Replies

1. 
   Mitremike | Feb 21, 2006 09:59am | #1

   Try this one again for you have no company to hear of---

   Other than that I think they are great---

   Mike

   "Even a blind squirrel finds a nut once in a while" Mitremike c. 1990

   " I reject your reality and substitute my own"
   Adam Savage---Mythbusters

2. 
   johnnyd | Feb 21, 2006 03:41pm | #2

   Careful about the open system, google on "legionella" and be warned of the potential for breeding this and/or other bacteria in the open system, and then spreading it into your domestic system.  Besides that, an open system does limit your ability to use zone valves to control which rooms get how much heat.  With all the zone valves closed on an open system, guess what? No domestic hot water.  Something they fail to mention on thier site....but then they are of the dedicated circulator school and don't deal in zone valve systems.

   I put an open system according to thier design in my shop/guest suite building and am going back to separate systems.  I don't like the idea of domestic pressure in my heating system, want to use zone valves, and am a bit concerned about the bacteria potential as well.

   Generally thier sand sleeper system gets thumbs down from most experts in the radiant floor trade, (sand is generally considered an insulator rather than a conductor) and the nearly unanamous opinion from other boards is that 7/8" tubing is not worth the time and effort to put in...plus you WILL get heat striping with anything on 16" centers.  12" centers is kind of the standard, and depending on your heat loss, may need to be 8" in some rooms.

   Thier plumbing packages, however, are good, and similar to those offered by another Vermont company, Radiantec.

   At this point you should really do a room-by-room heat loss calculation, or have one done by a pro consultant...you can find both free and $ heat loss calculators on the web.  Without an accurate heat loss calculation, you will be shooting in the dark about things like sizing your heat source, water temperatures, tube spacing, control strategy, etc etc.  There are alot of sob stories out there about DIYr's getting it wrong, spending alot of $ and time upfront, and then not being able to find anyone that will come in and fix the mess.

   I'm not saying that an accomplished DIYr can't successfully design and build his own radiant floor system, just that you need to do more research beyond looking at a single company's web site before buying anything or doing alot of work.

   Try these other sites:

   http://www.radiantpanelassociation.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=1

   http://forums.invision.net/index.cfm?CFApp=2

3. 
   NRTRob | Feb 21, 2006 05:56pm | #3

   if you're doing a thin pour of concrete, tubing must be 9" o.c. or tighter. Otherwise you run a high risk of heat striping.

   Never, ever install an open system. Spend a few bucks on a heat exchanger and pump at least, it's cheap insurance for you, your home and your system.

   Furthermore, a water heater is *rarely* the best choice for a heat source for a house-sized load. If it's a small load, it can be fine, but remember as your load grows, it makes more and more sense to invest in a better heat source. We like the modulating/condensing boilers out there. Around the same league as the Polaris in price but more efficient in actual operation, much quieter, and generally less finicky.

   Whatever you do though, do not install the heat source yourself. Proper installation to ensure efficiency and safety is not achievable without enough $$$ in tools that it's cheaper to hire a pro to do it for you.

   -------------------------------------
   -=Northeast Radiant Technology=-
   Radiant Design, Consultation, Parts Supply
   http://www.NRTradiant.com