Heating question (adding radiator)

I own a 2 story mixed use property (1 family and store) and the 134k btu oil boiler is supplying heat for the residential apartment only. I am considering adding 2 radiators to the ground floor store. My first question is will the additional radiators affect the heat upstairs. Secondly, according to my EDR calculations, the existing radiators use approx 60k btu. Would I be harnessing some of the inefficiencies of an oversized boiler by adding radiators?

JL923

in Heating 11 years and 6 months ago

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brucef | 11 years and 6 months ago

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I would recommend plumbing these new radiators as a new zone. It gives you a way of walking back un-intended consequences. The zone controller is minimal expense, but it gives you the flexibility of future changes, like a separate boiler even though at this point that makes little sense.

Master Plvmber | 11 years and 6 months ago

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It doesn’t matter to the boiler how you distribute the BTUs. You can balance the spaces by smartly sizing the heating demand, or heat loss, of the spaces you’re heating.

JL923 | 11 years and 6 months ago

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Thanks for the help. So let’s say that I do add radiators to the first floor. Is it better to put in two massive ones or 3 smaller ones? Is it possible to balance system so that top and bottom get heat at roughly the same time?

Master Plvmber | 11 years and 6 months ago

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Yeah, it’s plenty. As a rule of thumb, I’m not a big fan of rules of thumb, but you need 30-35 BTUs per square foot in our part of the world to heat or cool a room.

JL923 | 11 years and 6 months ago

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Master plumber, off the top of your head, do you think a 134k btu boiler is sufficient to heat approx 3000 sq ft (1200 upstairs and 1800 downstairs)? That’s roughly 6-7 radiators in total.

Master Plvmber | 11 years and 6 months ago

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Yes. Adding some radiation to your oversized boiler will make it run more efficiently.