Popcorn ceiling/overhead radiant heat?
ctlady_gw
18 years ago
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kudzu9
18 years agoctlady_gw
18 years agoRelated Discussions
Is radiant floor heat adequate as the only heat source?
Comments (7)Thanks for all the input; it's been really helpful. Shanghaimom, I did a 'step test' with a 12x12 marble sample I had on hand, and you're right; it is so much colder than the tile. That has convinced me to install floor heat, even if it's only a secondary source. I had no idea that hydronic toekick heaters existed; the quotes I got all mentioned 'electric fan toekick heaters', and I didn't want to go that route. When discussing with my contractor last evening, he was very supportive of the hydronic solution; now I just have to make sure that the unit will fit under the 'door' side of my vanity (will need to access it for service, so it really shouldn't creep into the drawer side of the cabinet.) Fingers crossed! Mongo, thanks! I'll do my homework on the BTU calculations; thanks for pointing out what to look for. Lynneblack, thanks for the vent/fan/light combo idea. I've read on the boards that the Panasonic is a great unit, but one of the two items I'm keeping from the current bathroom is my Nutone melon vent fan/dimmable light....See MoreRadiant Barrier and Insulation
Comments (4)RB installs need to cover all of roof area to be of benefit. There may be some benefit in installing in a small area.. but not a lot. If you do just the bonus room you would have to make a wall & can do this with foam sheathing boards to seperate the bonus room from the rest of the attic. Otherwise heat will enter from areas without RB & minimize the bonus room install. Go to Florida Solar Energy Center's website & do a search for RB's. You will find lots of UNBIASED..informational only info there. Websites selling RB's promote more costly products that perform the same as the single sided foil. If your roof decking is not installed there are roof decking products that make install very easy. Techshield & Solarply have RB attached to decking making decking & RB install one step. Installing a RB is best when installed to undersides of roof rafters. While there are many products availible a single sided foil with foil facing into attic space. RB (all types) add a R-11 to insulation values. Higher R-values are sales hype, & don't buy into that. Best of luck with your project....See More5 ton vs 4 ton Heat Pump in Log Home
Comments (4)First of all, it is considered poor forum etiquette to start a new thread when you already have an active thread. Questions that you have not answered in earlier thread. What is the brand, model, size, and efficiency of existing propane furnace? What is its blower size rating? This is important if you are considering just adding on a heat pump with matching coil to existing furnace. If you really require a 5 ton, then this would most likely require significant ductwork modifications to handle the additional CFMs. Has any of the dealers mentioned this? Mighty important. What is your cost/gallon for propane? What is cost/KWR for electric? Tell us about existing problems with current system and location of problems? Basements at or partially below grade have low heating and cooling loads. Tell us about your average temp for both summer and winter? And extremes? What are your inside design thermostat setting for heating and cooling? How did existing 4 ton AC perform when it was working correctly as far as meeting your comfort requirements? The finished basement should have its own separate system preferred or at very least a zoning control. Any opportunity for insulation improvement/upgrade to basement area? I would want to see a separate load calculation for basement zone. Have you seen the load calcs in writing so that you can review? On the software letterhead? Post back. IMO...See MoreHeating options for attached garage ?
Comments (25)Depending on how your hydronic heating system is set up, adding the radiant in the garage could make a big impact on the remainder of the system. Garage, and even driveway snow melt systems are not unheard of, but I have no way of knowing how experienced local contractors may be. My understanding with hydronic is that the boiler, circulation pump, radiator,..., manufacturers often contribute to design. There are a lot of engineering calculations to be done. These days with efficient boilers, you will almost certainly want to go with a modulating/condensing boiler. That can be a high mass or low mass boiler. (Yes, Jake, they are variable fire.) My understand is that good hydronic folks are getting harder and harder to find all the time and many of the old-timers can't, or don't want to learn to design around low mass mod cons. Right now, you want to define how you want it done before you set your builder and contractors in motion, obviously. What do you want to do in this space. For my money, in an occasional workshop environment some temperature swing and a cold floor is not a big deal. Keep your insulated boots on if need be and shed the heavy coat and union suit. If you are going to move a big screen TV and a couch in there. It is another story. After that, what is the lifetime cost of the heating options? Direct vent wall furnaces operate, IIRC, at about 80%. They modulate for comfort and efficiency. The Hot Dawg (type) will match efficiency and do better, over 90% with the right model. but I don't think they modulate.. A properly designed hydronic in slab system will cost a lot more but with the right boiler set up properly, get to the high 90s in efficiency. The problem is the set up part. If the garage is a big part of the load when you crank it up, running in high fire can set efficiency back a great deal and you will be getting much lower than peak. If you size the boiler to be in lower fire with the total load, you get into too much on-off cycling with the remainder of the load in milder weather and get faster wear and lower efficiency. On the other hand, I get the feeling that this is a very large home as planned and maybe you should consider two staged boilers. that way you might get in excess of a 10-fold modulation range. The more I think about these things, the more I like the idea of HTPs high mass Versa boilers or the Westinghouse version of that in a water heater (WGR060NG076 series) for a lot of hydronic heating jobs. If you decide to go hydronic, for whatever reason, surf on over to terrylove.com and heatinghelp.com for boiler and other hydronic advice. There are lots of generous experts in both places....See MoreUser
18 years agoquietwalker
17 years agoctlady_gw
17 years agofixizin
17 years agodialaporte
9 years agocearbhaill (zone 6b Eastern Kentucky)
9 years ago
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