RCMJR & misoilman, tnx for your replies. RCMJR: LDJ appears to have been in business since 1999. According to the LDJ website they claim the boiler is "Great for radiant floor heat systems". I'd be interested in talking to existing users to see how they are getting on with the the system. I took a closer look at their page about the corn boiler and they claim it's thermostat controlled, perhaps it's able to be dialed down. The picture of it looks like a water heater with a hopper sitting next to it. I'll post the url for the corn boiler. The capacity of the water heater portion is eighteen gallons. They also have an option that would allow the boiler to provide hot water for "domestic" use. So would be able to heat water for shower's, washing dishes etc. Right now the utility room has two gas fired water heaters sitting in it, one for the floor heat and one for domestic use, I think. We'd have to talk the heating and plumbing guy that took over from the H&P guy that had been maintaining the system for many years. The retired fellow is still in town and we might be able to talk him into coming over and orienting us with the systems. misoilman: Having the seller comfirm the moisture content of the corn would be the first thing I would insist on when purchasing the corn. I do know from talking with the folks at the elevator, they will not accept corn that is more than 15 percent moisture. I also need to check with the city to make sure there isn't an ordinance that would preclude me from having a small gravity box sitting next to the carport. If the gravity box is small enough, I'd even consider backing it into the carport. Alas, there is no basement on this dream house. Just a thick concrete slab...:-) So We'll probably use a couple of five gallon buckets for transfer of fuel from the box to the hopper. I'd just consider it a form of exercise...:) We're also a bit concerned about the age of the plumbing in the floor as it is original to the house. The impression I got from the house inspector was that the in floor plumbing was put in place then had the concrete poured over it. I'm going to have to have someone that has better eyes than me and know's what they're looking for, look at the blueprints and see if we can find out how thick the concrete is. Luckily, we've secured a "home warranty" from the seller for at least the first year (at their expense), and there is a possibility of extending it through the second year. I should also probably state that the corn boiler is not a done deal as we are still in the early part of the research stage. Although, a friend of ours has suggested we check the website of the Governor of Illinois and see if there are any grants or other incentives that we might be elgible for. Governor Blagojevich (Bla-goy-a-vich, what a mouthful) is very interested in promoting alternative fuels and energy use in Illinois. Here is a link that might be useful: LDJ's Corn Boiler page

Here is what I would do if I was you. You don't need that many btu's to heat up them two rooms. Plus you want to get hot water also. haved a certified takagi tankless water rep. come to your home. ( this will be free ) tell him you want a tk-3 pro. ( better heat exchange in the unit itself) it can fire up to 199,000 btu's and down to 11,000 btus. then you want to use a bronze bump with a heat exchanger on one side, plus boiler trim. (1/6 horse power. with a mixing valve for your domestic water. you want to then put two zones on other sided of a heat exchanger with a zone board for 2 zones with 2 pumps one for the baseboard. Ask for high trim baseboard so you can set the water temp down and get max btu's per lininer foot. set the temp for 150 degress durring the winter cold month. Now for the radiant floor get a viega dealer in ur neighborhood. get climate panels that you can put cement nails in and the put a flooring on top. If you wanted to know more about this rout just leave a post. you can have all 3 comming off one unit. The best thing about this type of set up is that you dont need 180 degree water like a boiler. and in summer time you can set the water temp down to 120 or 115. and when your away on vacation you use no gas. The down side is hat the climate panels can be expensive, the tankless water heater has to have a nice size gas line. the equipment to do this job can get pricy. I mean really pricey. with nice equipment comes a good price. Takagi & viega are my brand of choice. but you could use navian and wirlsboro if you wish. all 4 manufactors will be happy to come to your home and sit dowwn and talk to you. ( I sell all four)

You failed to mention openings, windows, ceiling height, insulation, floor insulation, perimeter insulation, additional infiltration, air changes and geographic area garage is located. But based on the tubing, and building size, you could need/use and much as 50,000 Btu's net, which exceeds a standard electric water heater with a 4500 watt element(s) by 35,000 BTU's Water heaters make lousy boilers besides.

Okay, let's try to narrow things down a bit. Where in PA? Just trying to get an idea of general climate Do you have natural gas? What is the cost for electricity, natural gas if you have it, and oil. What is your general budget for the rehab - sounds like it's extensive. Electric resistance heat is ~100% efficient - but it's still probably the most expensive way to heat your house. An oil boiler is probably a close second. If you have natural gas, a condensing gas furnace or boiler is usually the least expensive way to heat your house - especially if the house isn't really well insulated. If you can fully insulate your house and don't have gas, a heat pump can be very effective. If the basement is going to be a separate space, a mini-split system that can be controlled independently is a great plan. These are all general statements and depend on the cost and availability of energy sources. Keep in mind that if you are doing extensive work on the house, you should really think through what you can reasonably do, and what you should farm out to a pro.