for Cold Climate Housing and much more

Last Updated: , Created: Monday, September 24th, 2001

Heating a bathroom without ductwork.

Peter in Toronto has forced air heating but no ducts in his bathroom and finished ceilings below. He is wondering just how he can get heat to this room without ductwork.

Well, Peter, the only heat available without any ductwork is electric. Actually using electricity to heat one bathroom in an all gas heated house is not that expensive. The gas provides the basic background head and the electric heating is just to top us this room that doesn't have direct access to the furnace. That costs much less, even where electricity can be really expensive, like Calgary, than trying to temper air from -25 up to room temperature.

You could just put an inexpensive baseboard heater in the room but there are better alternatives, particularly for comfort. Electric radiant heating cables put under floor tiles, or into the ceiling, can make a very comfortable room because the radiant heat warms up objects, like the ceramic tiles and the toilet seat, which in turn warm the air.For a DIY instillation, you can find the "Easy Heat" Heron brand of heating cables in most renovation centres for the under the tile installation.

If you are not into renovating either the floor or the ceiling, then you may want to look at electric heaters that hang on the wall, complete with fans. We showed a quality one made by Ouellet Electric Heating from Quebec, which comes in both 220v and 110v configuration. This means that for a small, but effective and safe heater (it can't fall over or get water spilled on it, as it is mounded up on the wall slightly off the floor) you could even get one that simply plugs into the wall outlet without running new wires to the bathroom (assuming of course that you have a line with little else loaded onto it). One of the things to look for in such heaters is the squirrel cage fan. It is quieter and more powerful than blade types.

Click here for information on the LEGALITY OF DIY ELECTRICAL WORK.


Keywords: Radiant, Heating, Alternative, Bathroom, Electrical

Article 1302