Using A Water Heater For Radiant Heat

Radiant floor heat and water heater options.

Using a water heater for radiant heat.

Radiant systems use a device such as. At up to 98 efficiency it is an extraordinary heat source but the primary secondary plumbing configuration recommended by heat transfer products is somewhat more complicated than the takagi. Certainly cost is important but there are many other important factors as well. Hydronic systems can use a wide variety of energy sources to heat the liquid including standard gas or oil fired boilers wood fired boilers solar water heaters or a combination of these sources.

You will need to make a few modifications to the heater and have knowledge of basic plumbing techniques. For more on the different types of energy sources and heat distribution systems for home heating explore our energy saver 101 infographic on home. A hot water heater saves money when used in this way. The best tankless water heater for radiant floor heat is the takagi th3 natural gas.

The best kind is one that has a sealed combustion chamber and an external heat exchanger. Using water heaters for radiant heat gas fired water heaters can provide reliable efficient space heating as well as domestic hot water by bill clinton jurnal of light construction web page from 1999 six years ago i nervously installed my first hot water heating system fired not by a boiler but by an ordinary gas fired storage water heater. Most radiant heating installations use a boiler to heat the water but a simple hot water heater can do the job and save you several hundred to a few thousand dollars. Use a water heater to make radiant floor heat instead of a boiler.

The water heater to use with radiant floor heating should be a high efficiency unit. Many people use a water heater instead of a boiler for radiant floor heat because it costs less. But if you re game for a minor plumbing adventure and want an on demand unit that is one of the most efficient heaters on. As such we rate it with 5 stars out of 5.

The elite is another on demand unit used for radiant heating applications. However water heaters can be used for home heating aka hydronic applications or hyronic heating applications provided that the specific water heater is rated by the manufacturer as approved for that use and provided that the heater is being used for small heating loads of 75 000 btuh or less. It is the safest choice as well.