I'm back.. with a ?..Bob Bona

Bob Bona_4

finally back..My computer crashed..hard. fifteen hundred smackers later.. I was wondering(are you there HR?) what the picks are for a heat source for a small radiant suspended tube job..650 sq ft, probaly around 25,000 heat loss..thinking elctric water heater? I am not familiar with the capacity/capability of EWH's..I know hr has shown them used, and I lost all data/files to research..This client has already contacted "that radiant outfit in VT" and I need to save her!

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hr

Do a calc

first. That works out to a bit over 37 BTU/ sq. ft. Sounds high? May be a bit more than a radiant floor alone could supply, especially suspended tube.

Danfoss has a couple ZCP to give you radiant from an exisiting water heater, both with or without isolation HX.

I don't go over 4500 watt (about 15,400 btu/ hr.) for an electric add on. If gas or oil is available that would be a better route for 25,000.

Plenty of electric boiler available also if it absoutly has to be electric.

hot rod

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Bob Bona_4

right.

I was just shooting out a number for the radiant load without even thinking of the square footage parameters..Conventional load works out to 28,600, so I was just plugging a real rough lower number for the radiant version for Sunday "estimate writing time". I misplaced my Wirsbo software during this computer fiasco..Got to get on the horn first am for a replacement. Tiny house, obviously, she has a 50 gallon electric WH. I was thinking of a small wall hung electric WH or boiler..there is no gas availaible, and the oil tank is to be yanked..too small a load for oil equipment anyway. Any experience with electric boilers? Expensive to run?
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Bob Bona_4

so what you are saying

is that 15K is about the limit for a WH to power a radiant zone? I am assuming this is a dedicated WH for the radiant loop..Have you seen systems taken off an electric WH that also serves the domestic needs? I can't imagine that working, as the recovery is slow enough when showers, etc. are run, and if the radiant is on at the same time it would be like a CBX with a 50cc motor in it:)

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hr

Could you

replace her DHW with a higher output. Seems all the manufactures have 75,000 50 gallon tanks these days. Bradford has a 65 gallon 65,000.
Not the most efficient but if space is the restriction.
For the money, and if you have the amps available those small wall hung Seisco modulating electrics work great. As always the operating cost will depend on the cost of KWH and amount of run time. What's nice about the Seisco it modulates the output so you don't get a lot of bang on bang off like a regular small electric point of use job.

Electric isn't my first choice, but in my area sometimes it is the only sourse. Here are some recent electrics for small bath and kitchen floor warmers. The Seisco is on a slab dining room addition.

That Danfoss ZCP is rated 30-50,000 BTU with or without isolation HX, of course. Built to connect, easily, onto a HW tank.

hot rod

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Bob Bona_4

the Siesco

looks really, really cool. My addled brain is realizing that this will not be TOO inefficient due to the water entering to be heated is not the typical 40-50 degrees. Thanks HR!

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