What is a good water heater for radiant heat?
The best tankless water heater for radiant floor heat is the Takagi TH3 Natural Gas. This model has the most impressive flow rate, it is well-made and it comes with all you are going to need. As such, we rate it with 5 stars out of 5. It is the safest choice as well.
What is the best boiler for radiant heat?
- Weil-McLain CGi Gas Boiler Series 3
- Peerless Boiler MI Series
- New Yorker CGS-C Gas Boiler
- Buderus G234X Gas Boiler
- Peerless WB-90 Oil Boiler
- Utica Boiler UB90-100 IV Series Gas Boilers
- Navien NHB Tankless Gas Boiler
- Laars Mascot FT
- Slant Fin CHS Gas Boilers
Why is my hot water baseboard heater not working?
How do I know if my baseboard heater is working?
- Look for a tripped breaker in the thermostat
- Look for faulty wiring in the circuit breaker panel
- In the end, start the heater and see if it’s functioning at all
Does radiant heat recycle water?
Water Usage. Since properly installed radiant floor heating is a closed loop system that keeps recycling the same water over and over again, you shouldn't notice any particular water use coming from the boiler.
How does hot water radiant work?
A hydronic or water-based radiant heating system relies on a central boiler to heat water, which is then pumped throughout the home through tubing below the floor or in the walls. Boilers are heated by natural gas, propane, oil, wood, solar power or electricity and the latest models are highly energy-efficient.
What are the pros and cons of radiant heat?
Pros and Cons of Radiant HeatUniform heating.No maintenance.No noise.Non-allergenic.Energy efficient.Easy to install.Flooring must be replaced.Slightly elevates the floor height.More items...•
Is hot water radiant heat efficient?
Energy-Efficient and Cost-Effective Unlike gas or boiler-based systems, radiant heating systems are energy-efficient and cost-effective.
What is a radiant heat water heater?
Radiant floor heat runs on warm water. Boilers are engineered to make very hot water for radiators. Many cannot run well at lowered temperatures and require expensive additional components so that they can provide lower temperature water without damage.
What are the disadvantages of radiant heating?
ConsRadiant floor heating costs more to install than other types of heating, particularly for retrofits. ... High-performance green homes that need little heating energy would not benefit or would benefit very little from the added costs of putting in an expensive heating system.More items...•
Is radiant heat expensive monthly?
Radiant floor heating costs $65 to $250 per month to run for a whole home, depending on the system type, house size and energy efficiency, climate, and usage. Radiant floor heating is 100% efficient because there is no heat loss through ductwork. *Based on 4 hours of daily running time for a 1,500-square-foot home.
Do you need a separate water heater for radiant heat?
Either a hot water heater or a boiler handles all the heated water necessary to power the radiant floor heating needs. Meanwhile, a separate hot water heater takes care of the household hot water usage. Finally, a conventional furnace might be included to heat rooms that are not using radiant floor heating.
Is radiant heat expensive to run?
Like any type of electric heat, radiant panels can be expensive to operate, but they can provide supplemental heating in some rooms or can provide heat to a home addition when extending the conventional heating system is impractical.
Do you need a boiler for radiant heat?
Radiant flooring is energy efficient, comfortable and durable, and it isn't necessary to have a boiler to install it.
What type of boiler do I need for radiant heat?
The best boiler for radiant heat is generally a condensing wall hung low mass boiler.
Can I use tankless water heater for radiant heat?
Though they are sold primarily for domestic hot water, tankless heaters are actually well-suited for radiant heating, which operates at low temperatures compared with, for example, hot-water baseboard. So using the unit for radiant heating generally has little or no effect on the sizing calculation.
What size water heater do I need for radiant heat?
How Big of a Water Heater Do I Need for Radiant Heat. The average water heater output you need for radiant floor heating is 25 BTU per hour, per sq ft. Your first floor will require anywhere from 15-20 BTU/hr/sq ft, while your second floor will average anywhere between 20 and 25 BTU/hr.
What can go wrong with radiant floor heating?
Here are the most typical radiant heat problems we see:Circuit Breaker Keeps Tripping. If you are experiencing a tripped circuit breaker, the root cause may be the electrical box. ... Faulty Wall Thermostat. ... Damaged Mats Or Cables. ... Damaged Zone Valves. ... Lack Of Insulation.
Is radiant heat expensive to run?
Like any type of electric heat, radiant panels can be expensive to operate, but they can provide supplemental heating in some rooms or can provide heat to a home addition when extending the conventional heating system is impractical.
Which is better radiant heat or forced air?
Not only is radiant heat 30 percent more efficient, it also provides a more even, continuous level of warmth. In the radiant floor vs. forced-air heating debate, radiant floor always wins because it provides a quiet, even heat and eliminates the allergy problems often associated with heating ducts.
