What it is
Electric radiant ceiling heat uses heating cables or thin heating panels installed in or just above the ceiling, before the drywall or plaster goes up. Each room usually has its own thermostat, and there are no baseboard heaters, registers or radiators. It was common in houses built in the 1960s and 1970s, and it’s still the main heat in some of them.
How to recognise it
- A thermostat in each room but no visible heaters
- Ceilings that feel warm when the heat is on
- Several double-pole heating breakers in the electrical panel
With the heat running, a thermal camera usually shows the pattern of the cables or panels in the ceiling, which helps tell this system apart from other kinds of electric heat.
Why it matters
The heating elements sit at the ceiling surface, so a nail, screw, pot light or new fixture in the wrong place can damage them. Damaged or altered ceiling heat can overheat, and repairs need an electrician who knows these systems. Repairs after a ceiling leak need the same care.
Some ceiling panel products are a known concern. In 1993 and 1994, following incidents across Canada, British Columbia ordered certain Aztec-Flexel, Thermaflex and Flexwatt radiant ceiling panels disconnected, and Technical Safety BC recommends that radiant ceiling panels installed before 1995 be inspected by a licensed electrical contractor.
What to do
- Before subject removal: if the house has radiant ceiling panels, especially ones installed before 1995, have a licensed electrician identify the product and check the system.
- Before any ceiling work: find out where the elements run, and don’t drill, nail or cut until you know.
- Before adding pot lights, a ceiling fan or anything fastened to a ceiling: talk to an electrician first.
- Keep any layout drawings or installation records with the house.
What our inspection covers
We run the heat with the normal thermostats, check that rooms warm up, look at the panel and breakers, and use thermal imaging to look for cold strips that may point to a damaged section. We can’t identify the cable or panel product inside a finished ceiling or check its wiring connections.
Buying a 1960s or 1970s house? Book an inspection.
Reviewed October 26, 2026 by Nick Hawley, Watch House Inspections. General information, not advice about a particular home.