Using attic heat to help heat house
echo2400
14 years ago
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lbpod
14 years agoRelated Discussions
Heating an attic: radiant or ???
Comments (2)I (southerner) can't advise you, but I can tell you this: My sister in NE Colorado installed electric radiant under 12" tile in her kitchen, and it is truly a joy to walk on! It is controlled with a programmable tstat, so it is only on during high traffic. It heats up quickly, so she can bump it up at other times as needed. Also I think the tstat has a timer, so she can set it and forget it. When she walks on it, she experiences the pleasure and the pride at the same time, so it is a never ending pat on the back....See MoreRadian Heat Boiler to Heat Water for House?
Comments (1)This is very common in boiler country. It is called an indirect water heater. There are many manuf of these tanks. I would not increase the size of the boiler for this. You pay a penalty in oversizing the boiler and you can achieve the same thing with a "domestic priority control". Essentially, when there is a call for hot water the heating zones close and the boiler capacity is converted to dhw recovery/output. I should ask, how big is the house, heat loss calc. Number of baths and any high flow fixtures, etc....See MoreHeat Pump or Butane for Central Heat in new home?
Comments (3)Skin is correct. Generally speaking propane price tracks oil prices. Propane while still expensive is historically cheap at the moment mainly because of the glut of oil and their falling prices. Understand that oil topped around $150/barrell several yrs ago and now hit a new recent low around $35/barrel. If you will post current electric cost/KWH and current propane cost/gal, I will be glad to run a down and dirty fuel cost comparison. IMO...See MoreIs it smart to use radiant heating on 1-floor and heat pump on 2nd?
Comments (14)If the house is designed to current IECC energy codes or better, the 1st level radiant could probably handle most of the home's heating loads including 2nd level. If upfront costs and operating costs are important, you may want to reconsider radiant floors and propane as main energy source. Here is [recent thread on propane[(https://www.houzz.com/discussions/energy-star-most-efficient-2019-boilers-help-reading-the-stats-dsvw-vd~5649781?n=36) boilers. To summarize, propane is the most expensive common fuel. It would cost less to heat your home using electricity, as long as you choose high efficiency heat pump options. Cold climate heat pumps are available for your climate so choose a contractor who is comfortable with them and follow their guidance on any needed backup. Tough to beat woodstove with frequent power outages. Radiant only provides heating so it's a tougher choice if the upgrade costs are worthwhile in your climate. Cold climate heat pumps can satisfy heating needs with generally less upfront costs. Ductless heat pumps are packaged systems that are easy to install. Providing sweat equity for radiant floors will be needed to compete in upfront costs. Tubing, manifolds, pumps, appliances, controls, pipes, all done in custom snowflake fashion. Giant propane tank, piped fos$il fuels into house, combustion exhaust to expel, hopefully not backdraft. Most people choosing radiant are going off experience based on inefficient homes. Building to current codes changes the comfort dynamic and some find radiant less comfortable due to thermostat delay response. Radiant floors rarely make economic sense for efficient homes....See Moreveesubotee
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