Geothermal Radiant Heat for Garage

[kranc]

I have a garage plumbed for radiant heat and was wondering if anyone has done a very simple piping lay out system with a basic pump to keep the slab heated to above freezing. I was thinking to then supplement with forced air. The garage is 840 ft2 and I understand I'll need about 1 ton capacity or about 600ft of pipe horizontal 6' deep or 125' vertical(coiled) in the ground.

On another note can anyone comment on radiant heating a garage with a natural gas water heater vs a boiler?

Thanks,

kranc

 

[Summiteer]

I believe that it is now against code to use a hot water heater as a boiler. while the initial cost is lower with the HWH, they are very inefficient compared to a boiler. costs me almost $250.00 a month to keep my 24X26 garage above freezing with a hot water heater. Of course the idiots that built the garage didn't insulate under or around the slab (something the home inspector never checked).

I have a garage plumbed for radiant heat and was wondering if anyone has done a very simple piping lay out system with a basic pump to keep the slab heated to above freezing. I was thinking to then supplement with forced air. The garage is 840 ft2 and I understand I'll need about 1 ton capacity or about 600ft of pipe horizontal 6' deep or 125' vertical(coiled) in the ground.

On another note can anyone comment on radiant heating a garage with a natural gas water heater vs a boiler?

Thanks,

kranc

 

[goodngrubby]

I believe that it is now against code to use a hot water heater as a boiler. while the initial cost is lower with the HWH, they are very inefficient compared to a boiler. costs me almost $250.00 a month to keep my 24X26 garage above freezing with a hot water heater. Of course the idiots that built the garage didn't insulate under or around the slab (something the home inspector never checked).

Holy crap, that's a lot of money. My garage is 30'x36', with 12' walls, and it averages $45 a month using a 75,000 btu Reznor forced air. I keep it at 12-15 degrees. I also have a 10'x16' sunshine door with an insulating value of diddly-squat.

 

[badss]

I've got a Reznor in my 24X26 and love it as well..very efficient heater

 

[m8magic]

use a small vitodens wall hung condensing boiler for your infloor radiant heat...yes they are expensive...but you can tag a vitocell hot water storage tank for domestic needs on to it..and as well the roof top solar panel which heats amazingly well can be tagged on to it..and last but not least you can take the burner assembly out of your furnace and put in a heat coil to operate from the vitodens...endless fun

 

[snopro59]

use a small vitodens wall hung condensing boiler for your infloor radiant heat...yes they are expensive...but you can tag a vitocell hot water storage tank for domestic needs on to it..and as well the roof top solar panel which heats amazingly well can be tagged on to it..and last but not least you can take the burner assembly out of your furnace and put in a heat coil to operate from the vitodens...endless fun

I've got a Viesmann Vitodens 100 heating my garage which is 950 square feet. I keep it 18 Celcius all winter. I swapped out my furnace at the same time and didn't have anything heating the garage before. I didn't even notice a difference in bills. It's so nice having the heated floor. My garage is also 2x6 construction with 1 1/2 styro on the outside for thermal break. R50 in the ceiling.

Yep expensive initially but well worth it for the long run.

 

[mach123]

Ye bad ideal to use HWT....

 

[kranc]

I've got a Viesmann Vitodens 100 heating my garage which is 950 square feet. I keep it 18 Celcius all winter. I swapped out my furnace at the same time and didn't have anything heating the garage before. I didn't even notice a difference in bills. It's so nice having the heated floor. My garage is also 2x6 construction with 1 1/2 styro on the outside for thermal break. R50 in the ceiling.

Yep expensive initially but well worth it for the long run.

snopro59 do you have any insulation/reflective material underneath your slab? What do you have for garage doors?

kranc

 

[m8magic]

code now in the Yukon is all radiant heating in slab has to have foam on grade first..then rebar with oxybarrier line tied to rebar with approx 1" min to 1"1/2 concrete above lines...we do max 250 foot loops..8 inches in on the inside of finished wall on parimeter and 8 inches seperating the runs with runs min 16 inches in from doorway openings

 

[Haggis]

In my 30 x 40 shop there is in floor heating with a glycol HWT - I keep it set at about 10 degrees and it costs me about $40 per month.

Having said that I added a forced air furnace last year as I found when the big double doors were opened in the winter the heat recovery inside the shop took way too long with the HWT. The two systems working together is nice. Radiant heat to hold at 10 degrees and forced air to make up heat recovery fast and also to add instant comfort when working in the shop.

 

[tko sled ed]

if we run a boiler for the house then we run a fancoil to the garage.

 

[Shredder]

I am around $30.00/month to heat my 34' X 24' garage using glycol in a HWT. I keep it around 15* in there all winter. The biggest thing I find with a heated floor is that you don't end up with pools of water on the floor as your vehicles or sleds are melting off. Usually by morning the floor is dry, or worst case I have to push a bit of water out the door with a squeegy.