# H/W baseboard



## Spin (May 30, 2011)

Is there a formula for linear feet of baseboard per square feet of space? I'm changing my steam system to H/W and I want to make sure I'm using the correct amount of baseboard.
Thanks
Tony


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## BROOKLYN\PLUMB (May 21, 2010)

What kinda plumbing do you usually do


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## hugh benjamin (May 1, 2011)

Round these parts we use area x 32 divide 600 answer is how many feet of 3/4 baseboard. Give it a try


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## nhmaster3015 (Aug 5, 2008)

Hell, we just ring the whole house. Every wall gets covered that way you is sure you has enough heat :laughing:


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## PLUMBER_BILL (Oct 23, 2009)

spin said:


> is there a formula for linear feet of baseboard per square feet of space? I'm changing my steam system to h/w and i want to make sure i'm using the correct amount of baseboard.
> Thanks
> tony


Stand back exactly 90' hold up your thumb. If you can't see the house. 1/2 of every room will be fine. 

See a little bit it's a big house, add another 127,000 btu. 

Of course you could heat loss it to get a better figure.


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## BROOKLYN\PLUMB (May 21, 2010)

nhmaster3015 said:


> Hell, we just ring the whole house. Every wall gets covered that way you is sure you has enough heat :laughing:


I do that because they are just going to put a couch there and say the heat don't work


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## SlickRick (Sep 3, 2009)

Spin said:


> Is there a formula for linear feet of baseboard per square feet of space? I'm changing my steam system to H/W and I want to make sure I'm using the correct amount of baseboard.
> Thanks
> Tony




An intro is requested from all new members. In case you missed it, here is the link. http://www.plumbingzone.com/f3/.

The PZ is for Plumbing Professionals ( those engaged in the plumbing profession)

Post an intro and tell our members where you are from, yrs in the trade, and your area(s) of expertise in the plumbing field.

This info helps members who are waiting to welcome you to the best plumbing site there is.

We look forward to your valuable input.


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## RealLivePlumber (Jun 22, 2008)

Instead of hot water baseboard, you shoud use hot water crown moulding. 

Looks way nicer than that ugly tube and fin baseboard. :thumbsup:


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## nhmaster3015 (Aug 5, 2008)

Yep Bill, that's the way my old man used to figger it, cep'n he done had unusually delicate and dainty hands so a lot of folks wound up freezing their asses off. :laughing:


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## futz (Sep 17, 2009)

nhmaster3015 said:


> Hell, we just ring the whole house. Every wall gets covered that way you is sure you has enough heat :laughing:


Heh :laughing: I've worked on houses piped like that. Such a waste, but it works just fine.


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## U666A (Dec 11, 2010)

RealLivePlumber said:


> Instead of hot water baseboard, you shoud use hot water crown moulding.
> 
> Looks way nicer than that ugly tube and fin baseboard. :thumbsup:


I can't believe y'all ain't on hot water heating gyp-rock! Talk about behind the times!!!


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## Tommy plumber (Feb 19, 2010)

Spin said:


> Is there a formula for linear feet of baseboard per square feet of space? I'm changing my steam system to H/W and I want to make sure I'm using the correct amount of baseboard.
> Thanks
> Tony


 



Just go take a look at a neighbor's house and see how the handy-man, ah I mean plumber installed their baseboard heating. Then copy his install...:blink:

Do they still manufacture Slant-Fin? If so use that brand...http://www.slantfin.com


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## ZL700 (Dec 8, 2009)

futz said:


> Heh :laughing: I've worked on houses piped like that. Such a waste, but it works just fine.


Lots of baseboard does allow lower operation temps for better efficiency, but those type of installers wouldn't understand that.


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## Spin (May 30, 2011)

BROOKLYN\PLUMB said:


> What kinda plumbing do you usually do


Fire protection



hugh benjamin said:


> Round these parts we use area x 32 divide 600 answer is how many feet of 3/4 baseboard. Give it a try


Thanks



nhmaster3015 said:


> Hell, we just ring the whole house. Every wall gets covered that way you is sure you has enough heat :laughing:


I'm doing this on a budget



PLUMBER_BILL said:


> Stand back exactly 90' hold up your thumb. If you can't see the house. 1/2 of every room will be fine.


I lost both my thumbs in a very serious golf cart accident



SlickRick said:


> An intro is requested from all new members. In case you missed it, here is the link. http://www.plumbingzone.com/f3/.
> 
> The PZ is for Plumbing Professionals ( those engaged in the plumbing profession)
> 
> ...


I'll get right on that



RealLivePlumber said:


> Instead of hot water baseboard, you shoud use hot water crown moulding.
> 
> Looks way nicer than that ugly tube and fin baseboard. :thumbsup:


Not available in my area but that was my first choice



nhmaster3015 said:


> Yep Bill, that's the way my old man used to figger it, cep'n he done had unusually delicate and dainty hands so a lot of folks wound up freezing their asses off. :laughing:


Sounds gay to me



futz said:


> Heh :laughing: I've worked on houses piped like that. Such a waste, but it works just fine.


I agree, a waste of material and space



Tommy plumber said:


> Just go take a look at a neighbor's house and see how the handy-man, ah I mean plumber installed their baseboard heating. Then copy his install...:blink:
> 
> Do they still manufacture Slant-Fin? If so use that brand...http://www.slantfin.com


All my neighbors have steam, even the handy-man. Slant-Fin was my second choice, after crown moulding, so I'll be going with that



ZL700 said:


> Lots of baseboard does allow lower operation temps for better efficiency, but those type of installers wouldn't understand that.


True, but I'm not interested in giving up wall space for a slightly more efficient system.

