Please Help

Aidan (UK)

If you did enough research/reading on radiant heat, you would understand/realize that it can't be designed properly from a picture of your floor plans alone.

Amongst other factors, you need elevations to determine window heights so you can calculate glass area - windows have heat losses 3-to-7 times that of a comparable size of wall area.

You need to be able to calculate room volume to come up with an infiltration factor/value.

You need to identify floor coverings/R-value for each room so that the proper type of floor construction can specified/recommended. The covering acts like an insulator and will have a significant bearing on the temperature/gpm of water necessary to heat the room. This will affect piping design and # of circuits.

If you truly are building a house of this size, I don't think you want to be shooting from hip. While soliciting help/advise is a good thing, it would appear you are completely off target with your expectations.

There are many hours of work involved to do a project of that magnitude properly. It's not a mud/tile job in a remodeled kitchen.

I suggest you reconsider your approach to this issue with your GC. Just like you paid/hired an architect to design/draw up construction plans to get a functioning/viable design/prints, you will have to hire a capable/reputable contractor to do help design your system for you.

It's more than just the piping. There is the method of control of zones and potential integration with the HVAC also. Don't cut too many corners here - you and your family are going to live with the result several months of each year - hopefully your happy with your choices - think about it.

Glenn

Home Depot Employee

Please Help

If I post a picture of the three floors of my 8,500 sq ft home would someone here please do a complete heat loss with duct design and material list?
PS I need this by monday morning so I can get started, the drywallers are coming on tuesday.
Any advise on how to install also is appreciated
Thanks, Mike

Empire_2

Mike

More than Pictures needed. Did you know that there are charges related to what you are asking? This is a time consuming venture for a very large house.

Mike T.

Timco

??? There are a LOT of factors to a heatloss, and I don't think anyone here is giving them away. You can download for free the program under Heatloss Calculation at the top of the site under resources. Sounds like you waited way too long to get these things together, but the free heatloss program will get you the numbers you need...

Tim

Home Depot Employee

?

I once heard many contractors use a "rule of thumb"? Dont you just stand at the curb and hold your arms out and size it by what fits between the thumbs?

Timco

Maybe he does, but not a real pro found here. The guys here are very professional and only give good advise...

Weezbo

It is Sunday. *~/:)

Even the Gifted are allowed some respite in the morning,

Were it not for that ...the prescription to which you refer must have an agreed upon point of reference described within a plane upon a surface and located in a stereographic projection to actually gain any real substantiality by Monday morning *~/:)

Empire_2

Finny thing......WE CALL THEM FLY-BY NIGHTS.

they ALSO OFFER A GREAT WARRANTY CALLED, :the tail light warranty". once THE LIGHTS GO OUT, THAT THE END.

8,500SQ/FT AND YOU WANT A RULE OF THUMB????? Many of us here do not, will not and can not size this way. Heat gain and loss is Critical. But if you have tons of money, try a 2 million BTU/Hr system This should heat the home.

See what I'm getting at? No Diss. Intended.

Mike T.

Glen

we are -

well past April 1. Reread Weezies post. :-)

Paul Fredricks_3

Still, I think we are talking April fools. Probably the same person that posted as "Wife".

I'm laughing!:-)

Steve Ebels_3

This is some kind of a joke.......

Right?

I mean seriously, no one in their right mind actually would ask that question.......would they?

Home Depot Employee

Nick of time

Thanks guys for reading, I got a contractor and I am all set.
He is going to install a 3 ton unit. He says it will go in the attic, I went ahead and got ready for the unit by buying 4 post jacks and put them in the game room to support the ceiling joists to support the heavy unit. I wasn't expecting to have 4 posts in the middle of my room and now will have to put my billiard table in the garage. I figure I can box them in with wood to cover them up. I thought the Architect would have known how heavy a Ac unit was and have planned for it. I know if I went with a boiler this would not have happened but I wanted to stay cool in the summer too.
Thanks

Paul Fredricks_3

I guess you could just put ice cubes in the boiler for cooling in the summer. If you have kids that could be part of their chores.

Maybe if you bought a big enough refrigerator you could fit the boiler into it to keep the water cool. But if you have baseboard heat, you'll have to turn your house upside down so the cool air will drop down. Just don't make it too cold cause you might freeze your dog.

IMHO

Home Depot Employee

Thanks for the advise Paul.

Maybe I could get ahold of one of those walk in freezers and keep the ice and the boiler together. And dont worry about the dog, I am going to get him a dog bed. Although I spent the entire weekend walking through furniture stores and have yet to find a dog bed, must be popular in this town.

Brad White

We have not heard much

from Mark "Wilo" Hunt, lately....have we?

Paul Fredricks_3

Instead of a bed, you could look for a pup tent.

You could also look for a sweat shop to see if you can get him a sweat-er

Glen

great quote -

and I have stolen it verbatim and posted it to our local Rotary newsletter. I think you must have stayed up quite late in the day - thinking of that one. ;-)

Mark Hunt_3

Not me


although I am enjoying this.

I especially like the "3 ton" A/C system!!

Mark H

Rich Kontny_3

At first glance

I am thinking that a gentlemen who can afford an 8,500 sq.ft. home should find the resources to hire a competent designer and then a competent contractor.

Unless you inherited this house unexpectantly why would you want to do this heating system by yourself?

An energy efficient and well installed system is money well spent. Skimp on the carpet and drapes if you have a tight budget (these items are superficial)

Rich K

Home Depot Employee

Update

My contractor showed up and the 3 ton unit is in the attic. Funny it didn't look that heavy and maybe I can remove a couple of posts. What do you think?
I misunderstood my contractor and he said the house will need 2- 3 ton units. Now the problem, he says the second one needs to go in the basement like he always did back north. (I didnt mention that I am building in N. Carolina and we don't have a basement, we are on slab). My concrete guy said he can come back and cut an area into my family room and the landscaper says he can fit his bobcat through my glass door so that isn't an issue. Heres my question; if I put the ac unit in this new basement under my family room, where does this duckwork need to go and how big will it be?

Paul Fredricks_3

Are you sure the contractor didn't mean 23 tons?

The ductwork will be big, measured in cubits.

If you run the ductwork straight up through the middle of the family room, then split it up in the attic, then drop it down along the outside walls, then into the floor and back up for floor registers, that should do the trick. And if you don't insulate it you'll get a lot of radiant cooling, which is all the rage.

Maybe you should be Homeowner With A Jackhammer.

IMO

Glen

and the answer to that is -

found on a completely different blog. URRL unknown. :-)I would sit back on the porch and ponder the whole concept though - "hours and hours of careful consideration can save moments of work".