Hydronic Heat

This came in from someone who unfortunately, was never a client of mine.  The problem boils down to lack of proper hydronic heating design…

I had radiant floor heat put in my new home (2850SF) in Oklahoma City. It is run by propane. The propane tank was installed in Sept 2008. I moved in during Jan 2009. Since then (12 months), I have blown through 3000+ gallons of propane! The gas people are blaming the floor heat and the floor heat folks are blaming the propane company. I’m at a loss as to where to go next. I’ve spent more than $8000 for propane since last Jan. Can you give me any advice?

There are a few possible reasons:

1)     The structure/poor insulation or excessive infiltration – you may want to have a local HVAC or mechanical contractor perform an energy audit to see if your structure has infiltration or insulation issues.

2)     Heat source inefficiencies – for systems I design and sell, I typically recommend the heat source be set up and fired off by a local pro – where applicable, a combustion analysis should be performed on gas and propane-fired heat sources to insure they are operating within manufacturer tolerances and at peak efficiency.

3)     System installation issues – depending on your system design, there may be issues with the amount of tubing, spacing of tubing, water temperatures, water flow rates, floor coverings with high r-values.

Bottom line – it sounds like your system is working hard to keep your structure at temperature – and it sounds like it’s working.  (You don’t mention being uncomfortable or cold) – your home loses “x” amount of BTU’s per hour – and your system needs to put out “x” amount of BTU’s per hour to keep up.

If it’s fighting poor insulation or thick floor coverings – well, that makes it the structure, not the system.

If it’s inefficiency at the heat source – a local pro should be able to test and adjust for that.

If it’s a design/installation issue – there may be some things you can adjust like water temp and flow rate…and some other things that would be less practical to go back and change – like amount and spacing of tubing.

Bottom line - it sounds like this could have been either avoided or explained to you by a competent radiant heat designer.  Hopefully, you’ll be able to use these answers as talking points with your local contractor - hope you can get your radiant system working better soon!

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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.

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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.

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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.

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