My sister is looking at a house that was built in the 60's. It has radiant heat in the upstairs ceiling. Anyone know anything about this stuff? I know its electric but what about efficiency, maintaining it, fire hazard and any issues. Any advice?
I vote no... no as in I can't see that being very efficient at all. Floor radiant would be more acceptable in my mind. I can't even say I have ever heard of ceiling radiant heat
Me either until now. I told her the same thing. I don't think she has her heart set on the place at least.
My grandparents house had hot water radiant in some of their ceilings. It makes little sense. The top of your head will be warm, your toes will freeze.
Our old farm had a 2'x6' radiant panel in the ceiling in the kitchen. It worked really well. Standing under it, you wouldn't feel any air movement at all… but instantly you got warm. We always figured it used too much juice so we kept it off most of the time. Don't know about elec hazards, etc. It was installed in the mid 70s and we were living there from 1994-2007. Still worked.
The electric ceiling heat was somewhat common in the 60- 70s. Maybe because it was fairly easy to staple to a ceiling and mud over? I dunno. I saw it alot in Idaho where power was cheap and the heat requirement wasn't too high. I lived there 4 years and coldest I ever saw was 8*.
My house, built in 1959, has electric radiant heat wires in the walls and the ceilings. It's embedded in the plaster. The house was converted to forced air sometime in the 70s, but the electric was still there with the breakers shut off. Each room had its own thermostat. I never dared try it out. I removed the stats and chopped off the wires behind the panel when I replaced the service panel after I bought the house. Those wires make for a real PITA when doing a remodel project that involves stripping a room to the studs. I can't imagine how efficient it would be, especially the ceilings.
Just like a heat pump heat strips. Very efficient at converting both electricity into heat AND into heating bills.
Don't write off the all electric house just yet. Electric is very expensive these days BUT, electric houses from late 60's and 70's were insulated very well. It will take less heat to heat the house if there is an alternative source like wood or even forced air.
When growing up, my parents had a house that had both forced air (oil) and radiant heat in the bedroom ceilings. It was embedded in the plaster. I doubt it was very efficient and we rarely used it. We also had radiant heat in the lower level slab which was a finished walkout basement. It litterly took 2 days to feel any heat coming up from the slab, but when all that concrete finally warmed up it was really comfortable.
