Need Heating Advice
scubalab
Posts: 3,103
We’re down to Studs in the home theater and bar and I removed two old baseboard electric heaters. I don’t want to reinstall baseboards as they take up too much wall space. I purchased a Cadet 240v wall heater and programmable thermostat, got it installed last night and tried it out.
The good - it’s very small, low profile, and does a good job heating the space.
The bad - it’s loud. Too loud. Think hotel room heater/AC unit constantantly turning on and off. I hate it. Absolutely horrible for a theater room.
We’ve considered replacing our split system AC unit with a heat pump, but it’s expensive (like $4-$5k for a good one with two indoor units). Don’t want to go back to baseboard. Don’t have the room for something that sticks out from the wall more than an inch or two. I’m not finding much... would like something 240v, permanently installed and controlled by the separate wall thermostat. I’m thinking convection is the only thing that would be quiet enough. We do have propane available (near one wall), but most of what I’m finding is 8-10” deep (out from the wall).
Open to ideas.
The good - it’s very small, low profile, and does a good job heating the space.
The bad - it’s loud. Too loud. Think hotel room heater/AC unit constantantly turning on and off. I hate it. Absolutely horrible for a theater room.
We’ve considered replacing our split system AC unit with a heat pump, but it’s expensive (like $4-$5k for a good one with two indoor units). Don’t want to go back to baseboard. Don’t have the room for something that sticks out from the wall more than an inch or two. I’m not finding much... would like something 240v, permanently installed and controlled by the separate wall thermostat. I’m thinking convection is the only thing that would be quiet enough. We do have propane available (near one wall), but most of what I’m finding is 8-10” deep (out from the wall).
Open to ideas.
Comments
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The electrical work is temporary - I know I’m going to get criticized for some of the wiring in the pics.
The gang box with the two switches is temporary and will be replaced properly. -
We'll, since you don't want to do a heat pump, I suggest trash can fires. Cuts down on your waste to the local landfills and gives your house the sweet aroma of burnt styrofoam.Where’s the KABOOM?!?! There’s supposed to be an Earth shattering KABOOM!!!
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I do have some styrofoam from the walls for a fuel source!
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And, not opposed to the split system heat pump. Just can’t swing that right now. We may have to go temporary (portable heater) for a year or two and then save for the heat pump.
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Not much to an electric heater. Basically heating elements, fan, safety switches, and sequencer. The only thing that makes noise is the fan motor, blades, and sheet metal.
I would suggest looking at fan blades, should be directly behind that sheet cover, and see if they’re vibrating. Could simply be a piece of tape on one of the blades.
If still noisy, with cover removed, and blades appear to be balanced, then look for something different.
Depending on where you live and type of heating/cooling you use, I may have an idea or 3, but would try to figure out if noise is something that can be addressed or just a bad product design. -
Radiant Electric Floor Heating?
Don't know the costs, but it's apparently quite energy efficient. Will just drive your electric bill up...Where’s the KABOOM?!?! There’s supposed to be an Earth shattering KABOOM!!! -
Looking at that picture again, I would start by adding some bracing to the bottom of that heater and see if that cuts down on the noise.
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The noise is just the air flow noise. Nothing wrong with the fan. I guess considering it’s forced air built into the unit, there’s not much that can be done. It was described to us (before purchasing) as comparable to a running refrigerator.
Radiant floor heat is definitely intriguing! Will have to research pricing. We could postpone carpet installation another couple weeks if we have to! -
What he said...
Not sure if just doing the bar and walkway would be enough heat because I know you’d want carpet on the risers ..."....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
We’re abandoning the risers (two rows of seating) and going with a big sectional. The theater area will be new carpet over the concrete slab (padding too). The bar will be tile. The theater is 10’ x 20’. The bar is 8.5’ x 10’. The bar sits off too the right (as you look at the screen) all the way in the back of the room (L shaped).
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Al,
Have you looked at or considered the ceiling mount options? A neighbor of mine has one and it seems to do a good job but not sure how loud they are. A guy in our neighborhood put this one:
https://www.amazon.com/Fahrenheat-FSSWH1502-Fsswh1502-Output-120Volt/dp/B008GG7TX6/ref=asc_df_B008GG7TX6/?tag=hyprod-20&linkCode=df0&hvadid=198093463189&hvpos=1o1&hvnetw=g&hvrand=5274679828113163451&hvpone=&hvptwo=&hvqmt=&hvdev=m&hvdvcmdl=&hvlocint=&hvlocphy=9007798&hvtargid=pla-321270384155&psc=1
into an addition and says it does great. Again not sure how loud it is.
