Fred Sturm wrote: > On Jun 26, 2009, at 3:47 PM, Ron Nossaman wrote: > >> Air is heated in these systems by contact with a warm surface. A warm >> wall panel, floor, iron mass, or heat exchanger in a forced air >> system. A correctly named radiant heater doesn't try to heat the air, >> it directly heats distant objects by infrared radiation. > > > Okay, fine. Correct nomenclature is a wonderful thing. That still > doesn't negate the fact that a hot floor radiates heat. And that it does > heat not terribly distant objects (like a piano on top of it) by > infrared radiation. It's a side effect, not an intention, but it has > some importance to us as piano technicians. It is also true of many > other heating systems, whose "intent" (what they "try to do" as you put > it) is more on the level of convection, but whose side effect is radiant > heat resulting in nearby objects becoming hotter than the surrounding air. > Regards, > Fred Sturm Huh? What heating system besides radiant (like a fireplace, say) heats objects to higher than air temperature? A coil heated thermal mass of concrete is a throm wall, heated from inside, rather than by radiant energy of the sun. It heats the air around it. I know from a lifetime of personal experience that the air right next to a large force heated mass is considerably warmer than anything else in the room. I'm quite aware of the intent of the discussion as it relates to pianos. I was attempting to clear up some basic physics issues for anyone who might be willing to listen, not to argue with everyone who isn't. Ron N
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