Are heated floors in bathrooms better than wall mounted heaters
marianm139
3 years ago
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julieste
3 years agoRelated Discussions
Wall mount heated towel bar
Comments (1)Good morning Moussy, I don't know either of these brands. I have a Warmly Yours Infinity model. I like mine, and one reason I chose this one is that a programmable timer is included. Be sure to check on this, as it is definitely handier than having to remember to turn it on and off. If you have to add the cost of a timer, keep that in mind when you are comparing. I found much better prices than you were quoted online at Amazon. I would do a little more research before buying through your plumber, or see if he will match Amazon's price. Here is a link that might be useful: one seller on Amazon...See MoreIcy Bathroom Floor - I Don't Think I Can Install Radiant Heat
Comments (17)Wow. Thanks everyone for your suggestions. Bishop8 - it's a fire hazard to have towels too close to a baseboard heater. I believe the distance must be 8" between the top of the heater and the bottom of the towels, which should be fine, except for people and kids who fling the towel over the bar so that it slides down almost to the floor. Billl - yes, that's exactly what I want to do, heat the floor surface not so much the air. You said infrared heater. I think of those when I think of the old-fashioned bathroom ceiling heaters you still see occasionally in motels. Are you saying they make infrared baseboard or wall heaters? Do you know any brands you could point me to? Davidro - as I mentioned in my OP, I am not going to pull up floor tile, because I would never be able to re-do the marble floor tile to match the existing marble tub surround and shower walls. Also, this bathroom is an interior ensuite to the master bedroom - i.e. they share the floor structure, and there are no outside walls in the bathroom. But the bedroom floor feels fine, because it is not marble. It is the marble that is the issue, not the floor structure underneath the marble. Birdgardner - I thought of the attic too, which is actually little more than a crawl space above the bathroom. I checked up there again, and it is quite well-insulated. As I mentioned in my OP, you can feel the marble through slippers, and I should have mentioned they are the thick slippers which are normally warm! I am thinking of chucking the whole idea of a heater (and the cost) and getting a thick rug. Maybe I'll post a new thread on this Forum to ask for suggestions for bathroom rugs. Only problems with a rug is that it won't cover the entire standing area, and I am not a fan of rugs in bathrooms because they are dust/hair/powder/sprays traps. I guess there is no ideal solution, but I must weigh the pros and cons of all the solutions provided here. Thanks so much!...See Moreis Tankless really better than electric std water heater
Comments (17)city Agree that there is something not right about the kitchen and laundry room. I would have the plumber check if there are anti-scalding valves on the fixtures. When we first moved in, I had to adjust these to properly work with the tankless units. The problem was that out of the box, the fixtures were set with too much cold water in the mixture, and it took forever for the hot water to overcome the cold water mix. At 15 to 20 feet away, the delay should be less than 10 to 15 seconds or so. The master bedroom is another story. I would check anti scalding valves in the master bath and adjusting those might help a little. But you still have 70 feet of water to push out of the way. There are other solutions besides the water recirculating system: - use small point of use hot water generators underneath each master bathroom sink. If your main issue is getting hot water to the sinks (and you don't mind waiting a little for the tub or shower) then the point of use systems can fix that. They make several types - both tank and tankless. The downside is that you need to run seperate power to those units, but it might be a lower cost option in the long run (see my note below on recirc loops). I have one of these under my butler pantry for generating hor water for tea and it cost 140 dollars for the unit. - If you have 2 Rinnai units, perhaps move one of them to the side of the house where the master suite is. The closer you get the hot water source to the master suite, the faster you will get water. This may not be possible since venting the unit if it is gas can be a challenge. - Add a small high efficiency hot water tank on the master suite side of the house to fee the sinks and shower (let the tub remain fed by the tankless). You can get a small tank sized for your daily sink and shower needs. Then you have the recirculating system option which requires a small tank (4 to 10 gallon electric or gas tank), a small pump, and all lines in the recirculating loop to be insulated. The small tank must be sized properly - not just the amount of gallons it holds but the heating element size - or the system might not work properly. You also have to realize that your monthly energy costs will go up because you must keep the pump running during the times when you need hot water. The cost to run the pump is relatively low - pennies per day - but the cost to keep heating the water as it cools when looping can be significant. If you do go down the recirc loop route, get a pump that has a 2 timers on it. Then you can set the timers for morning and evening use, but turn the pump off when hot water use is not expected. The tank remains enegergized all the time - and turns on based on a thermostat - to keep the water at the set temp but since the water is not looping when the timers are off, the amount of energy required to keep the hot water in the tank hot is minimized. I would find a good plumber who can give you an independent evaluation for solving your issues. It sounds like the builder just wants you to throw money at the problem and that might not be the best way to handle it....See MoreHow to prevent frozen line for exterior mounted hot water heater
Comments (4)I live in a northern zone and rely on heat tape to keep my water supply going. First, warm items cool off faster than cold items. So heating up an object to keep it from freezing actually speeds the freezing process. There are lots of heat tapes available that have a built in thermostat. You simply wrap them or tape them to the pipe and plug in. Up here in the frigid north we would put the heat tape on then insulate the pipe with a fiberglass pipe insulation. And yes, they can go through exterior walls and into floor cavities. Just make sure the thermostat is attached on the coldest part of the pipe (outside it sounds like) Heat tape I am not associated with product mentioned just using as an example. SCG...See Morenoreaster10
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