Thank you all for your input. In fire protection we have formulas for everything. Area, height, type of space, etc., and in NYC, strict codes we must adhere to. From some of the responses here, it seems like WAG is the norm for installing heating systems. I will use hugh benjamins formula as a guide. Thanks again


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## RealLivePlumber (Jun 22, 2008)

Those were some pretty good responses there. And civil, too. 

Do the intro, we'll help you out.


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## BROOKLYN\PLUMB (May 21, 2010)

After your intro post a floor plan of the house including if its an attached or semi attached house also how many zones you intend 
I honestly don't use a formula as there are many variables (I do have an engineer friend who can do the numbers if you need) but I have successfully converted hundreds from steam/furnace to hot water also if this job is for yourself or a loved one you may want to think about cast iron baseboard as it produces a more even heat (slant fin losses its heat fast)


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## Spin (May 30, 2011)

RealLivePlumber said:


> Those were some pretty good responses there. And civil, too.
> 
> Do the intro, we'll help you out.


Thank you



BROOKLYN\PLUMB said:


> After your intro post a floor plan of the house including if its an attached or semi attached house also how many zones you intend
> I honestly don't use a formula as there are many variables (I do have an engineer friend who can do the numbers if you need) but I have successfully converted hundreds from steam/furnace to hot water also if this job is for yourself or a loved one you may want to think about cast iron baseboard as it produces a more even heat (slant fin losses its heat fast)


It is a basic ranch, with a 20 X 14 extension behind an attached garage. The extension has a cathedral ceiling, and will be a separate zone. It is my own house, but the extra cost of cast iron is not in the budget.


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## nhmaster3015 (Aug 5, 2008)

You can't guess and there are no rules of thumb. You need to do the whole manual J calculation thing.


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## RealLivePlumber (Jun 22, 2008)

Give the supply house that you are buying the boiler from a call. They most likely have a program that will do a room by room heat loss.

You will need to give them a detailed drawing , with windows,doors, walls,etc. Even the location of the house in relation to North.


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## Spin (May 30, 2011)

RealLivePlumber said:


> Give the supply house that you are buying the boiler from a call. They most likely have a program that will do a room by room heat loss.
> 
> You will need to give them a detailed drawing , with windows,doors, walls,etc. Even the location of the house in relation to North.


 
No wonder most of you guys just guess!! 

I spent the day looking and measuring H/W baseboard installations and I have come up with a simple formula. I am going to use .75 linear feet of baseboard per 10 square feet of space. If there is an exterior door in the room I will add a foot of baseboard. In the room with the cathedral ceiling, I will use .85 linear feet per 10 square feet. In a room with windows on more than 1 wall, I would use the .85 figure as well. I am calling this formula the "Spin Formula for Installing Baseboard" and you all have my permission to use it.


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## nhmaster3015 (Aug 5, 2008)

Thanks buddy but that one is all yours. I will keep with a method that actually works. What in Christ good does estimating by square foot prove? Do you know how much heat the envelope looses? Without doing a heat load calculation you are just guessing. Do it right or let someone that knows what he's doing figure it out. Don't be a lazy hack.


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## RealLivePlumber (Jun 22, 2008)

Spin said:


> No wonder most of you guys just guess!!
> 
> I spent the day looking and measuring H/W baseboard installations and I have come up with a simple formula. I am going to use .75 linear feet of baseboard per 10 square feet of space. If there is an exterior door in the room I will add a foot of baseboard. In the room with the cathedral ceiling, I will use .85 linear feet per 10 square feet. In a room with windows on more than 1 wall, I would use the .85 figure as well. I am calling this formula the "Spin Formula for Installing Baseboard" and you all have my permission to use it.


 
Instead of spending the day playing around, you coulda spent an hour and sized the system correctly. 

But, it don't matter. Fuel is cheap. So is oversized equipment. And undersized is only uncomfortable:whistling2:

I'm out.


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## futz (Sep 17, 2009)

Spin said:


> No wonder most of you guys just guess!!
> 
> I spent the day looking and measuring H/W baseboard installations and I have come up with a simple formula. I am going to use .75 linear feet of baseboard per 10 square feet of space. If there is an exterior door in the room I will add a foot of baseboard. In the room with the cathedral ceiling, I will use .85 linear feet per 10 square feet. In a room with windows on more than 1 wall, I would use the .85 figure as well. I am calling this formula the "Spin Formula for Installing Baseboard" and you all have my permission to use it.





nhmaster3015 said:


> Thanks buddy but that one is all yours. I will keep with a method that actually works. What in Christ good does estimating by square foot prove? Do you know how much heat the envelope looses? Without doing a heat load calculation you are just guessing. Do it right or let someone that knows what he's doing figure it out. Don't be a lazy hack.


Many years ago I used to just size baseboards out of my head. No calculations - just what I thought was needed in each room, going by room size, how much outside wall, which side of house, size of windows, etc. It was a guess, but a well-educated guess. Never had any problems with those systems (lots of them). I'm a good guesser. :laughing:

But now that getting a heat loss done is so easy and cheap, not to mention that the inspectors require it, I just do it that way. Better to be sure I have the correct size.


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## RealLivePlumber (Jun 22, 2008)

Sometimes, when I do a heat loss, or size a gas pipe, to submit for a permit, I will put crazy numbers that wont work, or invert some numbers. Like show a 3/8" gas pipe for a 120,000 boiler, or show a heat loss of 1,000,000 btu for a small ranch. 

Done it a dozen or so times, just for fun. My excuse would be, sorry, inverted the numbers, or dyslexia. :laughing:

Have never been called on it. :blink:


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