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December 30, 2006
Radiant Vs. Forced Heat
Sorry for slightly off topic post, but this is the best resource I know of so... My mother is currently completely redoing a weekend/second home out on Long Island and is at the point where she has to make a final decision on heating. I have told her to go with Radiant floor heat wherever possible but her contractor is telling her that she should go with Forced Hot air because (in his words) Radiant takes too long to get the house warm. This is a second home so will be used only on weekends during the winter- therefore heat will be down all week. I guess the concern is that when someone shows up on Friday Evening for the weekend, the place will be cold for too long. The ductwork is going to be in place for CAC so the issue is really one of comfort. Intuitively I know the answer, but the contractor is making me second guess myself.
Any thoughts?
-PK
Comments
He's right, radiant heat will take longer to warm the house from start up compared to forced air. Unless you leave it on constantly, of course. However, radiant heat DOES have several advantages over forced air.
http://www.radiantheat.net/how_works_forced_vs_radiant/
Posted by: Wise DB at December 30, 2006 10:24 PM
Thanks for the reply. Is the radiant heat-up time comparable to a normal baseboard hotwater system (which is what the house had previously)? Or is it longer than that? I also realize that a programmable thermostat could solve most of these issues but I just want to get all the info lined up before a decision gets made. Definitely rather go with the radiant. Thanks again.
-PK
Posted by: pk at December 31, 2006 9:31 AM
I don't think what the OP is saying makes sense. You should insist that your plumber calculate the BTUs needed for each room before installing radiant heat there. If it is sized properly radiant should work perfectly because after all heat rises. Putting heat in a forced air vent isn't that great of an idea I think. Usually the vents for a/c are all up pretty high, so that's not terrific for heat to begin with, and then the heating element is according to my architect, very inefficient, and better suited to a southern climate. Plus forced hot air is pretty dry air, pretty annoying with the on/off and flow of air. Basically it feels reasonably warm when the hot air is blowing and cold other times.
Posted by: Anonymous at December 31, 2006 6:26 PM
If the owner isn't coming out to the house every weekend, then the programmable thermostat is still wasting energy. You might think of a thermostat that can be accessed by phone or on the web. I was in a similar situation with a contractor pushing hot air vs. radiant. Radiant was a lot more expensive to install amd involved more specialized expertise. If you've got a/c, then the ducts have to be put in anyway. Also, think about the flooring. Many types of flooring are good insulators (like wood) and impede heat. If you're using a wood floor covered by a carpet that will need to take that into consideration. Also, heat will cause floors to expand. If you are using wood, use quartersawn flooring. Because of the way it is cut, it expands up and down, not side to side. It is more expensive, but will be better for radiant heat. THe bottom line is that radiant heat is more comfortable, but can cost a lot more to install. On a weekend house that isn't being used much in the Winter (and the heat is set to 50F just to keep the pipes from freezing) I am not sure it makes sense to go the extra mile. Not sure about running costs and would be curious about that.
Posted by: Anonymous at January 1, 2007 4:57 PM
This is a no brainer.
Radiant is the best way to heat a house. Forced hot air is the worst.
I would guess that the contractor either isn't familiar enough with radiant or he just wants to finish the job and get out of there, and the easiest way is to use the duct system that is already in place.
But you said she is completing the renovation. If radiant was to be her choice, the tubing would have to be run before the flooring is in, which would take place before the basebords are in, which would take place before the painting is done.
It sounds like its too late.
As far as it taking a long time to heat up- that's nonsense. The hot water in these systems has to be set to an even lower temperature than typical radiator systems because the floors will get too hot.
check out www.aylcon.com
Posted by: Anonymous at January 2, 2007 7:41 PM
I'm OP. Appreciate all thoughts. Last poster- it's definitely not too late. She is COMPLETELY renovating- as in Rebuilding- not comleting renovation. Right now, it's just frame- no walls, no floors, no roof, no ducts. I tend to agree that Radiant is the way and am worried about the contractors advice as well. Anyway, just trying to gather as much info as possible to make best decision.
What's the deal with Radiant as it related to carpeting, etc...?
Thanks again.
Posted by: Anonymous at January 2, 2007 10:12 PM
Any decent radiant heat system will have a programable thermostat, so your family can simply set the timer to have the heat on before they arrive. Given the weekend use, it makes sense to get a 7-day thermostat so that they can program Friday evening to be warmer than the rest of the weekday evenings.
Of course, this works best if your mother knows in advance (i.e. at the time of her previous visit to the house) when she will return, so that she can set the timer appropriately.
If she makes an unexpected visit, of course, the house will not be pre-warmed and may take a bit longer to heat.
The other advantage of radiant floors is that the heat is where you want it: near the ground where you walk. (It's partiuclarly nice to walk around barefoot or in socks.) Forced hot air rises, so if your A/C ducts are nearer the ceiling, it will take a while for that hot air to fill up the room.
Posted by: Tokumbo at January 3, 2007 2:29 PM
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