Adding Radiant heat to house.

[Robert_in_NY]

I think the name of the coilis Hiecoil or Hicoil. Its stain less to heat domestic hotwater and run other things. I thought about a radiator but I dont think thermosyphon will work as I would have to drop down a bit. Im leaving the the duct work for the central unit in place. I may remove the inside parts in the closet and install a radiator in the distritbution box. Then I could use the central fan to push it to the rest of the house.

The main reason I want the floor heat is in the shop I helped poor the floor in really had a great feel to it. THe roo mstayed a comfortable temp. One man suggested that I could go with a pump and put a radiator in the central unit and off the return line on the radiator i could run the floor heater. I can get under the house pretty easily I thought about putting it in between the joists and then putting in foam sheet insulation. Then adding a thin sheet of plywood help hold the insulation and keep the heat up.


I appreciate all the replys and knowledge, Here if its not gas or electric heat Im out of luck with technicians.

There is a bubble type insulation with foil on it designed to go between the floor joist. When attached properly you don't need any plywood or any thing else underthere. If you can get under there that would be the easiest and cheapest way to add heat to the floor.

 

[rScotty]

We are about to remodel the house like a a cabing on the inside to facilitate some of ur inherited antiques. As a surprise to my wife for letting me fix the living room like an old barn I want to put in a radiant floor heating system in the bedroom.
SNIP
What I was thinking about doing was pulling up the carpet and puting down 1 by 4 boards to make channels for the PEX. Then after I get my Pex down screw some 3/8ths or 1/2 inch plywood on the 1by4 boards and then install new carpet on top of that. I d have to get a custom door fitted as the floor would be 2 inches higher than it is now. I have a friend that did something like this in his otherhouse and made his top layer in paneled sections with carpet that could but unscrewed and removed for mainenance.

Taylor, you are on the right track. Seven years ago I built half of our house with heat PEX buried in three inches of concrete poured right on top of plywood sub-flooring. The other half of the floor basically has the PEX in channels cut into boards with hardwood flooring over that like your describe. The whole house is divided into multiple zones - each one with regular wall thermostats connected to low voltage motor valves back by the boiler & pump room. In that room is a large Marathon hot water heater - same kind as is commonly used in any house for hot water - which heats the antifreeze which is circulated by a little inline pump. The fluid doesn't need to be real hot, so no tempering is needed and the fluid stays pure.

From a performance standpoint, hydronic heating is so easy and so efficient that it now looks to me like it would be hard to make a system that didn't work well. However, I had also heard that the heating system components themselves were very sensitive to good craftsmanship and being of the right materials. So I used the best in PEX pipe, connectors, valves and pumps. Plus a non-metallic hot water heater. And then designed it as a completely closed system without additional tempering. After all, you want it to last; not leak.
rScotty
an old JD530, new Kubota M59, and a Yanmars

 

[Taylortractornut]

I found a trailer load of the groved plywood mentioned eailier from another poster. It belongs to a bank rupt McMansion builder. I think I can get a couple bundels for 1/2 cost. I want to install this in one room for now. If it works as good as I hoe I will do the other 2 bedrooms. Im looking at several ways to heat the water with wood heat. I as looking at the heater coil but a friend of mine told me today of a heater coil that was attached to the back of a wood stove. This also had astainless tank that was placed near the heater with the coil to provide heat to the radiator in another room.

 

[jcato]

I would research the pre-manufactured radiant floor panels that are ready to install the PEX. Some even have aluminum sheeting that are formed around the PEX and help spread the heat.

Take a look at Warmboard Radiant Heat Subfloor: Simply Smarter Radiant Heat (as one example - can Google similar items). Also, can get just the aluminum 'heat spreaders' (see Radiant Floor Heating Systems, Electric Floor Heatings, PEX Plumbing Supplies as yet another example) - if you want to fabricate your own 'sleepers'.

Be sure to insulate well below floor.

-- john.