draft barrier

**John Arnold** · 05-15-2010, 01:18 PM

In a relatively high end condo today, I saw a breaker (off) labeled "draft barrier". No clue.

Then I saw these things in the photo under a couple windows in the living room. Light bulb illuminates in head. Against better judgment I turned on breaker, and, voila, heat. No other control. Just the breaker.

New one on me. Anyone else ever seen these things, and is that really what they're called?

The main heat source, by the way, was water source heat pump. The items in question were not connected to the heat pump. Straight electric, apparently.

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**John Arnold** · 05-15-2010, 01:21 PM

When will I learn to Google BEFORE asking? They are indeed called draft barriers.

**Dom D'Agostino** · 05-15-2010, 03:33 PM

I think they're similar to air curtains.

**Markus Keller** · 05-15-2010, 08:27 PM

We usually call them supplemental radiators. Haven't heard draft barriers before. Very common here in highrises with heat pump systems. Saw one in a unit just last week. The ones I have run into here though have all had a dial knob on them for output control.

**John Arnold** · 05-16-2010, 03:59 AM

Thanks, guys.

David Bell · 05-16-2010, 04:27 PM

Hard to believe there are no internal or external t-stats for these units.

**John Arnold** · 05-16-2010, 04:31 PM

Originally Posted by David Bell

Hard to believe there are no internal or external t-stats for these units.

I sure didn't see any, and the breaker was off, as if turned off until cold weather returns.

James Duffin · 05-16-2010, 04:46 PM

I bet they could pay for some insulated blinds in about a months worth of power bills to run those things.

David Bell · 05-16-2010, 04:59 PM

I have installed free standing perimeter heaters such as those in commercial office buildings, but they all either had dial type stats built inside each section or were tied into the building temp. control system.

**Jerry Peck** · 05-16-2010, 05:24 PM

Originally Posted by David Bell

I have installed free standing perimeter heaters such as those in commercial office buildings, but they all either had dial type stats built inside each section or were tied into the building temp. control system.

Those probably are available with a built-in thermostat or without, precisely for what you described, and they ordered and installed the wrong ones ... that would be my guess ... either intentionally as the ones without the built-in thermostats are less expensive or unintentionally and it was just a goof up which did not get corrected for whatever reason.