How may I get a good heating analysis done?

Gene Davis_2

Further to my need for getting competitive quotes for a heating package, how may I get an analysis done of my project, in order to size equipment and specify controls?

I downloaded the free Slant Fin package available at this site, but am suspicious of its capabilities, and of my own ability to use it.

Paul Pollets

2 Cents

The S/F program is designed for radiators or baseboard, not radiant heat. Radiant manufacturer's have programs for radiant system design.

I'd be careful to specify what I want for the system...there is good, better and best equipment and control packages. Then there are the "not so good" systems. Each contractor you ask will have a different opinion on what's 'best', depending upon his experience, and the pricing will be relative to each contractor. Better contractors use better equipment.

While a few contractors may do a heat loss before bidding, it is rare. I don't run the project through the software until I'm retained, or unless the client is paying me for the info.

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Ragu_4

Gene

Paul has given very good advice to you. It would be wise to have the system analysis, engineering and specification work done beforehand and then hand each bidding contractor a copy for his quotation purposes.

I have been very impressed with Northeast Radiant Technology: www.NRTRadiant.com. They do radiant heat losses and engineering for a living. Good luck.

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GMcD

Unless you know what your doing...

Get a separate quote for a professional to come in and do the detailed heat losses/gains as the first step, then decide on your system specs, then go out for quotes. Doing a heat loss calculation on your own without any experience will only get you garbage in=garbage out. Even professional engineers with many years of experience will tell you no matter how detailed you do your inputs, it's still just an estimate. The details and thermal performance of the building envelope are very poorly understood by many design professionals, and using canned programs are only as good as the data going in.