Alternative to Ceiling Heating

May 13, 2006 28 Replies

replying to Speedy, Carolyn wrote: We have the same situation of a radiant ceiling system installed in the 1960s. One room doesn't work and the others are very expensive, with heat buildup near the ceiling and chills near the floor. I'm looking for alternatives to retrofit our heating system.

In order of increasing cost: Gas if you can Oil is next best Electric storage And finally electric without storage

The key thing is to insulate insulate insulate.

And do yourself a favour and move to a sane newsgroup portal or client. This is news:uk.d-i-y.

NT

A local builder says he is not allowed to fit oil anymore. He must use air sourced heatpumps instead.

In new build. It is having a woodburner fitted, to make sure it emits lots of CO2 and pollutants though.

That's a lie.

And so is that.

I find radiant heaters in a bathroom very nice as it dries my hair off, but for other places it seems an odd choice unless you want to cook your head. If it was not for the noise of the fan, then a thermostatically controlled fan heater does seem to be very useful at times. Brian

There was a craze for ceiling heating back in the 70's. Electric and hot water. It was donefor cheapness. I have experience of it in large buildings, total dead loss. You only have electricity. Storage heaters are the way to go. Most have controlled output these days, this is the aspect to check up on.

Or electric underfloor heating. (Costly and disruptive.)

A lot depends on occupation times/patterns. ie when you are at home.

Might a slow running fan be able to move heat from the ceiling, down to the floor - as a quick, cheap fix?

I expect the burning of wood in woodburners to be banned in London (and maybe other smokeless fuel zones) within a couple of years. It is only allowed at the moment by way of a list of specific makes/models of wood burners which are exempted from the current smokeless fuel regulations, and I suspect that list will simply be emptied, which requires no change in the law.

I'm not in London, or indeed in a big city, or indeed in a city. Or a town, or village. But ...

Our big woodburner (we have 2) has (had*) a catalyst in the path of the exhaust gases that consumes particulates & so on.

(* the catalyst has been removed at some time since it was installed in

1998. I suspect they are no longer available)

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