Can I Use A Hot Water Heater For Radiant Heat

We ve been doing this longer than anyone with great success.

Can i use a hot water heater for radiant heat.

It is the safest choice as well. Water heaters are good for radiant floor heating because they maintain a low temperature. On demand water heaters radiant floor company pioneered the use of on demand tank less water heaters for radiant floor heating nearly 20 years ago when many in the heating industry believed that on demand water heaters would never work for radiant heat we disagreed. 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.

Either a hot water heater or a boiler handles all the heated water necessary to power the radiant floor heating needs. One to supply domestic hot water and a separate water heater to supply the radiant floor. You will need to be aware of the incoming groundwater temperature as cold water will drop the overall water temperature. We will also be installing 2 separate water heaters.

A water heater heats water that is constantly being replenished since it is connected to taps. Because the slab installations will require less than 140 deg f water it is safe to use a water heater to heat the radiant slabs. So using the unit for radiant heating generally has little or no effect on the sizing calculation. That temperature is safe and comfortable as well as being efficient.

The best tankless water heater for radiant floor heat is the takagi th3 natural gas. Use a water heater to make radiant floor heat instead of a boiler. This model has the most impressive flow rate it is well made and it comes with all you are going to need. As such we rate it with 5 stars out of 5.

Meanwhile a separate hot water heater takes care of the household hot water. Sample temperature curve for an on demand unit. A boiler is a device used to heat a home using steam and radiant heat techniques and is a closed system which rarely replenishes its supply of water from an external source. Many people use a water heater instead of a boiler for radiant floor heat because it costs less.

You really only need a maximum of 120 f for your floor. A hot water heater saves money when used in this way. You will need to make a few modifications to the heater and have knowledge of basic plumbing techniques.