Who Should DIY on Boiler Inst.

[Phoenix]

Just beginning….. I’m looking into installing an efficient wood gasifier and hot water storage into my home or a removed garage. That is heat for about 5000 sqft. I plan to use a heat exchanger in a forced air propane furnace, and use it for DHW. However, in Missouri, there are few good sys‘s to pick from and few qualified people to install them (outside of typical plumbers and forced air heat guys). Is this an attainable DIY job if you have a background in home construction, and can sweat copper etc. or should I try to find someone to set it all up. And if you do it yourself, does it void warranty with most of the mfg’s of wood boilers.

 

[deerefanatic]

Well, I'd tend to say yah, DIY...... But this is from the guy who is building his own BOILER from scratch...... So my opinion might be a bit skewed....

If you research the topic and take care and know WHY you're doing what you're doing, you'll do just fine.......

 

[Phoenix]

Any past experience on what the lowest usable water temperature would be with a heat exchanger in forced air compared to radiant heat zones. The home has heat zones setup with the forced air now. I’m not sure that the forced air heat exchanger rout is worth the $$$. No matter how much more simplistic the design may be as when compared to installing radiant throughout the home.

 

[heaterman]

Any past experience on what the lowest usable water temperature would be with a heat exchanger in forced air compared to radiant heat zones. The home has heat zones setup with the forced air now. I’m not sure that the forced air heat exchanger rout is worth the $$$. No matter how much more simplistic the design may be as when compared to installing radiant throughout the home.

F/A usually about 140 minimum and radiant, depending on type, good down to 90-100*for a slab and 120+ for suspended tube or plates.

 

[deerefanatic]

If you have the money, put in the radiant........ Hands down the best heat for the home.....

Buy or get your hands on every book by Dan Holohan..... I got most of his books from my library via inter-library loan......

 

[Phoenix]

If you have the money, put in the radiant........ Hands down the best heat for the home.....

Buy or get your hands on every book by Dan Holohan..... I got most of his books from my library via inter-library loan......

Thanks for the info on Dan Holohan....

How much extra money $$$$? The installation will be for 11 rooms and three hallways. For a 4000 sq. ft. house -most of which is one level over a 1/4 basement and big crawl space. Two rooms top floor. Also does not include 1000 sq. ft. garage (may use radiant blower in garage). I’m thinking baseboard heat for living space. Something that looks good -keep the wife warm and happy. Mama not happy nobody happy.

 

[deerefanatic]

Well, the cost for radiant is something I don't know..... Others can chime in better.... Basically, on your ground floor you can go the DIY route by stapling 1/2 inch pex to the bottom of the floor between the joists....... They also make these really nice (and reeeaaaaaallllllyyy expensive) aluminum panels that will both hold your pex to the subfloor and work to spread the heat across the floor space...... More efficient that just stapling up the pex I'm told.... Second floor could be tricky...... Might be best off going baseboard or if you already have ductwork going upstairs, forced air.......

The garage would be best if radiant floor.. My shop has radiant floor... What little I could use it this winter was pure bliss.... The nice part of radiant slabs in shops is that they're always dry.......

But, short of busting out the concrete in your garage, you don't have much choice there.....