Welcome! Here are the website rules, as well as some tips for using this forum.
Need to contact us? Visit https://heatinghelp.com/contact-us/.
Click here to Find a Contractor in your area.

Hydronic With Tankless

TheWiggle
TheWiggle Member Posts: 1
edited December 2014 in Radiant Heating
Hi, Anyone have experience using Stiebel Eltron Tempra water heaters (tankless electric) for hydronic systems? I'd like to use a Tempra 24 as the heat source / electric boiler. Thanks and appreciate your opinions.

Comments

  • SWEI
    SWEI Member Posts: 7,356
    Much like a gas tankless: by the time you add enough bits to make it work, you might as well buy a real boiler.

    I've got a Tempra 36 new in box if you need one of those.
    RobG
  • icesailor
    icesailor Member Posts: 7,265
    Unless Electricity is almost free, WHY?
  • dhb
    dhb Member Posts: 1
    Electricity is my only energy source - period so an electric boiler is IT! We live in a 40 year old concrete condo and back then electricity was KING. We have 240 watt baseboard heat. The building has no other energy source except a fireplace. I too would like to install an electric fired boiler
    We have 3 bedrooms, a 650 sq. ft. Great Room w/18' ceilings, and 3 bathrooms and in all we have 2300 sq. ft. and we have 4 8' sliders across the front of our condo which faces the Pacific Ocean so our heat loss can and is significant
    I'm very concerned about buying to small of a boiler.
    I've look at electric heated floors which would be the easiest but I am concerned beds, furniture, dog beds, etc. will create hot spots and eventually burn out the heating sources? We have hydronic heat in our Portland, Oregon residence and why I am leaning towards Hydronic heat.
    Any comments would be interesting to review? Type of boiler to use, BTU size, and I'm also looking at WARMBOARD but Warmboard won't discuss on the net cost other than in generalities so it must be on the high side? $5.00- $6.00, $7.00, my guess isloser to $8.00 a square foot?
    doug@dougbell.com
  • RobG
    RobG Member Posts: 1,850
    You have to start with an accurate heatloss of the structure, no if ands or buts. Once that is done you can choose the proper boiler for the home. Warmboard is a great product but there is no point in looking any farther ahead until you know if will heat the living area. Slantfin has a great heatloss program that is free and downloadable. Start there.
  • icesailor
    icesailor Member Posts: 7,265
    You didn't say where you are located with your concrete Condo. Location in the world is important because it gives you a constant factor to work from. Like the lowest expected temperature. Electric may make a lot of sense for you.
  • SWEI
    SWEI Member Posts: 7,356
    There are also air source hydronic heat pumps, which might make sense depending on your electricity prices and climate. Or not. First cost is WAY higher, like 8-10 times higher. But sometimes they can make sense.
  • Jack
    Jack Member Posts: 1,047
    I've been involved with thousands of condo conversion units from elec to LP or natural gas. You need to get the Board involved in this discussion. We converted these units with Rinnai Energysavers. Where are you in CA. I'm in CA now and can come make a site assessment and advise, but the Homeowners Assoc must be involved.
    kcopp