My mother’s house is equipped with electric ceiling heat. If you’re not familiar with this, it consists of a thin electric heating grid applied to the underside of ceiling drywall with mastic followed by a ceiling texture. Each room has an individual circuit controlled by a thermostat. Well the problem is that we think one room is not working. How in the world do you fix this type of system? If the heating grid is broken somewhere in the room, the only real solution I see is to replace the whole ceiling. And I have no idea if anyone still makes the heating elements. I know this system is a real dinosaur but the prospect of the expense of converting the whole house to a more modern system is daunting.
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if it isn't the thermostat...
put in electric base board heat...
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First check or replace the thermostat, that may well be the problem.
According to some sparky friends of mine it is repairable.
BUT it is a pain in the butt , first you have to locate the break using a sounder, then you have to expose the wires and make the repair using a special repair kit, then you have to make an acceptable path to the old ceiling surface.
I live with the same heat and am stymied every time I go to move a wall here. Have replaced it in 3 rooms already and plan on the 4th and 5th. soon.
I replaced with a combination of wall heaters and baseboards. Much easier.
Edited 3/5/2008 11:02 am by dovetail97128
Yep, it is repairable. On the cheap a guy could energize the grid and use a non-contact voltage detector to get pretty close.
It's such odd heat and it always feels interesting to have such a warm head and cooler lower half.
Beer was created so carpenters wouldn't rule the world.
should be easy to check t-stat and heating element/grid with an ohm meter. check both for continuity.