Radiant Heating Systems - A Quick and Economical System to Retrofit a Room

Radiant Heating Systems - A Quick and Economical System to Retrofit a Room

The addition is heating a former unheated room in our basement.

It is cold outside and the available basement room is away from the central heating system that only serves the upper level of the home. To extend the existing system to accommodate the added room will require installation of additional hot and cold air plenum as well as an auxiliary fan, just to move the air. Also, the existing propane furnace would have to be re-built to add zone heat and accommodate the additional room.

A quick solution was to purchase an electric heating system for one room. The unit is a freestanding floor unit. The unit can be plugged directly into an existing wall outlet, served by a 15-amp breaker. Here are some of the checklist items in addition to remaining within any electrical load, zoning or condo restrictions. Check the current load on the electrical circuit, where the unit is plugged in. Check the Amperage of the breaker or fuse serving the outlet. Also, check if you are using 110Volt or 220Volt units since they may be available with several options. Write this information on a sheet of paper.

Add the dimensions of the new area to be heated, floor length and width as well as the ceiling height. If you arrive at the store armed with this information, the sales clerk or department manager can help simplify the task of selecting the materials you will need.

If you purchase one of the economy units, you may also need to purchase an in-line thermostatic switch to control the temperature. You may find it desirable to add a few dollars and invest in a unit that combines the thermostat with a timer so the unit can be operated at lower temperatures when the room is unoccupied. Most units will limit you to six feet or less of cord. Other units may require hiring an electrician to install the unit.

The actual installation usually means placement of the radiant heat unit along an outside wall several inches above the floor and clear of any furniture, dressers, drawer chests that block movement of air and heat to radiate about the room. In this case, I had to use a floor unit on wheels to position the unit in the room since all of the wall space is occupied with desk, bookshelves, chests of drawers and other furnishings.

How does it work? This unit meets the needs very well and is easy to adjust since the two switches permit minimum heat generation during off hours and the 'high' switch for extra heat when the outdoors temperature really drops or if extra heat is needed.

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