What type of flooring is best for radiant heat?
ceramic tilePorcelain and ceramic tile are widely regarded as the best choice for radiant floor heating. These tiles are thin and conduct heat extremely well. This reduces the energy (and time) needed to warm up a room. Tile will also retain the heat longer than other types of flooring, increasing your efficiency even more.
What is radiant floor heating?
A radiant floor heating system needs a heat source, and in most cases, this is an electric or gas-fired boiler, which operates much like an on-demand water heater. In a closed-loop system, which is the most common, water is heated in the heat exchanger inside the boiler and circulated throughout the network of pipes made of PEX tubing, ...
How long has radiant heating been around?
The concept of radiant floor heating has been around for thousands of years — and it's easy to see why the idea has stuck around for so long. Ancient Romans constructed a layer of tile raised slightly from the subfloor, creating an airspace through which heated air could be circulated. Some modern radiant floor heating systems use air, ...
Why is radiant floor heating more comfortable than forced air heating?
Hydronic radiant floor heat is more comfortable than forced air heat because it's more uniform and doesn't pass through an air handler heat exchanger that robs it of humidity. When radiant heating elements are installed in the floor, the floor tends to be warmer than the ceiling, and in most houses, the floor is where people spend the bulk of their time. The improvement in comfort can be achieved while consuming less energy than is needed for most other heating systems because all you have to do is heat water and circulate it through a network of pipes. There are no blower or compressor motors to worry about, no heat loss through ductwork and, importantly, no extra allergens circulating through the air.
How much does it cost to install radiant heat?
Installation of a new in-floor radiant heating system can cost anywhere from $14,000 to $48,000, which is quite a bit more than a furnace ($4,500 to $9,000) or a heat pump ($2,500 to $10,000), and unlike a forced-air HVAC system, you can't use a radiant heat system for cooling. If you're remodeling a home that already has a hydronic radiator ...
How many watts does a circulation pump use?
A small circulation pump keeps the water moving, and the most recently developed pumps consume only 9 to 13 watts, which is about as much as an energy-efficient light bulb. Hot water proceeds from the boiler to a manifold that splits the hydronic radiant floor heating system into zones.
How much energy does a radiant heat system lose?
Both radiant heat and forced-air systems use a gas or electric appliance, such as a boiler, a furnace or a heat pump, but there is minimal energy loss with a radiant heat system compared to a forced-air system, which loses 20 to 30 percent of the heat generated through the ductwork.
Do radiant floor heating systems use water?
Some modern radiant floor heating systems use air, although they improve on the Roman design by circulating it through pipes or ducts — but the most efficient systems use water. By efficient, we're talking energy savings of 30 percent over other heating systems, including forced air and electric heaters, according to Energy.gov. Advertisement.
Why do water heaters condense?
Modern water heaters can condense the flue gasses right down to water in a simple non mechanical way because of their low operating temperature. Boilers are made to boil and they do not condense as well as a unit that is engineered to operate at low temperatures.
Why is it important to have a high quality water heater?
A high quality water heater is more energy efficient and friendlier to the environment. Quality water heaters will be made of stainless steel for many years of trouble free service. It is important to note that the same cannot be said for cheap, low end water heaters.
Why use a water heater instead of a boiler?
Many people use a water heater instead of a boiler for radiant floor heat because it COSTS LESS. A hot water heater saves money when used in this way. Certainly, cost is important, but there are many other important factors as well.
What gases do you get when you burn a hydrocarbon?
Whenever you burn a hydrocarbon like gas or oil, you get heat (which is what you want) plus carbon dioxide and water in the form of steam. You also get nitric oxide and sulfur dioxide.
Is a Polaris water heater good for space?
The Polaris Water Heater is one such example. It is all stainless steel, 95% efficient and powerful enough to provide both space heat and domestic hot water at the same time.
Can you use a water heater as a shortcut?
A water heater should not be used as a cheap shortcut. Radiantec only recommends water heaters if they will be high efficiency units with long lasting materials and if they will be powerful enough for the job.
Does a boiler run hot water?
Radiant floor heat runs on warm water. Boilers are engineered to make very hot water for radiators. Many cannot run well at lowered temperatures and require expensive additional components so that they can provide lower temperature water without damage. Many boilers are subject to “cold shocking” damage when a lot of room temperature water comes back upon start up unless more expensive controls are added.
How Do Radiant Heaters Work?
These heaters work by generating infrared radiation. The objects kept nearby radiate heat energy at a capacity equal to the temperature of their own. The radiant heaters produce infrared energy, which moves in the electromagnetic waves invisible and absorbed by the objects that fall between the path.
