Replies

1. 
   Guest_ | Nov 30, 1999 08:29am | #1

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   Bill,

   Need more info. Will your electricity be provided by a utility or is your reference to solar power another way of sayting "off grid"? Do you anticipate a cooling load (air conditioning) in the summer?

   Steve

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   Guest_ | Nov 30, 1999 10:27am | #2

   *10,500 Feet?Operable windows for the a/c.A combination of a boiler, passive solar(if that strikes your fancy), radiant floors(throw in some wall/ceiling panels), maybe some nice fancy baseboard or European panel radiators(for the "second stage") and last but not least, a towell warmer or two in every bathroom.And leave the heat pump back at the farm.You make me just want to cry Mr. Boyer. Your situation is what every progressive hotwater heat designer dreams of.PS: If there's any tube left, throw it in the driveway.Jeff

2. 
   WmCBoyer | Nov 30, 1999 06:53pm | #3

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   I should have given more info--we will be off the grid, and at 10,500ft. you don't need a/c, just Oxygen tanks to help with breathing. Water supply will be springs into cysterns into home system. I think we will be going the photo/volt route with a propane powered generater backup for electric power. We really thank you guys for the input.

3. 
   Guest_ | Nov 30, 1999 09:59pm | #4

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   Bill,

   Give my cohort up in Bozeman a call. This hippies been playing with batteries and tin foil hats most of his life.

   Dale Pickard
   Radiant Engineering Inc.
   501 E. Peach Suite A
   Bozeman MT 59715
   406-587-6036 ext 102
   fax 406-587-1617
   [email protected]

   Warm Regards,

   Jeff

1. 
   Guest_ | Dec 01, 1999 05:10am | #5

   *William,I'll tell you my experience. The plumber is finishing up the installation of my radiant heat floor this week. My new house is also 2600 SF but I have an additional 400 or 500 SF of kennel and greenhouse to heat. I'm near Portland, OR, so I rarely have freezing weather to deal with. Of course, it's POURING outside right now...When I started, all I knew was I wanted propane powered hydronic in-floor heat. This type of system is relatively new in the boondocks where I live, and my plumber had only helped with such an installation before. He was pretty gung-ho about learning more about it, so he attended a seminar put on by Wirsbo. He came to me with his plan for one big boiler or two smaller water heaters BESIDES a regular water heater for the potable water. However, I've been reading this forum for a year and learned a lot about other options. Mongo and Jeff have be major contributors to my education on the radiant heat topic (check the archives). I did lots of research with other manufacturers and articles in FH and the Journal of Light Construction, etc. I started gathering literature and dropped a packet in my plumber's lap and asked that he read it all before he proceded as Wirsbo wanted him to. He told my GC that he took the literature to humor me and didn't expect much (after all, I'm a woman!), but he quickly saw the light. He then broadened his own research efforts and talked with technicians at other suppliers. Radiantec was particularly helpful with just generic questions. He had several separate manufacturers run the calculations for the system and got such wide variations that he buckled down and calculated it all out himself. I knew that we did not have to have separate water heaters/boilers for the floor and potable water. See http://www.jlconline.com/jlc/archive/energy/water_heater_heat/index.html I knew a boiler was not necessary, either. What I now have installed and about to be fired up any day is ONE Polaris water heater for the whole house (I can get particulars if you want). It's a hefty looking thing; I guess it's a cross between a boiler and a residential water heater.Another issue I had to address was where to install the PEX tubing. In gypcrete (lots of $) or under the subfloor? Installation of hardwood floors over gypcrete presents special challenges and the need for sleepers and the danger of nailing into the PEX. Mostly from discussions with Mongo, I opted for stapled up under the subfloor, with reflective rigid insulation under it rather than buying the more expensive plates touted by the manufacturers. I like the accessibility of the PEX from under the subfloor in case I ever need to get to it. I'd rather crawl under the house or rip out ceiling sheetrock than rip up the hardwood floor and hack through gypcrete. I realize the heat has to go through the subfloor and hardwood rather than just gypcrete and hardwood, but I think it's not significantly less efficient. And, it's not that cold here anyway. I have subsequently learned from this forum about an article in JLC mentioning the use of sand instead of gypcrete. Obviously a lot cheaper! See http://www.jlconline.com/jlc/archive/energy/radiant_sept99/page3.html#OptionsforWarmWoodFloorsI printed that article for the plumber and GC, too, since they forsee an increasing interest in this type of heat.My advice is do a lot of research, read the archives here, read JLC articles, find an openminded plumber (if you go with the hydronic system), and don't just listen to whatever the first guy tells you. Including me.

4. 
   Wm_C_Boyer | Jan 04, 2000 11:48pm | #6

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   We will be building a hand crafted log home next summer and we are unsure about the heating system. We want to go with in floor radiant heat, but, our only fuel source will be propane and solar power. Should we go with a heat pump and boiler combination or either seperately.

   The home will be 2600 sq.ft. plus walkout basement at an altitude of 10,500ft. with severe snowfall and weather extremes.

   Any advice would surely be appreciated.