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Can we successfully heat our new home, to be built in New York’s upstate Adirondack region, with an in-floor and under-floor warm water hydronic system? How will the large areas of the home, both on slab and on wood frame, with wall-to-wall carpeting, affect performance of the system? What will we need to consider in system design near the large areas of windows?
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And here are some of the concerns. On the main level of only 900 sf, there are some large window areas that have either window seats adjacent, or built-in banquette seating for dining. Furthermore, while about 350 sf of the 900 sf area has hardwood flooring, the balance is wall-to-wall carpeted. Does the system design only place hydronic tubing under floor areas with clear open space above? That would mean we do not tube under kitchen cabinets, kitchen islands, window seats, etc.
*Gene, I think nobody's stepped up to your plate because there are too many variables. Degree days, U-value (inverse of R-value) of walls, ceiling and windows, linear feet of crack (door and window edges), and air infiltration rate are the biggies. Sure, hydronic heat could do it. But the system has to be designed to fit the space. First, you have to do or have done heat-loss calculations for your house. There must be some less-ponderous text, but I figured out how to do the heat calcs for my own house by becoming intimate with the 1993 ASHRAE (American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air conditioning Engineers) Fundamentals manual. This isn't a book you're likely to buy because it costs something like $150. A really good library might have it. Once you arrive at a heat load for your worst-normal-case condition, expressed in Btus per hour at a given temperature difference, you design the heating system around it. With carpet and lots of windows to make up for, you might run more tubes under the floor, or run the system at a higher temperature. For this part, I talked to my heating-system supplier. Lots of heating contractors oversize systems so that they're sure you're always warm, but this can lead to short cycling of your boiler, which reduces efficiency and increases wear and tear. You might read John Seigenthaller's books on hydronic radiant heat systems. Or, and I'm not one to say this lightly, you might hire a pro. Andy
*Andy, I plan on hiring a pro! I was really just trying to troll for some feedback to give me a quick and free education, so as to be able to gauge whether my "pro" really knows his stuff. I am prepared with all the design data for the walls, ceilings, windows, and doors, sun orientation, etc., etc. Where we are building, our only resources are the plumbing contractors that do these systems, and they might not be the best informed, nor have sought out the best design resources.
*Hell yes heat your fanny in those window seats. And to the underside of your tile/marble tub surround where you migh sit to dry your toes. And run it real close to the toe kick of your cabs. That transition can be a shocker first thing in the morning.
*Boy, that's the rub, isn't it? Does your pro know his stuff? In my rush to respond, I forgot to mention that we did an article on boilers and controls for radiant floors in FHB 117 that you might find helpful. If you don't have access to that issue, drop me an e-mail.Andy
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Can we successfully heat our new home, to be built in New York's upstate Adirondack region, with an in-floor and under-floor warm water hydronic system? How will the large areas of the home, both on slab and on wood frame, with wall-to-wall carpeting, affect performance of the system? What will we need to consider in system design near the large areas of windows?