So – How Do I Get My Own Hydronic Heat System?

You probably found this article by searching for “hydronic heat” or some other similar search term.

As you’re continuing to research this topic, you may also want to look up terms like: “radiant floor heat” “radiant floor heating” “radiant heat” and “radiant heating.”

Those are popular terms in the “radiant heat” niche.

It’s probably safe to say – this isn’t the first piece of information you found. Certainly, it won’t be the last. That’s okay – you’re in the process of finding out as much as you can about radiant floor heating and how you can benefit from a hydronic heat system.

You’re finding there’s a lot of information available out there – really, an overwhelming amount – and it’s hard to take it all in. And while you’re researching and reading, you’re finding conflicting opinions and approaches that make it even more confusing.

I can’t help that, but don’t worry – there are reasons for the discrepancies. Most of it stems from variations on radiant design approaches. Like a lot of other professions – radiant designers get used to doing things a certain way and using certain equipment. As technology evolves, they tend to stick with what they know – and gradually there is a divergence in how hydronic heat is approached.

A competent radiant designer will be able to explain the approach they are using and adapt their approach to your preferences. Regardless of the radiant design techniques employed – having helped thousands of customers; I’ve noticed a trend in the purchasing process over the years. And that’s what this article is focused on – an overview of the 6 basic steps taken by the purchaser when buying a radiant heating system.

Step 1:

Gain a basic understanding of radiant heating – determine if this is a project you can do yourself or what level of installation assistance you may need.

Step 2:

Identify possible suppliers – assess their qualifications and match them up to your expectations.

Step 3:

With the help of your supplier(s) analyze your requirements – determine your project needs and address any initial concerns:

Step 4:

Specify and Design your radiant system. At this point, your supplier should be able to provide you with a system quote and offer any possible options. This will help you with any project budget considerations.

Step 5:

Select your supplier – Make your purchase – schedule your shipment.

Step 6:

Inspect your system upon arrival – Install your new hydronic heat system. Your supplier should be able to offer some kind of technical support as needed.

Hey, that’s pretty darn quick work!

Energy Efficiency and Radiant Floor Heating are Priorities

According to a 2008 Market Trends Survey by Residential Design Build magazine (Apr 08), the following were the most asked-for features in new homes in 2007. Of the top 10, #2, #9, and #10 are directly or indirectly related to radiant floor heat:

1. 37% said a multi-purpose family/media room
2. 34% said energy efficiency
3. 33% said a home office
4. 26% said a great room
5. 25% said outdoor living space
6. 22% said a lower-level master suite
7. 21% said a home theater
8. 13% said a finished lower level
9. 10% said a tankless water heater
10. 10% said radiant floor heating

It’s the beginning of an eight part series that looks promising – both for green building and radiant heat.

With recent developments within the radiant heating industry – it’s easy to learn about designing and installing radiant floor heat systems.

Even if you wouldn’t want to learn a new trade – you can get your own radiant system, reducing your energy consumption without sacrificing your comfort.

Click these links to learn more about radiant heating and how to avoid radiant heat disasters.

I get a lot of questions from people about floor coverings and which kinds work best for radiant heat systems. This post offers a good explanation of what engineered flooring is and how it can benefit any project, particularly where hydronic heat is installed.

The Williams House Project – follows the intent of the Green Building initiatives such as LEED and Energy Star. Here is a list of some of its incorporated Green building features:

In-floor radiant heat with a high efficiency boiler

High efficiency A/C system with multiple zones

The builder used insulated concrete forms which have a much greater -r value than typical construction. All flooring in the home has radiant heating for comfort and even heat distribution.

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So how does one figure out what’s really important when it comes to a new radiant heating system?

Over the years, I’ve arrived at the following list of priorities:

1) Information – it’s important to get a hold of all the information you’ll need to make an informed decision.
2) Design – save yourself a lot of future headaches, have a radiant heat expert help you with your system design and tubing layout.
3) Quality Components – there’s nothing wrong with finding a good deal, but in a lot of cases you DO get what you pay for.
4) Support – If you’ve never installed your own radiant heating system before, you’ll need help – find a supplier who will be there for you when you need it most.

If you’d like to “drill-down” into this list and get a more in-depth look at how to avoid problems with your radiant heat system, click hear to avoid radiant heat disasters.

Technorati Tags: radiant heat, radiant heating, radiant floor heating, radiant floor

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