Radiant floor heat, forced air heat or both?
Radiant floor heat, forced air heat or both?
(OP)
I am designing a 7,500 house with hot water radiant floors. I have specified approx 300MBH boiler. The architect has specified "Warm board", which claims to increase the response time to heating the house. Now the architect is suggesting that I put heat in the air handing system also. Do you think I need to or is the radiant floor sufficient.
Thanks
Thanks





RE: Radiant floor heat, forced air heat or both?
RE: Radiant floor heat, forced air heat or both?
The first step is to design the house envelope properly and reduce the heat losses as much as possible. Something that house architects and contractors generally have no clue about.
RE: Radiant floor heat, forced air heat or both?
RE: Radiant floor heat, forced air heat or both?
RE: Radiant floor heat, forced air heat or both?
RE: Radiant floor heat, forced air heat or both?
This house is in South Jersey with reasonable construction materials. I am not incorporating an HRV, and the exhaust is not extremely large.
Dan
RE: Radiant floor heat, forced air heat or both?
do you mean that the air system is already existing in this design(if yes, what for?)or he wants to add duct system to hydronic system to justify his warm board?
RE: Radiant floor heat, forced air heat or both?
If the house is built tight, and then if there is no make-up air system, outdoor air will be drawn in through every little crack it can find in the envelope - in an uncontrolled manner, which in winter time leads to moisture condensation at the cold spots, then mold. If you have bathroom and kitchen exhaust, you need a source of controlled make-up air. Normally if you can supply all the heating needs from the radiant system, the usual method is to provide an HRV or ERV to provide the necessary house ventilation (exhaust and make-up air). And in colder climates, even the most efficient heat recovery unit will need some touch-up heat in the supply air.
Sounds like someone needs to take a good look at the "house as a system" here and sort things out.
RE: Radiant floor heat, forced air heat or both?
-what the difference between a regular house and an intensive care room.
- don't forget to provide a special treatment plant to your HVAC system because of pollution, an Oxegen source for emergency, an electric generator to keep HRV runing, and don't open doors when you go out or come in your house.
- if you want to prevent infiltration, you could delet windows and use electrical lights or candles instead.
sound like someone living inside....
RE: Radiant floor heat, forced air heat or both?
RE: Radiant floor heat, forced air heat or both?