Finding someone who actually knows...

Adam_6

Any suggestions on how to find someone locally who actually knows how to properly install a radiant system? I'm thinking the ideal guy would actually do the heatloss calcs himself using one of the current programs (I think I'm partial to the radiantworks software since I 'd like to go with Watt's Subray) instead of sending it out somewhere (the forced air guys I called did that and you would be shocked at the variations in recommendations!). We've built using SIPS so I want to be able to walk the guy through the house, point out the insulation and other energy saving features, and feel like I've got somebody who will give me an accurate, backed by fact, load and system design and install. I've done the calling around, and so far I haven't found anyone who sound as knowledgeable about radiant as I'd like. Any suggestions? I'm in central Indiana.

BillW@honeywell

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Kal Row

i feel for ya..

unlike "scorched air" or baseboard - where you can get it 30% wrong and still have a working heating system, sort-of, with radiant, after 5% incorrectness you are SOL!!

a few tips:
-invest in software, like loop-cad
-use as many zones as possible
-use aluminized sub floor as much as possible
-use a tekmar thermostat in each room that measures the room air, slab, and outdoor - so it really knows what to do
-if you are doing central air, get a forced air furnace with it - for rapid warm-up and backup - you wont regret it

Kal Row

i feel for ya..

unlike "scorched air" or baseboard - where you can get it 30% wrong and still have a working heating system, sort-of, with radiant, after 5% incorrectness you are SOL!!

a few tips:

-invest in software, like loop-cad

-use as many zones as possible

-use aluminized sub floor as much as possible

-use a tekmar thermostat in each room that measures the room air, slab, and outdoor - so it really knows what to do

-if you are doing central air, get a forced air furnace with it - for rapid warm-up and backup - you wont regret it

Kal Row

i feel for ya..

unlike "scorched air" or baseboard - where you can get it 30% wrong and still have a working heating system, sort-of, with radiant, after 5% incorrectness you are SOL!!

a few tips:

-invest in software, like loop-cad

-use as many zones as possible

-use aluminized sub floor as much as possible

-use a tekmar thermostat in each room that measures the room air, slab, and outdoor - so it really knows what to do

-if you are doing central air, get a forced air furnace with it - it's usually only 600-to 1k more, for rapid warm-up and backup - you wont regret it

Kal Row

i feel for ya..

unlike "scorched air" or baseboard - where you can get it 30% wrong and still have a working heating system, sort-of, with radiant, after 5% incorrectness you are SOL!!

a few tips:

-invest in software, like loop-cad http://www.loopcad.com

http://www.hydronicpros.com



-use as many zones as possible

-use aluminized sub floor as much as possible

-use a tekmar thermostat in each room that measures the room air, slab, and outdoor - so it really knows what to do

-if you are doing central air, get a forced air furnace with it - it's usually only 600-to 1k more, for rapid warm-up and backup - you wont regret it

Kal Row

i feel for ya..

unlike "scorched air" or baseboard - where you can get it 30% wrong and still have a working heating system, sort-of, with radiant, after 5% incorrectness you are SOL!!

a few tips:

-invest in software, like loop-cad http://www.loopcad.com
and siggi's stuff
http://www.hydronicpros.com



-use as many zones as possible

-use aluminized sub floor as much as possible

-use a tekmar thermostat in each room that measures the room air, slab, and outdoor - so it really knows what to do

-if you are doing central air, get a forced air furnace with it - it's usually only 600-to 1k more, for rapid warm-up and backup - you wont regret it

digital videotape every detail of the pex piping install

in the end you are going to be the one that "actually knows"

Kal Row

i feel for ya..

unlike "scorched air" or baseboard - where you can get it 30% wrong and still have a working heating system, sort-of, with radiant, after 5% incorrectness you are SOL!!

a few tips:

-invest in software, like loop-cad http://www.loopcad.com
and siggi's stuff
http://www.hydronicpros.com

-use as many zones as possible

-use aluminized sub floor as much as possible

-use a tekmar thermostat in each room that measures the room air, slab, and outdoor - so it really knows what to do

-if you are doing central air, get a forced air furnace with it - it's usually only 600-to 1k more, for rapid warm-up and backup - you wont regret it

-digital videotape every detail of the pex piping install


in the end you are going to have be the one that "actually knows" - sorry the technology is still new relative to others - even though king solomon had it in the double layerd marble floors of the temple - the romans got it from herod who got it from the temple

Kal Row

i feel for ya..

unlike "scorched air" or baseboard - where you can get it 30% wrong and still have a working heating system, sort-of, with radiant, after 5% incorrectness you are SOL!!

a few tips:

-invest in software, like loop-cad http://www.loopcad.com
and siggi's stuff
http://www.hydronicpros.com

