Hydronic Heat

Step One: Gain a basic understanding of hydronic heat and radiant heating – determine if this is a project you can do yourself or what level of installation assistance you may need.

Concepts you may need to be familiar with:

* PEX Tubing installed in a concrete slab on grade
* PEX Tubing installed in a topping slab
* PEX Tubing installed in a thin-slab on Subfloor
* PEX Tubing attached below a Subfloor
* PEX Tubing attached with heat transfer plates below a Subfloor
* Engineered Subfloor with metal and tubing grooves
* Above-floor boards with metal and grooves
* Lumber overlay method with or without plates

You can also find a simplified overview in our “radiant basics” article series.

Take some time to study – do the research, it will pay off in the end.  At this point, you’re trying to determine if a do-it-yourself approach is feasible for you.

Here are some factors that may come into play:

Budget – A complete radiant system installed by a professional may cost anywhere from $8 to $15 per square foot.  Other DIY approaches can run as low as $2 and as high as $10 per square foot.  It will be up to you to determine how much of the work you’re willing and able to do and how much you’re willing to invest in your radiant project.

Time – The more you choose to do yourself, the more time you’ll have invested in your project.  The upside is – you’ll save money and when you’re finished, you’ll be able to enjoy the benefits of a radiant system – for less.

Ability/Aptitude – Some people have a knack for DIY projects, some people have less of a knack.  As part of your research, you’ll be able to get a good idea of what’s involved and what’s expected.  When selecting your radiant heating system supplier, you’ll need to find out what kind of support they offer.  If they’re not local, you may need to identify a local mechanical or plumbing contractor who would be willing to assist you with your hydronic heat project.

Technorati Tags: DIY, hydronic heat, PEX tubing, radiant basics, radiant heating, radiant heating system, radiant heating system supplier, radiant project, radiant system

Step 2:  Identify possible suppliers – assess their qualifications and match them up to your expectations.

The easiest way to do that in today’s world is to do an internet search for terms like: hydronic heat, hydronic floor heating, radiant heat, radiant floor heating, radiant design, etc.  You’ll find lots of possible suppliers in the first 10-30 listings and lots of free information about the way they approach radiant heating, the products they offer and usually the type of services they provide.

The tough part will be sifting through all that information to assess their qualifications.  You may want to contact a few of them by e-mail or phone to see what kind of process they go through with their customers.

Some people get hung up on price right about here, and that is understandable.  It is important to have a budgetary figure in mind early on.  Various suppliers have differing methods for approaching your project and working up bids.

They may be able to give you a rough price range, but the key concept at this point is to get a good idea of the product quality and level of service they offer.  This may be your radiant heating system someday – you probably don’t want the cheapest and you probably don’t want the most expensive.  Odds are, you’re looking for the best quality products at the best price with the level of service that best suits your level of ability – in other words, you’re looking for the best value.

So, after some initial research – ask some questions, see what kind of vibe you get from the company website and your salesperson.  You’re looking for the company that offers the products and services that fit you the best.

If you need some help with YOUR hydronic heat project – feel free to contact me above with your questions.

Technorati Tags: hydronic floor heating, hydronic heat, radiant design, radiant floor heating, radiant heat, radiant heating, radiant heating system

Step 3: Analyze your project requirements – determine your project needs and address any initial concerns:

To properly analyze your hydronic heat project requirements you’ll need to know or be able to provide the following information – or your supplier will need to be able to figure it out for you.

Heat Load Estimate – Heat Source Sizing

To insure that your radiant floor heat system will do the job – your system needs to be designed to put out more BTU’s per hour than your structure can lose.  There are a few different ways to approach a heat loss estimate.  Sometimes the architect does one as part of the floor plan – you may need to look to a mechanical engineer or your radiant system designer.

Factors that come into play include the climate at your construction site – insulation values for walls, ceilings, windows and doors – and domestic hot water usage.

Hydronic Heating Installation Methods Include:

* Tubing installed in a concrete slab on grade
* Tubing installed in a topping slab
* Tubing installed in a thin-slab on Subfloor
* Tubing attached below a Subfloor
* Tubing attached with heat transfer plates below a Subfloor
* Engineered Subfloor with metal and tubing grooves
* Above-floor boards with metal and grooves
* Lumber overlay method with or without plates

See our “radiant basics” category page for a brief overview of these methods.

Your radiant heat system design will need to take into account the method by which your tubing will be installed.  In some cases, more than one method will work, and that means you and your system designer will have to decide which methods are right for your project.

Tubing Spacing

This will be determined by the heat loss estimate and your method of tubing installation.  Some suppliers will provide you with a customized tubing layout with spacing and loop length guidelines.  This can be an invaluable service to a first-time radiant installer and opens the door for novice do-it-yourselfers to install their own radiant system – and get it right the first time.

Operating Temperature

This will be affected by all of the above factors.  Your system designer should be able to give you the design temperature range for your system.  In some cases, further tweaking may be necessary once your system is up and running.

Fuel Type

You have several options: Natural Gas, Oil, Propane, Electric, Wood, Solar, Waste Oil, Bio-Diesel and a few other alternatives.  Your choice of heat sources may be determined by the type of fuel choices available at your site.

Zoning

Your system designer should be able to make zoning recommendations for you based on your plans.  If you have specific zoning requirements, let your designer know – they’re usually happy to accomodate those requests.

You may need custom radiant system design work and system submittal documentation – this will be important when it comes to your permit applications and sometimes your energy code/Title 24 paperwork as well.

If you’d like me to take a look at your hydronic heat project and provide an estimate, feel free to contact me through the contact form above…

Technorati Tags: custom radiant system, do-it-yourselfer, heat load estimate, hydronic heat, hydronic heating, hydronic heating installation, radaint installer, radiant design, radiant designer, radiant floor heat, radiant heat system design, radiant system, radiant system designer, tubing, tubing layout

Step 4: Specify and Design your hydronic heat system.

At this point, your supplier should be able to provide you with a radiant system quote and offer any possible options.  This will help you with any project budget considerations.

Heat source

This is a critical component.  Based on your heat load estimate, climate, elevation and fuel choice – your hydronic system designer can recommend the heat sources that best suits your project needs.

Manifold/control configuration

After going over your heat loss and in conjunction with your installation methods and zoning requirements, your system designer will know the appropriate manifold and control panel and configuration for you.

Tubing – loops/zones

This is the final piece of the puzzle – by now, your hydronic heat system designer should be able to provide you with a firm quote for your radiant heating system and answer any design level and technical questions you may have.

Technorati Tags: hydronic heat, hydronic heat system, hydronic system designer, radiant heating system, radiant system, radiant system quote