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My Cold Rooms -- Are hydronic wall panels the answer???

Rob Kaplan
Rob Kaplan Member Posts: 1
in THE MAIN WALL
We just finished a remodel of our daylight basement. Heating contractor dutifully installed adequate registers and returns in the two bedrooms, and when the gas-heated forced air furnace is on, the rooms come to temperature.

But, no surprise, after the furnace shuts off the heat rises upstairs and the downstairs bedrooms cool up to 10 degrees below thermostat temp.

Contractor is now pitching hydronic panels run off of the water heaters (we have two 50 gallon) in adjacent garage. Because of location, running pex would involve little digging into the drywall.

-- Is a system effective if run off of hot water heaters (vs. boiler)? Am I going to completely kill the efficiency of the hot water heaters? Will the system be worthwhile at the lower temps?

If it can work, I much prefer having this, a "permament" solution, to the standby plug-in oil-filled radiators. Especially since one of the rooms is for my two young sons.

Any suggestions/info/referrals about creating such a second zone are much appreciated.

I am in the Seattle, WA area.

Thanks.

Comments

  • Online Sheriff \"Murph\"
    Online Sheriff \"Murph\" Member Posts: 380
    YO PAH...........

    I do not think it would be wise to use an open system IE; (domestic water) for heating !! All kinds of funky things can happen to that water while it is sitting idle !! Stay safe and use seperate source.


    Murph'
  • Jack_23
    Jack_23 Member Posts: 153
    Separate system

    Put in a Rinnai Energysaver. Sealed combusiton direct vent, with extensions for baseemnt app. www.rinnaina.com
  • Mark Eatherton1
    Mark Eatherton1 Member Posts: 2,542
    Absolutely...

    provided that it is properly sized and set up from the get go.

    First off, I hope your contractor has the common sense to NOT run the potable water directly through your STEEL panel radiators. This operation must be done through a heat exchanger to keep the iron components from seeing the oxygenated water.

    Secondly, if you do use the water heaters as your heat source, by the time the heat gets from the water heaters, through the heat exchangers and to the radiators, it will not be nearly as hot as you would think. Make sure the installing contractor understands this or it may not work correctly.

    Otherwise, if done right you'll have the most comfortable house on the block!!

    Enjoy your new found comfort!

    ME


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