Cohousing-L Mailing List: Re: Do We need a furnace? & Hot Water heaters

[Chris ScottHanson (chris]

Heidi,

The radiant heated floors we created in our cohousing home were heated 
by a standard hot water heater.  We purchased two standard, high 
efficiency hot water heaters (they happened to be gas at the time) and 
used one exclusively for domestic hot water, and the other for heating 
the floors (with the appropriate pumps, valves, thermostats and zones). 
 This can work very well if your heating demand is not too large, such 
as in a small cohousing unit in a temperate climate.  Small, in this 
case means, under 1600 sf and well insulated, in Portland OR.

You can beef up your system by using three water heaters.  I would use 
two for heating, setting them up in series, with one acting as a 
preheater.  This way you can adjust the temperatures as the seasons 
change, keeping them relatively efficient year round.

Check with a good mechanical contractor who has experience with 
hydronic heating installations.  You DO NOT want someone to learn on 
your system.

By the way, the greatest floors in the world when you have hydronic 
heat, are smooth and polished, acid washed concrete, without scoring.  
The color, the natural cracking, and the maintenance charateristics are 
wonderful.

Chris ScottHanson


On Tuesday, September 9, 2003, at 01:03 AM, HeidiNYS [at] aol.com wrote:

> Hi,
>
> We're in the throes of building a new home within Cantines Island CoHo 
> [I've
> lived here from onset; recently married, needed more room...]
>
> Our house is having radiant floor heat.  Yesterday Steve, my husb, siad
> something that percolated in my brain.....  and the distillation of 
> which is:  we
> will have a furnace for the sole purpose of heating water for the 
> radiant heat.
> So, do we need a furnace?
> could this be done with a hot water heater????  On-demand or storage 
> type??
> Anyone??  Has this been done??  this list may not be here for this 
> type of
> question..... however, I hope someone will enjoy the question, and 
> perhaps have
> an answer/referral to someone who knows...
>
> Next question:  on-demand hot water for regular/kitchen/bath] uses.
> We currently have regular hot water heater.  Were told when we built 
> Cantines
> Island that hot atwer heaters are now so efficient as to parrelel 
> on-demand
> water heaters.  anyonme know?  your experiences appreciated.
> Thanks,
> Ruth Samuels Hirsch, Cantines Island CoHo
> Saugerties, NY
> Where we just had a celebretory brunch for 25 down at the 
> waterfront.....
> brunch which lasted 'till 5;30.
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