Infloor Heating Dilema

Scott dev

I have infloor heating in my house, I have the Bradfordwhite watertank that has 2 zones in it, it is 11 years old and is starting to leak. I was just going to change it but was told it may be hard to get. My dilema is what method should I use for my domestic hot water and slab heat. I know a boiler is probably the way to go , but seems very expensive. Looking for ideas. Thanks

HeatPro

You can get a less expensive wall-hung instantaneous that can be used as a boiler service with an indirect that also provides got water.
See the bottom of the page here:
http://www.heatpro.us/designtree/documents/screwup.html
and a tankless like:
http://www.houseneeds.com/Shop/Heati...ckageindex.asp

As radiant heat doesn't need water hotter than 140F, you water heater has been doing the job for 10 years. However, bringing oxygen into the water heater with fresh water while it does double-duty of hot water and heat shortens the life. If you find it simpler and less expensive to use a tank-type heater again, get two - one for hot water and one for heat so the one used for radiant will last longer. Of course, buying two water heaters gets the price closer to a tankless wall-hung and the Ergomax tank.

cropper

I like the idea of the instantaneous wall hung, but if you're using it for domestic hot water as well I'd also install a small 20 or 15 gallon storage tank. Just installed one recently and customer is very happy.

randomkiller

Doesn't the storage tank defeat the whole idea of an instantaneous heater?

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HeatPro

Yes, if you're only concerned with water heating. However, an instantaneous made for boiler duty also is a good inexpensive way to get a variable input burner to heat the house as needed without the extra $3000 for a large boiler that hasn't a comparison with an instantaneous for less off-cycle heat waste.

You can use an instantaneous/boiler for radiant slab because there is mass in the floor, or in a single-zone heating application with all the radiation open to get rid of the heat the boiler makes; but with many zones on an instantaneous -it is SIZZLE and BANG time as the closed zones cut off the places heat leaves.

http://www.heatpro.us/designtree/documents/screwup.html

cropper

I used to think so until I installed an instantaneous heater and found our water temp in winter along with the flow rate of most faucets gave the customer unsatisfactory results. But on the next job we installed a small holding tank and man that did the trick. Of course it only makes sense on a job requiring heat and domestic hot water

billie-t

there is larger hot water tank made with a radiant floor coil built inside it...i am not sure of the name as it was th e radiant floor installler in my area that has told me about it...i will try and find out and post it later

Woodshed

Could this be what you're talking about? We used this model many time.

Check out the Voyager heater by Heat Transfer Products.

(Sorry, I don't have enought posts to include a link).