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Radiant Heat
There
are many sources for radiant heating systems. At Gagnon, we can do radiant
heat using geothermal, Oil Boiler System, Propane System, Wood Boilers, and
any other type of hydronic type (water source) system. These systems may
vary in efficiency and affordability. Each will provide the similar comfort.
Radiant Heat can be distributed in many ways, concrete, staple up, between
sleepers, Warmboard, Raupanels, etc.
Most folks believe they have an efficient system if the boiler or heat pump
(source) is efficient. This is not necessarily accurate. A radiant heat
system is most efficient when distributing the lowest water temperature to
achieve the highest BTU output. This is why it is important to use products
that have good heat transfer characteristics.
Flooring is an important factor in designing the radiant system. Different
floor coverings have different R values. Carpet for instance can
significantly decrease your BTU output per sq. ft. making the system less
efficient. This is a good example of flooring that works against you and not
with you.
Often, additional heat is needed with carpet. Tile on the other
hand works well as it has a much lower R Value than carpet. Wood flooring can
also work well. When using wood flooring, it is recommended to use narrow
boards instead of wide boards. This gives you more expansion and contraction
joints in the floor. Quartersawn cut hardwood flooring is recommended, as it
is more stable.
Another very efficient system to consider using is a three pass boiler with
an outdoor reset control. We would recommend
Viessmann Boilers to be the most efficient available. This is the
Mercedes of Boilers; its triple pass design utilizes the heat from the flue
gas much more than a pin type boiler, thus lowering the stack temperature
going out the chimney. In addition we can add an outdoor reset control to do
a few things for us: One, it looks at the outdoor temperature to
determine
what water temperature to deliver to the floors which gives us a more even
temperature in the building. Also, it will shut the burner down earlier
based on outdoor temperature to minimize fuel consumption. This system is
typically done with an injection pump to inject the amount of hot water into
the radiant system.
To learn more on how radiant heat can be used in your home or business,
please contact us at Gagnon via
email or phone us at 207-647-8782.