Are modern design wall mounted hot water radiators finicky?
S. W.
6 years ago
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mike_home
6 years agosktn77a
6 years agoRelated Discussions
Replacing A/C, should I keep the furnace and radiators?
Comments (9)I would advise thoroughly investigating a new boiler system and keeping the radiators as a lot can be done with modern hydronic systems. They are very efficient, up to about 96%; they can be wall mounted and are very compact taking up no floor space at all. They can also incorporate an instantaneous domestic hot water capability so you would not require a reservoir tank or separate device. Also they are quiet and induce no drafts. High efficiency condensing gas boilers can be side vented meaning that the present condition of the chimney may not be a factor at all. Having NG means that you can have a gas stove, dryer, fireplace and outdoor BBQ. A gas stove and fireplace would mean that you would have access to heat and cooking during a power failure. Keep in mind that a hydronic system, particularly one with cast iron radiators, is fully compatible with a geothermal heat pump that can provide heating, domestic hot water and central cooling without ever having to install duct work. Keeping the hydronic system will also maintain the original look and feel of the home as well as its heritage value as time goes by. Any renovation or new addition could also include radiant in-floor heating with the hydronic boiler system. This is particularly nice in kitchens and bathrooms. These are highly prized features when it's time to sell. Even with, or dare I say especially with the 'old' cast iron radiators, a modern hydronic system in the 21st century is NOT your parent's heating system at all! SR...See MoreDuctwork in a new house with baseboard hot water?
Comments (7)Certainly as mike_home indicated, it is only weird to have forced air and baseboard in the same areas because it is costly. In a retrofit in that area, keeping the nice baseboard and adding mini splits for cooling is worth considering. I talk with my dad about it sometimes. He would probably install a couple of units, one in a bedroom and another in the dining room or LR would take care of most of the common living areas pretty easily. The equipment is more expensive than, more conventional, ducted split systems. The summertime temps in that area seem to be getting warmer so I don't think that you will regret having some kind of cooling. If I were building a new house, I don't think I would install a humidifier right from the get-go. I don't think that you will need one. That is especially true if you bathe regularly and cook your own food. You could make sure that the system is designed you can add that system easily if it turns out that you want it. Dry winter homes in that area are largely due to the fact that those dry homes are very leaky homes. I bet there are more than a hand-full of Ford factory-built homes in Tompkins county. It seems like the history of the company was largely swallowed up by the earth after it closed. There is very little reference to it today....See MoreAdvice-What Would You Do? Boiler & Indirect Hot Water
Comments (35)The set up is working great and I love it. It's cool how the Logamatic 2107 regulates everything (out side temp. sensor is installed). At the beginning of the season, when just taking the chill out of the house, the boiler wouldn't run that hot. Just enough to warm the radiators. (I would say 100-130 degrees.) Because the outside air temp was not that low. Now that the outside air temp. is much cooler (even below 32F at times), the boiler runs hotter. (around 150-200 degrees.) But the temps. vary widely and these temps. are not absolute. When the thermostat calls for heat, the boiler doesn't turn on along with the circulator. If the water in the boiler is hot enough, only the circulator will come on until the boiler cools down enough to warrant the oil burner to cycle on. So the boiler doesn't needlessly make more hot water than is needed. Sometimes the oil burner wont even have to turn on because there's enough hot water for the cycle of the circulator. The circulator for the heating zone for the house does cycle on and off more often to keep a more constant even air temp. in the house (68 degrees). With the new digital thermostat I'm experimenting with CPH (Cycles Per Hour). You can set the thermostat to make more short on/off cycles or longer on/off cycles by adjusting the CPH. This adjusts how often the circulator cycles on/off each hour. I started out with 5 CPH and now I'm trying out 4 CPH. The boiler will run hotter when making hot water of course (indirect fired maintaining 140 degrees with mixing valve set at 125 degrees). Domestic hot water always takes priority (or you can change that default setting). Even if the house is calling for heat and you need hot water for showers or laundry or dishwashing etc. The circulator for the house will stop and the circulator for the hot water will run until the hot water storage tank temp. is satisfied. Then the circulator for the house will continue until satisfied. I have the Logamatic on "Late" mode. Meaning the domestic hot water production stops at 11:30 PM every night. It resumes the next morning at 6:30 AM. The water storage tank (Buderus ST-150) loses very little heat standing by and there is plenty of hot water stored. So no real need to keep water at peek 140 degrees if it's not being used over night. The system goes into "Night" mode at 11:30 PM also. This turns down the "heating curve" for heating the house (lower operating temp.) The system goes into "Day" mode at 6:30 AM, where domestic hot water is priority and made first if needed and regular heating temps. are back up to normal for home heating. All these setting and times can be changed on the Logamatic to fit your homes lifestyle. It's pretty cool learning how this system works....See MoreAnyone Convert from Hot Air Heating to Hot Water or Steam Heat?
Comments (29)You've probably never been in a home with properly sized ductwork. Don't feel bad, it's estimated that as much as 3/4 of the heating and cooling systems in the US are oversized. 2 stage and modulating furnaces are better, but I've lived in a home with both, and both can be very comfortable and the single stage equipment doesn't make it feel more dry that I can tell. BUt you are correct, multistage cna reduce the sense of dryness you might get with a less than ideal system. THe RH of hot air is lower than cooler air, but cool air can make things feel drafty. That's why radiant heat is popular. You essentially have very, very low air velocities and much of the heat energy is indirect infrared heat which make you feel warmer, similar to direct sunlight. Keep in mind too, that unless you have an outdoor rest control for hte boiler or to sped up or slow the circulator, most hydronic air handlers are single stage for heating. So the heat is no different than a furnace. Worse, as you reduce BTU's to the coil, the airflow speed is usually ocnstant, so air temps get cooler. My point being, that a properly designed and installed furnace won;t make it feel dry even if single stage. But yes, oversized furnaces and those with restricted airflow can. Vairble capacity will always make the system more comfortable, but it will cost more. Radiant heat overall is superior, but the installed cost is much, much higher. That's why it fell out of favor. Same reason drywall took over the market and plaster disapeared. ITs' primarily a matter of cost. It's also why stone and brick homes aren't built anymore and concrete homes are the minority....See MoreS. W.
6 years agomike_home
6 years agoS. W.
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6 years agoCathy DiVello
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