I have a small cabin in the Colorado Rockies with hardwood floors. We have a forced air heating system because we like to sleep with the windows cracked and then get a quick warmup in the morning.
However, during the winter months the place seems cold all the time, especially the floor. I have access to open floor joists from below (heated crawl space) and am considering installing radiant floor heat. Space is limited for boiler installation unless the current furnace is removed. I’m wondering if the propane fired water heater could be utilized for the floor warming and keep the current forced air system as well.
Cost is always a consideration but secondary to a quality system that performs well.
Sadly, I am in an area that is difficult to find qualified contractors, so it is important that I know exactly what needs to be done and either do it myself or closely supervise.
Any suggestions from the pros are greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
Mike
Replies
There are people who run a modest amt of radiant off of a water heater, but I am unsure of the details. It might be important to have a second one to run the heat to keep that fluid separate from the potable water supply.
It is not surprising that your floors are cold if you keep windows open though. The cold air is heavier and will always sink to the floor
Welcome to the
Taunton University of Knowledge FHB Campus at Breaktime.
where ...
Excellence is its own reward!
You can run "staple up radiant heat" off of a small demand water heater such as a Rinnai C85I. Most folks would recommend not using the same water heater as you use to heat the shower and wash water in your house.
I'd look into draftyness in your crawlspace first though. Make sure the open windows are not creating a chimney effect that is pulling cold air into your crawlspace. A few cans of great stuff and some 6 mil clear poly on the peremeter walls of your crawl could be a very good investment. Be thoughtful ablut creating highways for ants, mice and termites to enter your framing.
------------------
"You cannot work hard enough to make up for a sloppy estimate."
"Sadly, I am in an area that is difficult to find qualified contractors, so it is important that I know exactly what needs to be done and either do it myself or closely supervise."
You've come to the right place. In a two paragraph (or less) reply, we here at "breaktime" will school u in a complete HVAC course, including, but not limited to: properly sizing the system, selection and installation of components to code for your particular locale be they gas, oil or electric fired; and proper tooling and mechanical installation to code so u can do it by yer lonesome, or, so u can closely supervise one of the incompetents (because, in your area, they all are) as that schooled and licensed "gnat" toils away under your foot. Please don't hurt him. We are all God's creatures. Not all can be as great as u. U de man.
Can we say "Control Freak"?
If you need to ask how to install a heating system, you have no business attempting to do it yourself. Or worse, allowing your ego to convince you to try closely supervising a licensed hvac guy as he does the job.
This is a homeowner hack job about to occur. Please reconsider.
Hey Vinnie,
Thanks for the Smart #### response, real helpful. I guess it never occurred to you that I may be so far out in the boondocks that I can't interest many subs to work this far out.
If that's the best you have to offer, keep your opinion to yourself.
Regards.
where are you???
not much in the profile..Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and loudly proclaiming<!----><!----><!---->
WOW!!! What a Ride!Forget the primal scream, just ROAR!!!
Mike, you're most welcome for the factual and informed response hoping u'l avoid the mess yer about to create.
"Cost is always a consideration but secondary to a quality system that performs well" you said it, but didn't mean it rein in the ego and address your control issue before someone u care about gets hurt by a fire or carbon monoxide poisoning from a Jethro Bodeen heatin' system it's a tragedy that will happen every winter
ur not an HVAC guy, but somehow plan to install this system or "closely supervise" a guy who has been to school, apprenticed and got licensed for heating after a two paragraph (or less) response in these hallowed pages ...no one here is that good, but we are all handsome
nope, didn't occur to me that u might live in the boonies just didn't want u or anyone else to get hurt due to a faulty heating system now, that may or may not make me a "Smart ####" as you say, but u still don't get the picture Safety First
i live in the boonies as do a lot of guys writing here may surprise u, possibly thought we all live in Manhattan brownstones and are chillin' at the local Starbucks quaffing down lattes and giving two paragraph home schoolin' HVAC courses on our laptops maybe we can have an internet graduation afterward u wanna be class valedictorian? i'll bring a keg
there's collateral damage to worry about if'n yer house has wood floors w radiant heat, the wood is supposed to be "rift & quartersawn" or "quartersawn" to give floorboards a vertically oriented grain pattern to avoid inverted crowning most flooring is plainsawn and has a crescent grain on the end of the board heated by radiant, individual boards crown up in the center following the natural run of the grain the walking surface is uneven and wide spaces open up between boards
hope all runs well on your project, and that everyone is safe
Best Regards
vinnie goombatz, fellow country dweller
p.s. maybe we can get matching skunkpelt hats w white stripe like Curly from the Three Stooges for the graduation party
Having worked in colorado and wyoming on remote build sites I can assure you that your distance from a major town isn't an issue for the jillions of contractors that work all over the remotest parts of the west. Remote site visits do cost more money and the lowest form of hvac guy isn't going to respond, but go to the nearest town of any size and ask around.
Radiant sounds easy, and in many ways it's absurdley so, but there's a lot more to retrofitting an existing house than meets the eye if you want a well functioning setup, although your system doesn't actually have to heat the house so you have a lot more latitude.
After having clients over think and fail to listen to advice on simple radiant systems I no longer get involved in a system unless we're doing the complete install. It's like giving someone a single bit ax to chop down a 2" tree and all they want to do is hit with blunt side. The get frustrated, buy a $700 chainsaw to finish the job and I'm the bad guy.
Beer was created so carpenters wouldn't rule the world.