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We have a 30" steam radiator in the kitchen that is taking up valuable cabinet space. Currently it's tucked under the counter in the corner, where most people would have a lazy suzan.
We had a GC come out and he recommended we replace with a "toe-kick radiator" but after doing some reading, I realize not only are steam solutions are large and uncommon, but most toe-kick solutions are electric or hot water.
We do not have a dedicated hot water heat system in the house for heat, and tapping into the potable seems beyond scope for just one rad. I do not like the idea of an electric radiator due to cost of electricity at $0.21/kwh.
What are some alternatives to heating a kitchen using either exsisting steam or other without taking up valuable space? How about just relocating/replacing the radiator with a smaller one (<cabinet depth) and installing it at the end of the cabinets as opposed to being mounted flush against a wall?
Steam heat, meaning single pipe that feeds radiators from a single entry point and allows water to recondense and drip back down to the boiler with no additional return pipe is outdated and inefficient as well as likely dangerously old -- I would strongly recommend that anyone that is not 100% sure there system is not so weakened by age to consider replacing it as a top priority.
If you already have a "two pipe" system that allows water to flow back to the boilers via a different pipe than they are feed you definately can use a toe kick heater. The blend of hot "steaming" water vapor and return water can be mixed to feed an appropriate toe kick heater.
Technially a toe kick heater could be made to safely operate on even a single pipe system, but finding an boiler guy that could work out the capture tank and condenscing rate is not a prudent use of time / money...
The cost of running a low temp steam-to-hot water type sub tank to drive the toe kick heater might also be something to consider, but I suspect for a single toe kick heater you'd need pumps and such that would make this foolishly costly -- anychance of switching larger parts of the house over to radiant hydronic heat so your total pay back time is shortened in lower energy costs???
Why not go with electric baseboard in that one room? Will have its own thermostst.
Because electricity is expensive where I live.
Quote:
Originally Posted by MrRational
Forced hot water has MANY options. Steam? Not so much.
How much are you willing to spend (for something custom)?
Installing a dedicated water heater for just one room is out of scope, if that is what you're getting at.
I was looking for something off-the-shelf that will work with my current (steam) system, while not taking up much room.
Maybe i'll just replace the large one with a small one... The two rooms adjacent to the kitchen are heated and there is no door separating the rooms, just an archway.
I love steam. I wouldn't change it for anything. Nothing heats up a house faster so if you lower the temperature significantly during the day when people are gone, it can heat up 15 minutes before you return. Hot water properly sized takes forever to warm up a whole house. Electric even longer. So efficiency statistics that are based upon maintaining a constant temperature (which all are) do not tell the whole story.
Keep the steam, find somewhere else to put the condiments.
Installing a dedicated water heater for just one room is out of scope, if that is what you're getting at.
I was looking for something off-the-shelf that will work with my current (steam) system, while not taking up much room.
Maybe i'll just replace the large one with a small one... The two rooms adjacent to the kitchen are heated and there is no door separating the rooms, just an archway.
I understand the expense of electrical heating. I am not advocating it for whole house heating but I read your post to say you wanted to update/get more room in the kitchen so:
1. It would be cheap, easy, and space saving to do so.
2. With its own thermostat, it can easily be used/not used/controlled.
That said, with adjacent rooms heated and open to the kitchen do you need any "heating" device in the kitchen?
I certianly won't tell you whether you'll be comfortable with it, but I've seen people eliminate the heat in their kitchen if it is in the center of the house with heated rooms on each side.
Otherwise... not sure what your answer is, either a small radiator moved possibly to the end of a run, some toe kick alternative, but far as I know those are electric or hot water, or using electric radiant mats on a seperate thermostat.
as someone who has hot water radiant in floor heating in their kitchen I think its great. Also if you have open rooms in the house the heat does move around, we had for a while the kitchen floor heat heating the whole downstairs without it getting too warm in the kitchen, although when it gets below freezing we do kick on the other heat as well.
how good is insulation in the kitchen? you could install radiant floor heating if you have access from below the kitchen - this can tap in to your existing boiler to heat the water for the radiant floor. i've seen it in many houses in NJ, and i'm doing it in mine as part of a kitchen remodel.
or - they make something that lays (i believe) under the tile that's electric heat. i've heard it doesn't really heat the room - just heats the floor. but if insulation in the kitchen is good, you shouldn't need much heat in the kitchen anyways.
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