Radiant Design on Highly Insulated Hunting Cabin (Paul Rohrs)

Paul Rohrs_4

Hey everyone. I haven't been around much. Radiant is so slow right now I have out been turning the wrenches with our plumbing crew.

I have a print on my desk for a 4500 sq/ft hunting cabin that has R40 walls and two doors. No windows. EDIT: They want baseboard heat along with domestic water.

I am thinking to myself, "Self, they are not going to get much convective heating and are baseboard or panel rads going to be effective?".

I am calling the builder today for more info, but this is another super insulated shell with low load at design conditions. This is in Colorado and design conditions are 5°F.

Any other thoughts out there? I suppose hot water fan coils are an option.

Regards,

PR

hot_rod

run the loads

sounds like a LARGE cabin

You may find loads of 15 btu/ ft ot less. Maybe some panel rads which provide radiant energy transfer and some convection.

Or some concrete "animal" radiators.

Any solar interest in your area after the shows you were displaying at?

hr

Unknown

not sure I follow paul. why would baseboard not be effective because the load is low?

there is a minimum water temperature issue with baseboard, kind of, but it will certainly be effective.

Panel rads would certainly be effective.

Pretty hard to believe 4500 sq ft of building with NO windows though.. I mean, really?

Mike T., Swampeast MO

I don't believe there will be a problem with convection as the baseboards produce their own and the warm air should gather at the ceiling just like normal... I've always preferred ceiling fans wherever possible in convectively heated spaces.

Infiltration on the other hand could be a serious problem--too low. A 4,500 sf hunting cabin will surely hold quite a few people. Perhaps the hunters in CO are more cultured than here in MO, but judging by the hunting cabins where I've stayed, I really wouldn't want to be in a virtual ice chest with a bunch of guys who are drinking, eating spicy food, smoking and sweating under heavy clothes.

Get 25 or so people in there, the air could grow very "close" very fast and I'd bet they'd be waving the doors in nearly any weather just to try to get some fresh air. Sounds like a place for a good HRV system.

EJ hoffman

You sure it is hunting cabin?

Sounds like a greenhouse. Do your plans have the lighting or electrical?

Paul Rohrs_4

builders......

Just got back in the office and had a fax waiting. Turns out there are a bunch of windows.

Rob, I was thinking that there might not be enough convective air flow thru the baseboard. Not that the windows were the only determinant, but I thought the lack of windows was a detriment to proper convection.

Regards,

PR