-use as many zones as possible

-use aluminized sub floor as much as possible

-use a tekmar thermostat in each room that measures the room air, slab, and outdoor - so it really knows what to do

-if you are doing central air, get a forced air furnace with it - it's usually only 600-to 1k more, for rapid warm-up and backup - you wont regret it

-digital videotape every detail of the pex piping install


in the end you are going to have be the one that "actually knows" - sorry the technology is still new, relative to others, - even though king Solomon had it in the double layerd marble floors of the temple - the Romans got it from king herod who got it from ancient drawings of the original temple, herod's temple didnt have it - cause the live temple mount water source that solomon had, was not there for the second temple, - and without good water flow - it “du-dnt” work - herod however did have it in his bath house on masada mount, - since there was a giant water cistern at the top, - and it was piped down to his bath house 1/3rd the way down – the heat source for these things was a fire under the lower marble layer at the inlet – they even had steam baths, cool stuff – but labor intensive

Kal Row

i feel for ya..

unlike "scorched air" or baseboard - where you can get it 30% wrong and still have a working heating system, sort-of, with radiant, after 5% incorrectness you are SOL!!

a few tips:

-invest in software, like loop-cad http://www.loopcad.com
and siggi's stuff
http://www.hydronicpros.com

-use as many zones as possible

-use aluminized sub floor as much as possible

-use a tekmar thermostat in each room that measures the room air, slab, and outdoor - so it really knows what to do

-if you are doing central air, get a forced air furnace with it - it's usually only 600-to 1k more, for rapid warm-up and backup - you wont regret it

-digital videotape every detail of the pex piping install



in the end you are going to have be the one that "actually knows" - sorry the technology is still new, relative to others, - even though king Solomon had it in the double layerd marble floors of the temple - the Romans got it from king herod who got it from ancient drawings of the original temple, herod's temple didnt have it - cause the live temple mount water source that solomon had, was not there for the second temple, - and without good water flow - it “du-dnt” work - herod however did have it in his bath house on masada mount, - since there was a giant water cistern at the top, - and it was piped down to his bath house 1/3rd the way down – the heat source for these things was a fire under the lower marble layer at the inlet – they even had steam baths, cool stuff – but labor intensive

Charles Garrod

who really knows

I think the real need is to find someone that can layout proper circuits in a house.

Unknown

that's a bit extreme

That's an awful lot a homeowner should have to do to get a radiant system don't you think?

First off, I wouldn't think most homeowners have the kind of experience you need to get decent results from heat load calculations. Not to say it's impossible, but you have to do an awful lot of research to know what you're doing there, what the limitations of the program you are using are, and how that relates to what the building will actually do in the climate you are in on the site you are building on!

Secondly, "as many zones as possible" is pretty broad. A heat load calculation, personal preference and some common sense will tell you how many zones are adequate for your needs.

Aluminum products are quite nice... not always necessary. Concrete works quite well. after that I agree some kind of aluminum product is needed... ah, but which one? again, a heat load can tell you.

I think tekmar's indoor feedback systems are far superior to their thermostatic systems, especially in supertight homes with high mass systems. The RTU's can read that house like a book and keep things right on track without slab sensing.. great stuff. This also basically removes the need for "fast response" heat in the vast majority of situations as well as the tekmar "plans ahead" really well, so save your $1k on the FHA furnace and spend half that on a good controller.

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Chris_32

Advantage

Call our customer relations team and ask for a list of our Advantage contractors in your area. 800-321-4739

Tim D.

Ted_9

Try the Viega program too, its free. www.viega.com

John Jr

Radiant Heat

Where do you live?

hr

A Viessmann rep lives in Indiana

and has had some nice jobs done and shown here and in mags.

Try Henry at 401-732=0667 (headquarters) He is also on the cover of this months PM mag with a large Viessmann job.

I know he has qualified contractors in various areas of Indiana.

hot rod

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Adam_6

Tried that

The nearest contractor listed is in the next state

Adam_6

Thanks for the tips! Unfortunately most of the tips are beyond what I want to have to deal with for my radiant system. I really do just want someone with expertise in radiant to use their preferred software (provided it was authored or at least updated since the turn of the century) to figure all that stuff out for me. Since several people asked, the house is about 45 min. northeast of Indianapolis about 3 miles off I69 in a one light town called Daleville (47334 if you want to check for reps who cover that area . I have looked at HVAC-Calc to get a general idea, but I'm afraid that particular software will lean too heavily toward the force air side of things and not give an accurate load for our radiant system. I'll have to give the Wirsbo # a call for Advantage contractors, and I'll check with the Viessmann people as well. Thanks for your suggestions. Anybody else?