What to do? Water Heater or Boiler?

Stuart North

The water heater is a Hotpoint gas fired power vent 50,000 BTu less than 2 yrs old, and I think would supply the heat for the basement. One heat study I had said it would need about 9,000 BTU's, about 15 BTu's per foot, if 20 was needed I think it would still be ok. Would the added mixing valve be used so that the water temp of the water going into the slab is not too high so as not to crack the concrete? To mix some cooler return water with the higher supply downstream of the heat exchanger. Where did you get your heat exchanger? How much is it? What other equip do I need?

Thanks very much for taking the time.

Stuart North

What to do? Water Heater or Boiler?

I hope to get some good advice. I have installed Wirsbo tubing in 510 sq ft walkout finished basement concrete slab during construction, and want to fire that up this winter, and possibly an indirect water heater. I have a 1 1/2 yr old 50 gal power vent gas water heater now. I also wish to eventually install staple up tubing, or radiators in the rest of the house. I have access to about 2/3 (800 sq ft)of the 1st floor joists for staple up, but the other 1/3 (400 sq ft) has finished ceiling, and would have to use radiators or something. That part also has a lot of glass. The second floor is all finished, so would have to find some way to get radiators snaked up there I suppose?

What to do to initially NOW to fire up the slab until I can afford to do the rest of the house, either later this year or next? Choices: 1)Install an elec (no venting)water heater (or second gas water heater) to fire up the slab, or 2)install a heat exchanger package off the existing gas water heater (would it provide enough heat for the slab and for DHW also) for the slab only, or 3)install a boiler (and an indirect storage tank perhaps) now sized to do the whole house eventually? I've been reading here and online about Munchkin, Buderus GB142, and Weil Mclain Ultra condensing boilers that sound good. Will buying a boiler now save any dollars on equip or labor eventually by not duplicating anything? If I bought the elec water heater (or a second gas), or the heat exchanger package that would be considered throw away equipment I suppose? But it would get me by for awhile.

Sorry, long posting, but big decisions. Thanks for any help.

Ericjeeper

HX and two pumps

I am running a bock oil fired water heater, using a heat exchanger from Tom Tesmar. efficiently heating 3200 square feet of house.
The main question is..... How many btus do you need to heat your basement?. Have a heatloss analysis done.. Then see if your existing water heater will run your floor as well as domestic hot water.
I would make sure to add a mixing valve between the return and supply of your radiant,That way you can dial in the temps you need for your radiant floor.by bypassing some of the return into the supply.. (so not all water goes through the heat exchanger.)
I am sure some of the pros here will give you some good advice.

Ericjeeper

sent you an email..

Policy goes no pricing in here.. If I was you and planning to add the staple up later.. I would go ahead and plumb in a couple of Tees in to the supply and return between heat source and HX. cause the staple up will require higher temps..so might as well plumb for it now.. Probably would need a swing check on the HX side of the tee on the return loop.. I am not sure maybe one of the pros will jump in when you get to that part of the install.

Scott Gregg

Buy now

The price of this equipment is not going to come down. If you can size for your future need and buy a good modulating boiler now like the Peerless Pinnacle or Munchkin, you will be ahead of the game. It will modulate down to your existing need, and you won't have to do work twice later.