| Author |
Message |
    
Dobler88
Citizen
Username: Dobler88
Post Number: 89
Registered: 7-2005
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 8, 2006 - 3:01 pm: | 
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I know this has been discussed but I can't find anything via search. Does anyone have an idea of what it would cost (and what it would take) to install some sort of heating in the attic? We have steam heat w/the old cast iron radiators everywhere else. Our attic is finished and we use it now with a portable heater, if necessary, but I'd like to look into maybe doing something more permanent.
Thoughts? |
SlowDog
Citizen
Username: Bca
Post Number: 53
Registered: 10-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 8, 2006 - 3:09 pm: |
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Exact same issue here. We have steam heat everywhere else in the house. I'm told its cost prohibitive to bring steam up to the third floor. Is a hot water loop possible, notwithstanding our steam system? |
jab
Citizen
Username: Jab
Post Number: 521
Registered: 3-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 8, 2006 - 4:30 pm: |
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We have the same situation (but finishing the third floor is a project for the distant future) and have discussed the project very generally with contractors. They recommended gas heat for the third floor. Electric heat is not an option unless we upgrade from our 100 amp service, but we already have a gas line for the stove and clothes dryer. |
MM
Citizen
Username: Melandmike
Post Number: 77
Registered: 1-2004
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 8, 2006 - 5:12 pm: |
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We have a finished attic and no heat as well. We have steam heat. We've been told the same- not to do elec because it's very costly- and that running a steam pipe up is huge undertaking too. Any ideas would be great. Was does it involve getting gas heat up there. FWIW, my husband uses the attic as his office and uses a portable heater which has worked well and kept him warm. |
Bob K
Supporter
Username: Bobk
Post Number: 10589
Registered: 5-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 8, 2006 - 5:46 pm: |
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We had an attic without heat that had an open stairway to the second floor. Heat rising plus thermal gain from a skylight kept it warm enough most of the time. We had a DeLonghi oil filled electric radiator that we used when needed, which wasn't that often.
Is it worth, say, $5,000 to bring up heat to save $100 on your electric bill over the winter? This is a long payback and, of course, depends on how much you use the room(s) and how long you plan to live in your house.
Another option is a self contained heat pump, which is fairly efficient for heat and provides AC during the summer.
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marken
Citizen
Username: Marken
Post Number: 246
Registered: 4-2003
| | Posted on Wednesday, February 8, 2006 - 9:51 pm: |
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We have a steam pipe on the 3rd floor, but it must be capped off somewhere, since not even the slightest breeze comes out no matter how long we leave the boiler on.
The room isn't that big, so it doesn't really matter too much and we also get rising heat which stays put -- more or less -- because the finished area has pretty decent insulation. Otherwise, we might need a space heater. |
David Cataneo
Citizen
Username: Dave_cataneo
Post Number: 110
Registered: 4-2004
| | Posted on Thursday, February 9, 2006 - 8:51 am: |
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You can run a hot water heat zone off your steam boiler or from a dedicated water heater (not the 1 you use for hot water now) and use copper or pex tubing to get from the basement to the attic, which may or may not be practical depending on your soil stack chase or how your closets line up from floor to floor. Otherwise, you have to open the walls below, which you might not want to do. Once in the attic you can unstall baseboard or radiators and a separate thermostat for that zone. |
Dobler88
Citizen
Username: Dobler88
Post Number: 90
Registered: 7-2005
| | Posted on Thursday, February 9, 2006 - 10:38 am: |
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Thanks everyone. I sort of suspected it would be complicated. We have upgraded electric, so we "could' do the electric heat up there, but it would be pricey and probably not worth it..
interesting that so many of us have the same issue. Our house is very small, so that attic space is used often! |
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