiling you have a warm zone near the ceiling and unless you fan-force it no way for that heat to get near the floor, so you end up with a significant gradient from floor to ceiling level.
Personally I'd rather have a warm floor than a warm ceiling given the choice. I spend more time in contact with the floor.
FWIW: The only ceiling heat (electric not hot water piping) installation we have ever seen in this area was considered not very satisfactory. The house had sloping and fairly high ceilings. Not sure if system was undersized for this climate or what. One problem the owner mentioned was you could not do anything with the ceiling except repaint it's surface for fear of putting a screw or nail through the heating wiring. Gossip seems to say that in floor heating is more comfortable but have no facts to back that up. An acquaintance has in floor hot water heating and its effectiveness does seem to be somewhat limited due the birch wooden floor above it. It is also very slow (as one would expect) to react. Good luck with your pros and cons.
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I only have personal experience with one house with radiant ceiling heat. (electric, not water.) Noticed that even if the room felt warm, if you put your arm or leg under a table, it felt cold. The heat had shadows.
-- aem sends...
I had that 30 years ago. It was terrible.
Heat rises. Feet get cold. It's better to heat the floor so feet stay warm and the heat better mixes with the room air. Heating the ceiling also makes a larger temperature differential between the heater and the air above causing more heat loss.
It matters a *lot*. You have cold air above your ceiling. The hot ceiling increases the delta-T, more heat loss, more money.
Heat does not radiate down. That is a ridiculous notion. Only a retard would put it in the ceiling.
You're kidding, right?
Sure it does.
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