Heat source or Not

[Nick Ostrowski]

I looked at a house yesterday in which the only heat sources in the kitchen and dining room were the vertical runs of the hot water heating pipes from the basement up to the 2nd floor rooms, no radiators in the kitchen or dining room.

While these pipes will give off heat, are they enough to quailify as heat sources given their meager surface area?

[wayne soper]

Nick, If they had fins on them as normal convectors do then I would say OK but what you have would not fly for me. Is it a steam system where the pipes get really hot? If so then they should be covered for safety decreasing their effectivness as a heat source.

[David Banks]

IRC R304.1 Required Heating. When the winter design temperature in table R301.2(1) is below 60F every dwelling unit shall be provided with heating facilities capable of maintain a minimum room temp of 68F at a point 3 feet above the floor and 2 feet from exterior walls in all habitable rooms at the design temperature. The installation of one or more portable space heaters shall not be used to achieve compliance with this section.

[Nick Ostrowski]

Not steam, a hot water boiler. And the house is 75 years old. It may get them by but I'm inclined to say no actual heat sources in these rooms.