Glycol Slab Heat

femme.fatale.

Active VIP Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2009
Messages
2,809
Reaction score
1,049
Location
Bonnyville
Husband and I are building a good sized attached garage and we are looking to get a closed glycol slab heating system put in...

Does anyone on here do that? I've gotten a few local quotes, but they are incredibly high!

What's the going rate for a system to heat 2200 sq ft?
 

rgashkei

Active member
Joined
Dec 29, 2010
Messages
136
Reaction score
147
Location
Saskatchewan
They are not cheap to do but are great heat. Even if you do decide not to go that route, put the tubing in the cement. That cost is not much and at least you will have the option to do in floor heat in the future.
Are the quotes for a boiler or water heater?
 

AreWeThereYet

Active VIP Member
Joined
Apr 4, 2009
Messages
12,775
Reaction score
7,554
Location
Grande Prairie
Times are tough right now, if people or companies want the work they will do their best achieve a reasonable price.
 

TylerG

Super Mod Geek
Administrator
Moderator
Joined
Nov 7, 2006
Messages
31,423
Reaction score
29,228
Location
Parkland County
Times are tough right now, if people or companies want the work they will do their best achieve a reasonable price.

^^^^ this.....

get some more quotes and start playing the companies against one another.
 

femme.fatale.

Active VIP Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2009
Messages
2,809
Reaction score
1,049
Location
Bonnyville
My builder is running all the tubing for us.
Our first quote, to supply and install the boiler system was 12g and the second was 9g. I know it's a big system, but that seems high to me.

I'm certainly not opposed to paying travel and having someone come out from elsewhere to do it if the price is better. I know the materials cost and labour costs, but I don't wanna get overcharged.

We got got quotes to move all our mechanical venting and install an overhead heater. They were charging out Jman plumbers higher than Cenovus was charging out journeymen pipefitters. 17k and 15k to move the furnace vents, the exhaust vent for our Rennai, the dryer ducting, a gas meter move and the overhead heater (which was $2500 installed). We would have been near 30 to add the slab heat, and neither company offered the suggestion to run an independent system to to the one we have in the house - that was my idea. Just wanted me to upgrade to a larger on demand system


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

femme.fatale.

Active VIP Member
Joined
Jun 18, 2009
Messages
2,809
Reaction score
1,049
Location
Bonnyville
I don't wanna do overhead heat as the garage is in an L shape and I don't want the small side - that attaches to the house - to be freezing all the time and 2 overhead units will be overkill. Not to mention, I'll have a framed in storage room which will affect air flow.

Stick a fork in me, this garage build has me done!! Lol


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 

250mark1

Active VIP Member
Joined
Dec 17, 2007
Messages
1,246
Reaction score
1,351
Location
blackfalds
Lots of variables in the pricing depending on what size,brand and efficiency rating of the boiler the contractor uses
I would ask any contractor for pictures and references of there work. Lots of plumbers have no clue on doing boiler systems properly ( that is why they are working towards making its own trade)
 

sirkdev

Active VIP Member
Joined
Nov 2, 2008
Messages
3,272
Reaction score
5,333
Location
Stony Plain
My builder is running all the tubing for us.
Our first quote, to supply and install the boiler system was 12g and the second was 9g. I know it's a big system, but that seems high to me.

I'm certainly not opposed to paying travel and having someone come out from elsewhere to do it if the price is better. I know the materials cost and labour costs, but I don't wanna get overcharged.



We got got quotes to move all our mechanical venting and install an overhead heater. They were charging out Jman plumbers higher than Cenovus was charging out journeymen pipefitters. 17k and 15k to move the furnace vents, the exhaust vent for our Rennai, the dryer ducting, a gas meter move and the overhead heater (which was $2500 installed). We would have been near 30 to add the slab heat, and neither company offered the suggestion to run an independent system to to the one we have in the house - that was my idea. Just wanted me to upgrade to a larger on demand system


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk


IMO do in floor with a hot water tank not a boiler unless you can or want to include in financing. Boiler system is crazy expensive, compare the difference of efficiencies of hot water heater vs a boiler and figure out a pay out. (They are listed on each unit in a percentage value.) Later if you decide to upgrade water heater out and boiler in... JMO use a ceiling fan if you have the height if not any fan will do.
 

Caper11

Active VIP Member
Joined
Oct 28, 2007
Messages
9,603
Reaction score
18,815
Location
Edson,Alberta
I'm not sure where she lives but I do not believe your allowed to put a hot water heater in a glycol system, has to be a water system attached to your main hot water system.

