Hi
Perhaps this is a redundant post, I will be building a home here in central alberta it can get quite cold. I am looking at radiant heating and i was wondering which company is the best.
I have already looked at Radiantec and they claim to be the best. the house will be about 1500sq ft with the pex under the main floor and in the basement slab which is on grade. also in the garage and driveway and maybe a loop in the sidewalks. I have also thought of doing some solar heating if possible.
any advice please
Thank you
Replies
DIY or will you be contracting all or part of this out?
Reason I ask is that a DIY'r is going to have to have or develop way higher-than-average heat loss analysis, plumbing, electrical, and design skills in order to get the job done and be happy with it. This is what I've learned after 1/2 DIY'ing a heated garage slab, and in the middle of design phase for 1600 sq ft house. And I was once a plumber by trade and have family and friends in the construciton industry.
A big plus for you would be to get educated enough to discuss your wishes with HVAC contractors in your area. When (maybe IF) you find one in your location that has happy customers, and is up on the latest technology...aluminum plates, heat exchangers, modulating boilers, combo heat and HW units, etc...pay him for at least design assistance, if he is willing to operate that way, and work out who will do which jobs.
Although the "Vermont" companies in general (I've had some dealings with Radiant Floor Company http://www.radiantcompany.com/ ) are good and have good tech support staffs, you'd be miles ahead if you could develop a good working realationship with a HVAC contractor close to home.
Really fascinating forum on radiant heat is here:
http://www.radiantpanelassociation.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=1
Most of the posters are pros, and there are some really valuable real life horror stories that you would do well to digest at this point.
Really fascinating forum on radiant heat is here:
http://www.radiantpanelassociation.org/i4a/pages/index.cfm?pageid=1
I tried to find the forum you mentioned at this link without success... can you help? Thanks- John
If you get to the home page with the link, click on "Bulletin Board".
If you can't get to the home page off the link, try googling or yahoo for "Radiant Panel Association". then go to "Bulletin Board"
You might have to register, I don't remember for sure.
If you get to the home page with the link, click on "Bulletin Board".
That worked, thanks.
Johnnyd has it right. I built a system for my house in on East coast, and it was tough. Find someone with lots of experance and the money you pay them will come back in energy savings. The time and fuel I wasted getting mine dialed in was not worth it. You can save a good chunk of cash with who ever helps you by running all of the pex yourself. Good luck Al
Only trouble is, in some areas you just plain can't find anyone who is knowlegable enough in new techniques so you'll get a system you can both afford and be happy with. With just internet research, I quickly became more expert than the few HVAC contractors around here who have even heard of PEX.
And some horror stories I've been hearing about bungled jobs by some of these these guys are giving RFH a bad name in this area.
I was impressed with some of those radiant web pages. Find one and send them a copy of your plans. They pre-build all of your manafolds and valves for you. Any way you look at it it is a huge amount of work. On the positive side every morning when I walk on the warm tiles in the bathroom or see the kids fall asleep on the warm floor I know it was more than worth the effort.
I DIY'ed a radiant system, about 2000 sq ft, using Radiant Floor Company http://www.radiantcompany.com/ . I sent them blue prints and they spec'd and priced the whole system out. Pricing was good, support excellent.
Phone NAIT. They have a new hydronics course.Someone up there can give you some good referrals.
Thanks to who replied.
I forgot about NAIT, that is a good idea! I think I may go with Radiantec, they did send an e-mail within 10 hours after i sent they sure promise. I have heard some stories about radiant companies and whould like to know if there is really a reason to go with one company or the other.
I will be doing the installation of the system, and i am aware of the codes in my area. Have good day or night as it is now
thank you
One deciding factor in comparing manufacturers can be local suppliers. If there isn't one locally (or they only sell PEX to plumbers), you waste time and money driving to the next town to get a tee or a crimp-ring.David Thomas Overlooking Cook Inlet in Kenai, Alaska
I am located just to the west of Calgary.
Contact EMCO, there should be a office in Edmonton. They will design a system for you from your blue prints and supply you with all the hardware required as well as give you advice on how to install. If you want they will even create a layout for your tubing runs for a small fee. They give you a cutting guide to maximize your tube usage and balance your loop lengths. They can also point you to someone to do the control wiring, boiler install and plumbing if you don't feel up to it.
I used them, did all my own work and it came out great. 150,000 btu boiler, 4 zones, combination of in floor slab, staple up, 2 air/water heat exhangers and an indirect Water Heater. Heating 4800 sq ft. Used Wirsbo tubing and manifolds, a Burnham Boiler and a combination of Wirsbo and Tekmar controls. The only thing I had someone else do was the duct work for the forced air portion.
Doing the wiring was the hardest part, but careful reading of the manuals and documentation and drawing out what I needed to do let me step thru it and get it all hooked up.
My system looks like the ones installed in the $1,000,000 show homes around here. It wasn't cheap compare to a straight forced air gas furnace system. But I have a lot more control over where and when I want heat.
This is in my new/old house and this winters gas bills for heating 4800 sq ft are just double (usage) what it took last winter to heat 1400.
Robert
Robert, how wide spread is EMCO ? Tks, PaulEnergy Consultant and author of Practical Energy Cost Reduction for the Home