radiant heat question

[doc henderson]

Don you are correct that all transfer or transition of energy types is less than 100% efficient.  once the energy source is in the house and the water is heated, radiant is fairly efficient.  It is less responsive to big temp changes since when you turn it off, the heat continues to be released from the thermal mass, and from a cold slab there is a delay in feeling the heat.  It is perfect in the middle of the winter as we have ongoing heat loss via the walls roof and windows of the home.  The weather in the south, is more like our spring and fall.    @Don P  @Southside   Best Regards Gents.

[taylorsmissbeehaven]

I agree with you Doc. even in our milder southern winters you need a secondary source of heat. Years ago we were caught off guard by a 22" snow and below freezing temps for a week. Thanks to my woodstove my house held a comfortable 70*. I had a lot of friends that week!!

[hedgerow]

Like others have said spend the money when you pour the concrete and put the tubes in you can always hook them up later. I have a 30x60 shop with 16 side walls and have tubes in the floor and that building was up six years before I installed the Garn and got the tubes hooked up. I love the heat coming off the concrete and if you work under a lot of equipment its nice to have that floor warm. I also have a  propane furnace in the shop with a coil in it that is also hooked to the Garn that sometimes I throw it on first thing in the morning to take a little chill off as I only run the floor at 50 degrees air temp in the shop. I have a mixing valve on the Garn so I only put 110 degree water into the floor. 

[Rebarb]

I'll add, if you have access to wood then radiant is the way to go + boiler.

I was reluctant to go exclusively radiant on 4600 sq ft home with 1/2" lines in concrete, first floor only and heating 30X30 garage.

My fear was wood consumption but 6 years later and only burning 7-8 cords per winter......I'm a big fan of radiant heating.

73* 1st floor
68* 2nd floor
55* garage

[GTRClive]

I'm just insulating my First Pole Barn 48'x56'. Put 2" Styrofoam under and 8" around it 18" down like a kind of Frost wall. 6" Slab with 1/2" pex max 300ft runs 11 runs in total. Just bought a used Wood Boiler probably not the best model as it's in needs welding (got it cheap) but Seeing as this is my first OWB I thought I'd see how it works for the first winter. Then If i really like I'll get a newer model. I found a deal on a set of Solar Evacuated tubes, so have installed 210 tubes down the south wall. Which should supplement the day time heating and allow me to use any excess to heat my Hot Tub and or House. Going to be a voyage of discovery this winter but I'm looking forward to not adding to my gass bill to heat the new Barn.   Did have a 1100sqft ICF built shop before and loved the In floor heat but was a simple gass powered HWT....

[hedgerow]

GTRClive
Welcome to the forum. I set up my 30'X60' part of my pole barn for a shop just like you did with the floor heat and love it. I run a Garn to heat it works well

[Al_Smith]

It's kind of a catch 22 if you think about it .Use coal or natural gas to heat water to steam,use the steam to turn a turbine to power a generator  to make electricity which is stepped up to to higher voltage for transmission .Then transformed to a lower voltage for the end user who uses it to heat water again .The losses are very great  with that system but convenient  if nothing else .
Now the people with a "preppers " mindset can cut out a few of the "middlemen " but you can't do without additional expenses above and beyond what you can already buy it for .It might be a noble thought but not one with economy in mind .