Shawn
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Nothing to add here, except that I like that you've had the foresight to install a trapdoor in the slab. Wine cellar, root cellar, torture chamber... the possibilities are endless.I disabled signatures.
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Scott - the possibilities ARE endless!
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So, part of what I’m up against... Makes me wonder what else is hiding behind our walls.
This was discovered when we pulled the old drywall. And yes, it is live.
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Yikes. I think the guy who had my house before me was a self-proclaimed elektrishan. I've probably got stuff like that, too. Maybe not even taped up.I disabled signatures.
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So, part of what I’m up against... Makes me wonder what else is hiding behind our walls.
This was discovered when we pulled the old drywall. And yes, it is live.
Great! Another place to install a wall heating unit
"....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963) -
So, part of what I’m up against... Makes me wonder what else is hiding behind our walls.
This was discovered when we pulled the old drywall. And yes, it is live.
Noooooooo!! -
It’s like Russian WALL roulette!!"....not everything that can be counted counts, and not everything that counts can be counted." William Bruce Cameron, Informal Sociology: A Casual Introduction to Sociological Thinking (1963)
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Hello, we're so sorry to hear the wall unit is unsatisfactory. We would think with today's technology they could have come up with a way to reduce the fan noise perhaps by reducing the motor speed and/or advanced blade design.
From first hand experience we can tell you that radiant floor heating is wonderful, but it does not work well if there is padding and carpet over top despite the claims.
Good luck and we hope you have a wonderful day.Political Correctness'.........defined
"A doctrine fostered by a delusional, illogical minority and rabidly promoted by an unscrupulous mainstream media, which holds forth the proposition that it is entirely possible to pick up a t-u-r-d by the clean end."
President of Club Polk -
Aaaaaand... he’s back!
Missed ya Jesse!
(I knew fan noise would draw you right in
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Something is very wrong here...
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OMG! Who is this guy?
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Garage #2: Cambridge Audio EVO150 Integrated Amplifier, Polk L200's, Analysis Plus Silver Oval 2 Speaker Cables, IC's TBD. -
Interesting it’s that loud. I have two, one in our basement HT area, and they I can’t hear them at all.
Oh, Listen here mister. We got no way of understandin' this world. But we got as much sense of this bird flyin in the sky. Now there is a lot that bird don't know, but it don't change the fact that the world is happening to him all the same. What I am tryin to say is, is that the course of your life, well its changing, and you don't even see it- Forest Bondurant -
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That's a good example of why I stopped DIYing most home improvement. I don't like surprises.
On the original topic of this thread, and FWIW, I love our Mitsubishi "H2i" heat pump thingy. This thing is claimed to be able to operate efficiently down to -12 F. I can vouch for it down to -10. No auxiliary electric heater in it, since it really doesn't need one. It is quiet, competent and very energy efficient, too. We had this installed last summer. So far, I am thrilled with it. In fact, if I had it to do over again, I might used these for the whole house when we had it built.
We're using it as an auxiliary/backup for our propane boiler (and for some A/C in the summer), since our electricity is essentially free (via net metering).
DSC_1842 (2) by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
DSC_1840 (2) by Mark Hardy, on Flickr
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jeremymarcinko wrote: »Interesting it’s that loud. I have two, one in our basement HT area, and they I can’t hear them at all.
Jeremy, that looks like the same one I got (but mine does not have an on-board thermostat). I have another model that’s going back; I may try connecting that one and seeing if it sounds the same. I’m also wondering if once the drywall goes up if it will quiet down. I’ll not too optimistic as the noise is air flow noise. Right now, sitting about 10-15 feet in front of it, it’s very noticeable. It also doesn’t help that the thermostat turns it on for five minutes, then off for 5-10 minutes, then back on, etc. -
So I just leave mine set to high all the time, but they are wired to a timer, so they’ll switch off on their own if I forget.
I only flip them on if I’m planning to be in the HT.Oh, Listen here mister. We got no way of understandin' this world. But we got as much sense of this bird flyin in the sky. Now there is a lot that bird don't know, but it don't change the fact that the world is happening to him all the same. What I am tryin to say is, is that the course of your life, well its changing, and you don't even see it- Forest Bondurant -
I don’t know if the finished wall will help.Oh, Listen here mister. We got no way of understandin' this world. But we got as much sense of this bird flyin in the sky. Now there is a lot that bird don't know, but it don't change the fact that the world is happening to him all the same. What I am tryin to say is, is that the course of your life, well its changing, and you don't even see it- Forest Bondurant
