Using Cable Electric Heat as a primary heat source in your bathroom (Heat Loss Calc)

We are building a new barrier free bathroom here in Vancouver in a great old home in Vancouver's West End. The bathroom will be barrier free and the client wants a nice toasty room. The old bathroom was chilly and we aim to please so we have decided to heat the entire room (including the shower and bench). There are not many suppliers of electric heat that allow this and I thought I might share this Canadian supplier here in case anyone is looking for this.

It is important to remember that every room is different and not all rooms have the space or make up to allow this. The first step is to do a heat loss calculation and determine the heat output you need.

Then find a cable that produces this kind of heat.

Then see if it can fit into the design.

http://www.ouellet.com/heat-capacity-calc.aspx

Using better windows and better insulation can lower your bathrooms requirements for heating and having another heat source is always a good idea. On this project because we are building a barrier free shower it was the inspector that vitto'd the baseboard heater under the window. He would allow it if we moved it further towards the other wall but the designer and home owner did not want the heater right beside the toilet.

The builder and electrician found this heating wire from Ouellet that is allowed to be used as a primary heat source and we had it installed yesterday. In an effort to add warmth to the back of the bench (wall) I installed some expanded diamond lath down over the bench and up the wall 30". I'm hoping this will transfer some heat up the wall and make both the seat and the back wall toasty warm! I have always wanted to try this out and look forward to the results.

JW

This generally will only work for well-insulated spaces as getting enough heat starts to end up costing and there's the risk of overheating the surface. If you can meet the needed load without overheating things, then it's viable, but potentially, at least in many places, a very expensive way to go. Electic costs in many places are multiples higher than NG, but if you're lucky to be in an area with an excess of cheap hydro power it becomes cost effective. Often, this is only used to take the chill off the tile, and to add a little heat as a secondary source. Finding a location where it works as primary heat is less frequent.

One thing to help in this situation is maybe a heated towel bar.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by jadnashua

...One thing to help in this situation is maybe a heated towel bar.

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The GC is already on it. Not much help but every BTU counts.

Insulation is all in and nice and tidy. The bathroom is above the dinning room and will gain heat from below. I think they roughed in a back up power line in case the baseboard near the toilet needs to be installed. It can be connect later through the wall backing onto the the walk in closet.

JW