Hydronic radiant heat and solar evacuated tubes

I am renovating a Harlem brownstone and am looking into radiant heat and solar tubes. I am having trouble even locating people who could give me estimates.  My contractor said he got two quotes in the $80k range and that’s only for the radiant heat. !?  I spoke to two solar “professionals” and one never showed up and the other just doesn’t seem interested.  Has anyone done this?  Were you happy with whoever did the job and could you send along their info?

newinhh

in Insulation 12 years and 2 months ago

4

Please log in, in order to post replies!

4 replies

Newest Oldest

radengineering | 12 years and 2 months ago

string(1) "1"
object(WP_User)#4857 (8) {
  ["data"]=>
  object(stdClass)#4907 (12) {
    ["ID"]=>
    string(6) "177991"
    ["user_login"]=>
    string(14) "radengineering"
    ["user_pass"]=>
    string(34) "$P$BV680IcCe34CQjpl0Mpp4pbfb9gDgi/"
    ["user_nicename"]=>
    string(14) "radengineering"
    ["user_email"]=>
    string(27) "pick@radiantengineering.com"
    ["user_url"]=>
    string(56) "http://bstoner.wpengine.com/forums/users/radengineering/"
    ["user_registered"]=>
    string(19) "2017-08-10 14:18:46"
    ["user_activation_key"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_status"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["display_name"]=>
    string(14) "radengineering"
    ["spam"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["deleted"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
  ["ID"]=>
  int(177991)
  ["caps"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["cap_key"]=>
  string(15) "wp_capabilities"
  ["roles"]=>
  array(2) {
    [0]=>
    string(10) "subscriber"
    [1]=>
    string(15) "bbp_participant"
  }
  ["allcaps"]=>
  array(4) {
    ["read"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["level_0"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["filter"]=>
  NULL
  ["site_id":"WP_User":private]=>
  int(1)
}

Hello newinhh, I represent radiant engineering. I noticed that someone linked to our website from this forum and after reading the thread I wanted to offer you my thoughts. phfamily and edifice rex are definitely giving you the best advice here. While it’s true that radiant heating may not be the least expensive option you have available, it’s nowhere near as expensive or as potentially failure prone as you are being led to believe. Also, it’s just as easy to screw up a “conventional” heating system as it is to do a bad job of radiant.  I do not believe that there are no good and reputable contractors or installers in NY or northern NJ. I can recommend at least one to you that we recently worked with on an extensive remodel and radiant/solar retrofit in Summit NJ. Our company here in Bozeman Montana designed, engineered and supplied that project with world class equipment and experienced design and engineering services. We also prefabricated much of the mechanical equipment for simpler installation on site in NJ. We have 30+ years of experience with advanced hydronic heating including radiant. We specialize in hydronic heating and typically provide projects with combinations of radiant floors, panel radiators and hot water baseboard, depending on what is most appropriate for the space and the budget. We usually provide these systems with indirect domestic water heating from the space heating boiler and can combine solar water heating into such a system. We discourage solar space heating as not so economic and are biased toward flat plate solar collectors as far more cost effective than evacuated tubes. We are also biased towards the best equipment available in order to help insure that our customers have a good experience. phfamily’s experience of $18.00 per ft2 is much more in line with the expense of such a system. We can set you up with a custom designed, pre-engineered and prefabricated system kit that will work with your remodel and take the head scratching out of it for your installer and general contractor. With a set of plans and some consultation with you we can provide a free itemized quote for a system that includes some design time and site labor estimates. If you’re interested in contacting the NJ installer I spoke of or have any further interest in this, please fill out our contact page at radiantengineering.com Check out our ThermoFin U page to see what a dry radiant floor install looks like. Thanks for listening. Hope to hear from you.