Do radiant heaters heat the air?
In the case of Radiant Heaters, things are different. It generates heat inside and then radiates it to the nearby person or object. This heating process makes the room warm faster than the working principle used in other Heaters.
What is hot water heating?
Hot water heating systems are built around the premise of radiant heat. Water is heated by a boiler and circulated throughout a building--usually homes (older homes , especially)--through a series of pipes that heat radiators that give off heat. The heat transfers to the air in the room. There are three basic types of hot water heating systems: gravity flow, pumped and baseboard convection systems.
What are the different types of hot water systems?
The heat transfers to the air in the room. There are three basic types of hot water heating systems: gravity flow, pumped and baseboard convection systems. Advertisement.
What is hydronic baseboard heating?
Hydronic baseboard heating is radiant heat too. It is the same as the other systems and relies on radiant heat to warm a room. However, technology caught up with design and replaced traditional radiators with a series of metal fins that are combined with convection to move warm air from the baseboard unit around the room more effectively. The baseboard concept is due to the well-known fact that hot air rises so the most effective way to heat a room is to introduce the warm air at floor level, which will displace the cooler air as it rises.
Why does water circulate in gravity?
In a gravity system, the circulation of water is due primarily to thermal and density differences between hot and cold water. As water heats, it expands, displacing the cooler and less dense cooler water throughout the system. If you are thinking that water expands as it gets colder, it does, but only as it approaches freezing temperature.
Can you heat water without a boiler?
Without a boiler, you have no hot water and no heat. Boilers can be heated by gas, oil, coal and, more recently, by solar designs. All have their advantages and disadvantages depending on your wallet, political views and availability of fuel. Advertisement.
Does water expand when it gets cold?
If you are thinking that water expands as it gets colder, it does, but only as it approaches freezing temperature. If the insulation is sufficient and the weather not that cold, the gravity system will work throughout a home or building.
What Is Radiant Ceiling Heat?
Radiant heating systems installed in the ceiling are referred to as ‘radiant ceiling heat’. This approach works by supplying heat directly to the panels installed in the ceiling of a house.
Are There Any Disadvantages Of Radiant Ceiling Heat?
When it comes to the purchase cost of a radiant ceiling heat, it is significantly higher than that of a standard radiator. However, the investment ultimately pays off because water-based ceiling radiators actually cost up to 25% less during ongoing operation.
Top 10 Water Heater for Radiant Floor Heat Reviews
I consider the Stiebel Eltron Tempra 15 Plus the top-tier electric water heater for radiant floor heat and other applications. This hydronic heater has exceptional energy efficiency and superb heating capability.
What to Look for When Buying Water Heaters for Radiant Floor Heat
Choosing the most suitable water heater for radiant floor heat is easy if buyers know what they should look for. Radiant floor heaters come in different types, including boilers/water heaters and resistance wire systems. Here are several things one must consider when buying the right hot water heater for radiant floor heating.
Is Radiant Floor Heating More Efficient
Yes, radiant floor heating is more efficient than conventional forced-air systems by 10% to 30%. It would be best to understand that water retains heat better than air, allowing water heaters to heat the floor and living spaces longer.
What Type of Water Heater Do You Need for Radiant Heat
The water heater people need for radiant heating depends on several factors, such as space availability, heating requirements, and primary energy source.
How Big of a Water Heater Do I Need for Radiant Heat
Sizing a hot water heater for radiant heat is not as complicated as some people want others to believe. Everything depends on what hydronic heater one uses for heating the floor and walls.
How Hot Should Radiant Floor Heat Be
The ideal radiant floor temperature depends on the occupants’ comfort requirements, pre-existing medical conditions, developmental age, and other factors.
Conclusion
The best water heater for radiant floor heat makes a modern family’s life more comfortable by providing them with a warm and cozy living space minus a boiler’s complicated setup and expense. It is a safe solution for children and older persons and an efficient system for energy-conscious families.
Why does forced air heating make my room feel warmer?
This can lead to drafts. With radiated heat, you may feel warmer because there’s no breeze caused by the hot air being blown through ducts and out into your room.
Is it expensive to install a hot water system?
A hot water heating system will be more expensive to install. There is the possibility that boiler systems could leak if a pipe breaks since they use water to warm the air. Most systems have at least a 15-year lifespan and breaks are very rare.
Does a water heater keep you warm?
One of the biggest benefits that homeowners enjoy with a hot water heating system is the residual warmth that continues even after you shut the system off. The water in the radiator remains hot so you can continue to feel the heat even hours later. By comparison, a forced-air heating system stops distributing warm air as soon as you shut it off. This can lead to drafts.