what would best options for heat be on straights of macinaw?

Tom_68

I have a good friend building a new home on the north sides of the Straights of Macinaw.  He has had some radiant elec. floor heating installed in some of the new home,  but was told that it would not be effective in heating the entire house.  It was suggested he purchase a heat pump with backup electric heat.   I completly disagree with the heat pump as the winters there are horrible.  Natural gas is not an option.  I'm thinking no heat pump,  just use electric heat.   He has to get an a/c installed anyway, so why couldn't they just put the electric heating elements in his furnace?   He doesn't want propane either because of the tank and the room on the property.   Someone else suggested baseboard heating through a boiler.   Any suggestions?     Obviously whatever he does he will need to have good insulation all over and he will have to install a humidifier if he's using electric heat too.    Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Tom

SWEI

Heat loss calc?

Design temp?  Electric rates?  Special tariffs?  No NG available? 



A modern VRF ASHP with electric resistance backup might mane sense.  Or not.

Tom_133

Thats not me!

Hey guys how many different Tom's can have my screen name? This one isn't me

DanHolohan

Screen names

There's nothing in the software that locks in a screen name, once chosen. This is why I've often suggested that folks use their full names when posting. Chances of your exact name being duplicated are slim. 

Jamie Hall

If your friend

hasn't finalised the building plans yet, get him to put in as much solar as he can.  Possibly active on the roof, but passive as well (such as a lot of really good glass) on the south side.  It can make a huge difference.  There are a number of good design sources out there, and a good architect should be aware of them.



True, the climate in the UP does leave something to be desired in the winter.  On the other hand, so do electric rates... is a ground source heat pump (not air source; groundwater) an option?

Tom_133

Sorry for high jacking

Sorry I Iead this thread astray. I will fix my name. Thanks Dan

DanHolohan

No worries.

We love all our Toms!

archibald tuttle

sounds like the horse is halfway out of the barn?

if I'm reading this right, the physical plant is already largely constructed and some electric radiant floor is installed - where kitchen and/or bath. if i were using electric, might do more of that although depending whose system it can be more pricey than electric baseboard.



either solar or ground source heat pump would be better companion with more floor radiant.  depending on how open the house plan if the ground floor is not in yet or there is enough ceiling height you can insulate it and then put tubes into the concrete or if there is already concrete floor i rout the tubes into foam closed cell xps foam insulation (pink owens corning, or blue dow) and then put heavy aluminum foil in the channels (because i am too cheap to buy the ready made floor panels. I have marked the pattern and secured hardibacker over this for either tile backer or floating wood floor, etc.  you probalby could get away with floating floor directly on the foam but i like the hardibacker layer for little thermal mass and somethin to work with or glue to. 



the point is that heat pumping and solar are going to produce more useful btus if they can be used at lower temperature differencve from the heated space and radiant helps with that.



if the floor is in and don't want to mess with that, can do the same thin with the walls.  i've down it as a chair rail as well.



must be a fairly small lot if he doesn't want propane.  you don't need a lot of room and, esp. as back up or alternative to solar or heat pump, wouldn't need as large a tank and wouldn't need a lot of interior space for a modcon for propane. 



don't iknow if you get a lot of cheap electricity up there from canada so it would just make sense to have an electric hot water heater as back up. 



how big is house, how well insulated? 



of course we just went through this thing with hot water heaters as heating applicances but if you're not in some retentive district in canada think it would be doable and cheap.



brian

archibald tuttle

and dan, on the name thing

i chose a single name myself and i guess there could be more than one of me (heaven forbid).



i don't know what the sensibilities are because i chose my real name. although i realized of late that i should have used my trade name which is what i employ across a range of vocational sites for consistency.



is there somewhere i can go to get my name changed or do i have to do that in court.



archibald tuttle

DanHolohan

When you login

Just go to Settings. You can change it there. Merry Christmas!

Zman

Question

Dan,

Does the Name change for past posts as well or just moving forward?

Carl

DanHolohan

It will change for all posts

including the older ones. 

Steamfitter66

Radiant can be designed to heat almost any structure.

And can be fueled by whatever the local conditions dictate

archibald tuttle

the nerve . . .

to say in 7 words what took me 7 paragraphs.

Steamfitter66

MERRY CHRISTMAS

and a Radiant New Year