edifice-rex | 12 years and 2 months ago

string(1) "1"
object(WP_User)#4856 (8) {
  ["data"]=>
  object(stdClass)#4855 (12) {
    ["ID"]=>
    string(5) "23133"
    ["user_login"]=>
    string(11) "edifice-rex"
    ["user_pass"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_nicename"]=>
    string(15) "edifice-rex-2-2"
    ["user_email"]=>
    string(24) "icanbuilditnow@yahoo.com"
    ["user_url"]=>
    string(53) "http://bstoner.wpengine.com/forums/users/edifice-rex/"
    ["user_registered"]=>
    string(19) "2017-08-10 14:06:31"
    ["user_activation_key"]=>
    string(20) "lUubFDX8BGObY7WFD96e"
    ["user_status"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["display_name"]=>
    string(11) "edifice rex"
    ["spam"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["deleted"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
  ["ID"]=>
  int(23133)
  ["caps"]=>
  array(2) {
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["cap_key"]=>
  string(15) "wp_capabilities"
  ["roles"]=>
  array(2) {
    [0]=>
    string(10) "subscriber"
    [1]=>
    string(15) "bbp_participant"
  }
  ["allcaps"]=>
  array(4) {
    ["read"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["level_0"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["subscriber"]=>
    bool(true)
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["filter"]=>
  NULL
  ["site_id":"WP_User":private]=>
  int(1)
}

These emission plates   http://radiantengineering.com/tfinu  are about $1.50 a lin  ft, Pex-al (the most expensive tubing) is about  70 cents a lin ft. Typically you would run it on 8″ centers so multifply your square footage by 1.5 to to see how much you need. You will need manifolds based on how many 250 ft loops you have, a good 6-loop is abot $450.And depending on how sophisticated you get with the controls they should add only a few thousand dollars above a standard hydronic system..And you will need 3/4″ inch plywood sleepers at around $1.50 a sq ft .Do the math.  It will be no where near $40 a ft. Call these guys  http://www.prontosupplies.com/magpronto/ they will design a system for a few hundred dollars and probably recomend an installer. Radiant heat is great and it is more expensive but it is doable. But be aware a poorly done system can be a disaster.

PHfamily | 12 years and 2 months ago

string(1) "1"
object(WP_User)#4865 (8) {
  ["data"]=>
  object(stdClass)#4864 (12) {
    ["ID"]=>
    string(4) "3307"
    ["user_login"]=>
    string(8) "PHfamily"
    ["user_pass"]=>
    string(34) "$P$BMwZy6ba.HKNWk8Roucw2jJHAb5RA30"
    ["user_nicename"]=>
    string(8) "PHfamily"
    ["user_email"]=>
    string(20) "katerobwax@yahoo.com"
    ["user_url"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_registered"]=>
    string(19) "2007-09-22 12:49:31"
    ["user_activation_key"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_status"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["display_name"]=>
    string(8) "PHfamily"
    ["spam"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["deleted"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
  ["ID"]=>
  int(3307)
  ["caps"]=>
  array(1) {
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["cap_key"]=>
  string(15) "wp_capabilities"
  ["roles"]=>
  array(1) {
    [0]=>
    string(15) "bbp_participant"
  }
  ["allcaps"]=>
  array(1) {
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["filter"]=>
  NULL
  ["site_id":"WP_User":private]=>
  int(1)
}

This seems very high. We installed radiant heat at about $18k (materials only) on three floors of a brownstone. How could it possibly be$120k?

ellenlourie | 12 years and 2 months ago

string(1) "1"
object(WP_User)#4866 (8) {
  ["data"]=>
  object(stdClass)#5114 (12) {
    ["ID"]=>
    string(6) "209451"
    ["user_login"]=>
    string(11) "ellenlourie"
    ["user_pass"]=>
    string(34) "$P$BW7BCPC4MhhU4md6aHcLH/64c1GhM1/"
    ["user_nicename"]=>
    string(11) "ellenlourie"
    ["user_email"]=>
    string(22) "ellen.lourie@gmail.com"
    ["user_url"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_registered"]=>
    string(19) "2024-06-29 12:47:36"
    ["user_activation_key"]=>
    string(0) ""
    ["user_status"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["display_name"]=>
    string(11) "ellenlourie"
    ["spam"]=>
    string(1) "0"
    ["deleted"]=>
    string(1) "0"
  }
  ["ID"]=>
  int(209451)
  ["caps"]=>
  array(1) {
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["cap_key"]=>
  string(15) "wp_capabilities"
  ["roles"]=>
  array(1) {
    [0]=>
    string(15) "bbp_participant"
  }
  ["allcaps"]=>
  array(1) {
    ["bbp_participant"]=>
    bool(true)
  }
  ["filter"]=>
  NULL
  ["site_id":"WP_User":private]=>
  int(1)
}

Full radiant for brownstone in Harlem will start at $120-140k, solar from $20k. If you want it to work. And it is bare minimum.. Ultra high efficiency Boilers and DHW should be included.