Truthfully I didn't think the quote for 9g was that bad. Was thet with thermocouples in the slab or just thermostat? What was the brand of boiler?

I like my infloor in my main house slab, but in my garage I'm not a fan of it. It would probably be alot better if the thermocouples where in the slab and not thermostat controlled for what I do anyway. Wish I had a small forced air furnace in the garage as well.


Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk
 

52weekbreak

Active VIP Member
Joined
Jun 17, 2013
Messages
1,929
Reaction score
4,058
Location
SPAB
The in floor systems are great but not many install them so the pricing is always high. If your tubing is being poured with the concrete, maybe you should consider installing a tankless water heater with a circulation pump. Navien even sells a combi boiler that can provide hot water for your house while heating the garage.

I had to do some extensive heating system work to a house to accommodate a secondary suite. Prices ranged from $14,000 to...get this...$35,000. Keep looking for quotes.
 

250mark1

Active VIP Member
Joined
Dec 17, 2007
Messages
1,246
Reaction score
1,351
Location
blackfalds
You can no longer legally use a water tank unless you are also pulling domestic water off the same unit as hot water tanks were never designed for the application
 

sirkdev

Active VIP Member
Joined
Nov 2, 2008
Messages
3,272
Reaction score
5,333
Location
Stony Plain
You can no longer legally use a water tank unless you are also pulling domestic water off the same unit as hot water tanks were never designed for the application

Thanks I was not aware of that. Whats the theory there? A hot water heater is just a less efficient boiler system no? Besides the corrosion allowances and such for non monitored water quality.
 

Clode

Active VIP Member
Joined
Jan 8, 2012
Messages
29,550
Reaction score
46,587
Location
BC
at my dad's place when they built the house floor heat was put in the garage, he then got a heat exchanger made (radiator) and installed it on slides into the hot air plenum on his furnace. He regulated the temp by how much of the heat exchanger is pushed into the plenum.....it works great and is simple....the gas bill barely changed at all
 

dogsmack

Active VIP Member
Joined
Nov 19, 2009
Messages
400
Reaction score
741
Location
Edmonton Alberta
Our place runs a geo system to heat everything in the house. In slab heat is amazing. DO IT! Only things I recommend are:

1. 6" or thicker slab with the tubing places at the bottom of the slab
2. Map your runs in great detail.

Why do I say this is because I have seen far to many concrete heating systems ruined because someone drilled a concrete anchor into a heating line. The newer idea of the lines on the bottom of the slab vs in the middle helps to deal with this. Mapping the lines is a back up. For those of us with high garage ceilings and thinking of putting a car lift in this is a must.

Good luck.
 

sumx54

Active VIP Member
Joined
Oct 5, 2007
Messages
5,479
Reaction score
5,702
Location
Rocky Mountain House
Website
www.absoluteadventure.ca
I saved thousands by researching and buying all the components myself then hiring a plumber to install them for me. Most of your cost is going to be markup. My first quote was 12k my final install was $7200. The plumber will tell you that he has to sell you the materials and do the install because of liability issues....not the case. I can give you some contact info on buying a very good system through wholesalers. Then just find a plumber to hire by the hour to do a proper install of the boiler and pumps.
 

deaner

Active VIP Member
Joined
Nov 6, 2008
Messages
3,238
Reaction score
11,260
Location
Creston, BC
I saved thousands by researching and buying all the components myself then hiring a plumber to install them for me. Most of your cost is going to be markup. My first quote was 12k my final install was $7200. The plumber will tell you that he has to sell you the materials and do the install because of liability issues....not the case. I can give you some contact info on buying a very good system through wholesalers. Then just find a plumber to hire by the hour to do a proper install of the boiler and pumps.

Its funny how that works hey. When you buy materials and break these jobs down by the hour, they really dont cost much, even when paying someone a good wage. We're building a house in the spring and I think Im pretty much going to take the year off to build it because even the local contractors are like this. 20-25k to wire a house......just doesnt make any sense.
 

rsaint

Active VIP Member
Joined
Dec 2, 2007
Messages
1,811
Reaction score
1,086
Location
Whitecourt
If you already have tubes in slab those quotes are out to lunch from what I have seen in these parts nothing hard about the install a small Navien combo then you have hot water too they are worth 2500, 5g tops, on another note i dont use my slab heat much hate it on heat recovery switched to radiant heat with cieling fan that comes on with it and never looked back.
 
Top Bottom