Thread: Ceiling mounted radiant heat panel

It's been a week full of oddities for me. Floor drain in the sump pit and now an electric heat panel mounted over the bed. Never seen one before. Are they common anywhere?

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I run across it once in a while, but I wouldn't say it was common. Maybe once a year here on houses built in mid 70's.

Originally Posted by Jim Robinson

I run across it once in a while, but I wouldn't say it was common. Maybe once a year here on houses built in mid 70's.

This is the first time I've seen one built into the house, but in the 70's you could buy these at Kmart. They radiate infrared, so they tend to heat bodies (and other watery objects) more than air. People would use them to be comfortable when the main thermostat was turned way down. Seemed like a great idea at the time.

Properly installed these still make great sense. If your primary heat source is electric these little babies allow for some very specific and efficient spot heating. However in most places (all places that I know of) natural gas and even propane is still less costly than electricity for heating.

They are great for bathrooms to warm a body during bath/shower time during the heating season. Combine with a 15 or 30 minute timer to minimize energy use.