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Forums | Energy Efficiency | Warmboard radiant heat floor |
| Author | Message |
nvolkova | Posted - 20 December 2002 10:48    I'm looking for the info on Warmboard radiant heating. Does anybody have real experience with it? Have it installed? What are disadvantages? So far I found none (from reading they brochure...) We are planning to remodel the house and looking for heating system alternative to air. We live in Bay Area, California, no snow here obviously. Any help will be appreciated! |
dyoungkeit1 | Posted - 13 March 1999 20:32 The comfort of radiant heat is not worth the disadvantages: 1. Stale, unfiltered air 2. Electricity is required to pump the heating media. 3. Repair ability if it develops leaks. The best alternative to fan forced air is gravity forced air. Both have adequate circulation for air filtering if you have a two story house. Gravity forced cooling (swamp cooler without fan or heat pump) can use the same vertical trunk line. Putting a warm air outlet under a window is bad technology because the fan forced system then fights the natural circulation, a waste of energy. Cold air near the window will be replaced by warm air if the outlet is in the bottom part of a central wall. Historical installers are not in your best interest because they want to increase their duct work sales. If you want heat reliability during power failure without a backup wood stove or fireplace, use two gravity fed fanless wall furnaces facing each other at the bottom of a 2 ft square X 18 ft tall closet with cold air returns and filter at the or in the basement floor. Dean Youngkeit |
skreinakker | Posted - 15 March 1999 22:33 But if you use gravity air you can not have a/c because a/c needs forced air to move it. Also you are wrong when you say its is not good to install a supply duct under a window, this is hte best spot for a grill remember hot goes to cold the hot air is leaving the house this is why they call it heat loss |
dyoungkeit1 | Posted - 22 March 1999 23:19 Gravity fed heat has the exhaust chimney inside the distribution "chimney" or vertical distribution trunk. The air filter in the winter is at basement floor level just above the cool air returns at the bottom of the "trunk". It is relocated at springtime to the upper ceiling level to filter cool air descending from the roof level by itself. The same trunk line services both heating and cooling. When there is no demand load, and air circulation is desired, the trunk line air will not move either direction unless assisted by a small assisting, not counter flowing, fan. Heating and cooling can use the same reversable fan. Zero demand loads occur mostly at the equinox times of the year and are a small percentage of the year. Cooled air at the top needs only 23 feet of vertical travel for a gravity force equal to a fan. The temperature at the window surface, if cool, will force the air down. If you feel the outside heat at that surface, the gravity force will take it up. With both movements enhanced instead of countered, you will find the cooling or heating registers at the same place, but not under the window. If you don't agree with this, find a university physics professor and be prepared to get out of the sheet metal business and get in to the politically correct heating (HVAC) business. Dean Youngkeit 21 North 100 East Willard, Utah 84340-0041 (435) 734-0681 youngkeit@brigham.net or guruofhousing@netscape.net |
vwees | Posted - 21 August 1999 12:53 natasha i live in santa cruz mountains and saw your question about warmboard. i've just received the product info on it myself and it sounds fascinating. we're getting ready to do a major renovation of our home and would greatly appreciate the results of your research with this product. did you decide to use it? happy with it? thanks so much! vicki wees |
mscully | Posted - 18 October 2000 17:42 I too am looking for feedback based upon real experience with Warmboard. If you installed it since posting your message, please let me know (a) what were the cost savings or increases; (b) was the installation problematic; (c) were you able to easily find competitive, quality contractors to install it; and (d) is radiant heat all that it is cracked up to be? Thanks. |
tnolan | Posted - 20 March 2001 12:50 Hi Natasha, We are on the other side of the country and arre about to begin construction of a new home in New Hampshire, so we do get the snow, especially this year. Did you put the Warmboard in? I am actively moving in that direction as an alternative to Wirsbo or Stadler's radiant system. I like the concept of a single board that is structurtal, etc. I would be pleased to hear any feedback that you may be able to offer. Thanks, Tom |