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Joined: Jul 2002
Posts: 8,443 Likes: 3
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How common is the type of Heating, where you live, that uses an element material as part of the ceiling tiles, or ceiling in general. I disconnected and removed, today, the first system like this, that I have ever seen. Are they still used?, are they still installed?, these days. Is there a brand-name product, of this type?. It just caught me, as strange, I would have thought that UnderFloor heating would be better, maybe I'm wrong(again!). What are your thoughts on this?.
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Joined: Sep 2002
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I know the energy conservation people have compared different heating systems with respect to comfort and efficiency. Ceiling heating was the worst system they could find. Everybody knows that heat rises. Why fight nature?
It has been used in Sweden, but I think it is rare. I haven't seen ceiling heating for sale, but some houses have it. You're right: underfloor heating is better and has become very popular in recent years, especially in bathrooms.
(Now if I only could remember where I saw that report... Sigh!)
[This message has been edited by C-H (edited 03-05-2003).]
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Joined: Dec 2002
Posts: 1,253
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I've seen one or two weird electric heating systems here:
1) recessed radient ceiling heating and
2) wall mounted fan heaters with axial fans.. quite large ones that oscilate back and forth like a desk fan. Seen them used quite a bit in 60s/70s places.
Floor heating, usually not electric though, is gaining popularity again.
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Joined: Nov 2002
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I seen it once, in a house my brother nearly bought. I think he had the idea to go to gas heat if he bought it (the hous he ended up buying has gas hydronic heat).
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Joined: Jan 2003
Posts: 45
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Yes my house has/had celing heating. Basically it consists of smallish foil backed electricblanket type elements wired up in series over each room, (in between the joists). Last time it was working was back in around 93, gone Gas now. It did heat the room up nicely, but when you went in the loft , it was like a sauna, so you can imagine about 95% of the heat going through the roof I ripped most of it out a while back.
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Joined: Jul 2002
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C-H, It seemed strange at the time, that I was disconnecting the system, why the h**l, would you want to heat your ceiling?. DJK, with regards to (2),we still use these Heaters, over here, only by people that have no real alternative, but they are really hard on your Electricity account!. sanUK, Welcome to ECN, but I must say good on you for getting rid of that rubbish, I had never seen it before, until I hit it the other day, and I have been an Electrician for 10 years+.
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Joined: Aug 2001
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I've not come across any ceiling heat of this type in this area. I still occasionally see one of the old combination light-heat units (circular element around a central light) in an outside W.C. or pantry-type room in older properties.
Embedded heating in solid concrete floors was quite common in the late 1960s/early 1970s, run on cheap night-rate electricity ("Economy 7"). The big problem is the system is even less controllable than storage heaters, due to the huge thermal mass of the concrete. In the unpredictable British climate, it's a guessing game as to whether to turn up the heat or not overnight.
I've never been a fan of concrete floors, anyway -- I much prefer wood.
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Joined: Jun 2002
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Metal ceiling tiles fitted with heat tubes are very common here. Hospitals, schools, prisons etc. I think that the efficiency of the system is set aside for the other advantages.
regards
lyle dunn
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Joined: Jul 2002
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Paul, So that is what "Economy 7" is! It's the Night Rate, so is that done through the Night Rate Meter over there?. Is Hot Water on the same rate?, for a storage cylinder?. Does this mean, that the load is energised for 7 Hours?. Just a wide question.
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Joined: Aug 2001
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Yes, the Economy 7 tariff is so named for the 7 hours of cheap rate juice each night. It normally runs midnight-7am when were on GMT, 1-8am when we're on BST (British Summer Time), although it's sometimes operated on a staggered basis in some areas to avoid everybody's heavy loads coming on at once.
The old "white meter" that some people still refer to was exactly that: A separate meter for the night rate with a white case instead of the standard black. A timer-controlled contactor would apply power to a separate distribution panel to which would be wired the storage heaters. With this system, only loads on that panel were charged at the low rate; everything else remained on the standard meter at all times.
The newer Economy 7 now uses a single meter with multiple rate dials. The PoCo will still supply a contactor so that storage heater loads can be connected to a separate panel, but the entire house is metered at the lower rate overnight.
There is also an Economy 10 tariff now, which gives an extra boost of power to heaters during the afternoon.
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