Radiant heat for garage floor?

[cork]

Anyone have radiant heat in your garage? What are you using to heat the floor?

 

[TurboBuRick]

Not in my garage but my self serve car wash bays all have it. I use a pretty big boiler but thats for freeze prevention. It would be way over kill for garage heat. You could run a loop off your hot water heater and run a small circulator pump. That would be nice.

 

[S2V6RACER]

U could use your water heater. Basically you just install a loop with a pump that pumps water through a heat exchanger and then you have a loop with pump that is called the secondary loop, you can fill it with antifreeze. You install a simple relay with a thermostat to energize it. I recommend a Tekmar 509 controller, they work real nice.

http://www.tekmarcontrols.com/prod/509.shtml

 

[gnxtc2]

IMHO, I would not tap off your existing water heater.

Billy T.
gnxtc2@aol.com

 

[S2V6RACER]

Billy, I don't "Like" the idea either, but it is to code so if $$ is a obstacle it will save at least 2k not installing a boiler.

You must use a heat exchanger in the installation.

 

[DIAZ 87]

Not in my garage but my self serve car wash bays all have it. I use a pretty big boiler but thats for freeze prevention. It would be way over kill for garage heat. You could run a loop off your hot water heater and run a small circulator pump. That would be nice.

Rick,if thats the case i would strongly recommend installing an RPZ valve in line.And as far as that being allowed here in chicagoland area, good luck

 

[cork]

Thanks for the replies so far, I do not plan to run off my water heater. I may install a separate water heater or a small boiler. I live in PA and our electric rates are going to skyrocket in the next year or two so I am more concerned with efficiency than inital cost.

 

[DIAZ 87]

what ever you do just make sure it's installed up to code!!!

 

[turbo39151]

Why not a small solar panel to run it? I read on a few sites where people were running small solar panels to run their heated floors... Might even qualify for a tax deduction...

 

[TurboBuRick]

Rick,if thats the case i would strongly recommend installing an RPZ valve in line.And as far as that being allowed here in chicagoland area, good luck

Richie, why would you need a back flow preventer? It would be a closed loop system not even be hooked to the city.

 

[blackmonte]

+1 You only need a RPZ on inlet water feed Just think how long that water heater will run, cost you $ 300-$400 to heat the floor hehe

 

[blackmonte]

But think how warm your back would be laying under your car? Plus you won't have that humid floor nice and dry (no rust) We use Infloor heating with Grundfos pumps for most banks entrances same thing can't slip and fall with no ice.

 

[blackmonte]

Radiantec Heating, Energy Efficient + Green

 

[TurboBuRick]

Holy crap John. Un-check the "show signiture" box when multi posting in the same thread. That banner is too much.

 

[blackmonte]

 

[DIAZ 87]

Richie, why would you need a back flow preventer? It would be a closed loop system not even be hooked to the city.

thats a great question,the reason one would need it for this application is for the simple fact that you are tapping into the Potable Water /drinking water

 

[TurboBuRick]

 

[TurboBuRick]

thats a great question,the reason one would need it for this application is for the simple fact that you are tapping into the Potable Water /drinking water

So then if you have a hot water heater you need a RPZ?

 

[DIAZ 87]

the circulator pump makes it a close system but doesn't prevent water Siphon

 

[DIAZ 87]

So then if you have a hot water heater you need a RPZ?

only if your going to hook it up to the radiant lines that are in the ground.In the codes eyes that line would be considered a dead end and any water thats in the line would be considered contaminated water