Hello. I have a question: We want to build a one-and-a-half-story house with a pitched roof using timber frame construction. Now I am looking for the right heating system! We have decided to use a condensing boiler with a storage tank and two solar collectors in combination with a hydronic fireplace. On the ground floor, underfloor heating will be installed throughout, and on the upper floor, radiators will be installed in the two children’s rooms as well as in the bedroom. In the bathroom, I was thinking of a radiator return loop.
Now my question: Has anyone had experience with something like this? If yes, which company/system would you recommend and what should I pay attention to? Or does anyone have suggestions for improvements?
Thanks in advance for the help! Best regards, Artur
Now my question: Has anyone had experience with something like this? If yes, which company/system would you recommend and what should I pay attention to? Or does anyone have suggestions for improvements?
Thanks in advance for the help! Best regards, Artur
I
Irgendwoabaier15 Feb 2014 07:06Hello,
Why choose radiators—that is, a high-temperature system? Are floor coverings planned that are not suitable for underfloor heating? Underfloor heating should be designed for low temperatures (≤35°C (95°F)), and the system can only be energy efficient if the entire setup operates as a low-temperature system. This can lead to the somewhat unusual situation where, in the bathroom, it might make sense (also from an energy perspective) to install an additional electric heater (typically a towel warmer), but this depends on individual requirements.
Recommendations for companies or systems—your heating installer can provide better advice once they know the heating load.
Why choose radiators—that is, a high-temperature system? Are floor coverings planned that are not suitable for underfloor heating? Underfloor heating should be designed for low temperatures (≤35°C (95°F)), and the system can only be energy efficient if the entire setup operates as a low-temperature system. This can lead to the somewhat unusual situation where, in the bathroom, it might make sense (also from an energy perspective) to install an additional electric heater (typically a towel warmer), but this depends on individual requirements.
Recommendations for companies or systems—your heating installer can provide better advice once they know the heating load.
Hi. Well, it was more or less a decision based on price and user experience since we have not used the underfloor heating in the children's rooms and the bedroom even once after two years in our current apartment! So the thought was, why pay extra for it then? No, all floor coverings are suitable for underfloor heating anyway!
I should also mention that my intention is not only to heat the domestic hot water with the solar system and the water-driven fireplace but also to heat the central heating water at the same time!
I should also mention that my intention is not only to heat the domestic hot water with the solar system and the water-driven fireplace but also to heat the central heating water at the same time!
Underfloor heating should basically be cost-neutral since the materials are inexpensive, and it is also quicker to install than radiators. Additionally, it avoids the somewhat more complex control systems because only one supply temperature is needed for the entire house, not two different ones for radiators.
Talk to your builder again, and if they refuse, then either they don’t know what they’re doing or they just want to make extra profit... in that case, I would stay away from the whole thing.
You don’t actively use underfloor heating... ideally, it heats quietly in the background, and you don’t have to adjust it constantly.
A water-based fireplace is a highly complex system in terms of controls... I would seriously reconsider whether it’s worth it... as soon as something goes wrong, there will be major problems... and they might only appear after the warranty period ends... the expected savings from such a system are effectively zero.
Two solar collectors, which is the minimum requirement at around 5m² (54 sq ft), are just enough to heat water for two people... the payback time for such a system is about 30 years (sometimes called a token system – just look it up).
I don’t know how you plan to heat service water with this... in summer, you don’t need it, and in winter, the sun is usually not strong enough at our latitudes, plus your collector area is simply too small.
Talk to your builder again, and if they refuse, then either they don’t know what they’re doing or they just want to make extra profit... in that case, I would stay away from the whole thing.
You don’t actively use underfloor heating... ideally, it heats quietly in the background, and you don’t have to adjust it constantly.
A water-based fireplace is a highly complex system in terms of controls... I would seriously reconsider whether it’s worth it... as soon as something goes wrong, there will be major problems... and they might only appear after the warranty period ends... the expected savings from such a system are effectively zero.
Two solar collectors, which is the minimum requirement at around 5m² (54 sq ft), are just enough to heat water for two people... the payback time for such a system is about 30 years (sometimes called a token system – just look it up).
I don’t know how you plan to heat service water with this... in summer, you don’t need it, and in winter, the sun is usually not strong enough at our latitudes, plus your collector area is simply too small.
For me, the whole thing is far too complex and complicated. Two heating loops with different temperatures, plus a water-heated fireplace and solar and so on... A condensing boiler, complete with underfloor heating, and that’s enough. The rest will never pay off, it just creates work and causes problems.
B
Bauexperte15 Feb 2014 11:33Hello,
Aside from the fact that your question cannot really be answered properly without knowing the building’s heating demand, I wonder why you want to combine underfloor heating and radiators at all? If your idea is to save costs, this will definitely not be the case.
Besides the fact that I consider it potentially unhealthy to sleep in cold rooms — often ventilated year-round — you currently live in an apartment. In such buildings, especially in multi-family houses, it never gets as cold as in a detached house; neighbors are effectively heating a significant part of your home.
The additional costs you fear arise — in the construction of the system — precisely because of the combination of underfloor heating and radiators. Later, during operation, higher running costs come from the naive switching on and off of the heating systems or frequent adjustment of the thermostats on the underfloor heating.
Regards, Bauexperte
Biago schrieb:
We want to build a one-and-a-half-story house with a gable roof using a timber frame construction method. Now I am looking for the right heating system! We have decided to use a condensing boiler with a storage tank and 2 solar collectors combined with a water-based fireplace! There will be underfloor heating installed throughout the ground floor, and radiators in the two children’s rooms and the bedroom on the upper floor. In the bathroom, I thought of using a radiator return loop.
Now my question! Has anyone had experience with something like this? If yes, which company/system would you recommend and what should I pay attention to or any suggestions for improvements?
Aside from the fact that your question cannot really be answered properly without knowing the building’s heating demand, I wonder why you want to combine underfloor heating and radiators at all? If your idea is to save costs, this will definitely not be the case.
Biago schrieb:
Hi. Well, this was more or less a decision based on price and user experience since in our current apartment we have not even used the underfloor heating in the children’s rooms and bedroom after two years! That’s why the thought was why pay more then! No, the floor coverings are all suitable for underfloor heating!
Besides the fact that I consider it potentially unhealthy to sleep in cold rooms — often ventilated year-round — you currently live in an apartment. In such buildings, especially in multi-family houses, it never gets as cold as in a detached house; neighbors are effectively heating a significant part of your home.
The additional costs you fear arise — in the construction of the system — precisely because of the combination of underfloor heating and radiators. Later, during operation, higher running costs come from the naive switching on and off of the heating systems or frequent adjustment of the thermostats on the underfloor heating.
Regards, Bauexperte
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