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Heat for new Addition

NAR
NAR Member Posts: 4
in Radiant Heating
I am embarking on a new addition. I completed another addition 6 years ago and installed radiant floor heating (staple up) with a water heater for the heat source, with 5 loops, 2 zones. The main house is heated by steam, single pipe. The basement is heated by a separate electric baseboard. I know, sort of a mishmash.the new addition will be about another 500-600 sq ft. I really like the radiant in the 'old' addition and I am thinking of ripping out the steam and replacing the whole system with radiant. At a minimum I think I will need radiant in the ceiling in the new kitchen as there will be NO place to pull in a radiator. My thought is to remove the ceiling on the 1st floor and staple up pex for 2nd floor heat and use radiant ceiling for heating the first floor. My steam boiler is probably 20 years or more in age and probably needs to be replaced and now is the time I suppose. I live in NJ. Also, I have read that ceiling radiant is not good for basement applications. My basement is a walk out in the back to a patio. I have calculated a heat loss of 15k just for this area alone.



Sorry for the long winded discussion, but is this doable, or more importantly, the best route to go? Or should I just extend the radiant to the kitchen, as I have one extra loop available on the current radiant and install steam radiators in the rest? I assume that would be the cheapest option, but I plan to stay in this house for another 20 or more years and I do love the radiant!



Thanks for looking and your comments.

Neil

Comments

  • JStar
    JStar Member Posts: 2,752
    Heat

    Stick with steam. It's a more efficient system than hot water when it's working correctly. However, if it's not possible to add steam radiators, you can add a circulated hot water loop off of the steam boiler. It has limitations, but can work well.



    Also, domestic water heaters are not an allowed heat source.
  • NAR
    NAR Member Posts: 4
    Dom HW?

    JStar,

    Thanks for the response,  but why is a domestric hot water heater not legal for a closed loop radiant floor heating system?  mine passed all inspections.

    Neil
This discussion has been closed.

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