Help with new radiant/boiler setup

[Tarm 60]

Hi all, I have been just lurking but need to ask a question. I am helping my brother in law with designing and building a new home. He owns a large dairy farm and will only be burning wood for recreation in a residential fireplace. There will be a designed forced air system for with a propane fired furnace. The home will have two bedrooms and a full bath along with a large family room in the basement. I would like to put radiant tubes in the finished area in the basement and also in the garage. There will be two inches of polystyrene under the floor as well as exterior perimeter and interior perimeter. I dont know anything about gas boilers. What type of a mini boiler should I look at? Should the garage be run through a plate exchanger with glycol?

 

[Karl_northwind]

The garage tubes should be glycol protected. whether thru a heat exchanger or not depends on the rest of the system. any gas boiler should be set up by a professional for safe and efficient operation.
karl

 

[Tarm 60]

I had a talk with one of our heating contractors who said he would consider just putting in a boiler and then running a water to air coil for the rest of the home? This would then require a air handler. Would this take care of the air conditioning? I am having the floor sysytem designed so the large heat and return can be up in the ceiling. Does anyone have any thoughts on this setup vs two systems. Will the infloor in the basement still be functional even with carpeting on the floor?

 

[maple1]

How big a house are we talking? Doesn't sound that big?

I think I would consider min-split(s) before getting into air handlers and ductwork.

 

[Tarm 60]

Its a very big home. 2100 sq/ft first floor with exposed windows another 1500 finished in the basement. 9 foot cielings top and bottom

 

[Karl_northwind]

Yes, you can do an air handler with coil and AC, we're working on a place like that now. 2100 SF up and 400 SF down. if you're going thru the work, I'd recommend putting in the furnace, and air handler is nearly the same price as an LP furnace and provides redundancy. better yet, put in the ductwork and a pellet boiler, and use the LP furnace for backup/peaking.

k

 

[Tarm 60]

OK thank you. What do you think of this option? High efficiency propane fired gas furnace sized for the entire home ( probably 80,000 btu depending on heat calc). Then use a water heater for the infloor zones in the basement and garage? I know there is alot of debate about water heaters ?

 

[Karl_northwind]

There's not really any debate. in wisconsin the heating appliance has to be rated for heating duty. and the efficiency usually is pretty dismal. 60% or so.