add water for radient heat to wood burner forced air system

[jasonjami20]

Hello, I currently have an indoor wood burner that heats my home very nicely. My wife and I are thinking of taking up the carpet in most of the first floor and putting down hardwood floors throughout our remodeling process. My question for you, is it possible to add the piping the internal works of a forced air wood burner and have a 100-200 gallon water tank sitting beside the wood burner circulating water into the fire box to create a ratient floor heat system?? I don't want to heat anything else, but would be worth it to have nice warm hard wood floors on those cold days.

Thanks for any info you can provide.

Jason

 

[ericjeeper]

yes

But you will need pressure relief valves in place and a large expansion tank.The expansion tank could be in a remote location
One question. Lets say the the room is warm. what will you do with the water being heated? If you shut off the fire the room will get cold?
In order to feel the heat from the floor. you will need temps probably around 110 degrees flowing through the Oxygen barrier pex.1/2 inch tubing. Maybe even as high as 120. Will the hardwood flooring you choose be ok with these kinds of temps?
I heat my 3200 square foot home with radiant in slab. Using 3 different means of heating the water. six large solar panels.an outside wood boiler, and a fuel oil fired water heater.
Yes it can be done..
Go to www.heatinghelp.com and then to"the wall" for help

 

[mga]

also, if you intend to put down real, solid hardwood flooring, you can't have any pipes directly under the floor. radiant flooring is out of the question if you plan on nailing or stapling.

you might be able to glue a hardwood floor down, but i'd check on the manufacturer of the floor you intend to buy. doing so could void any warranty.

 

[bytehoven]

I don't know the specifics, but my sister was telling me there is some new radiant heat stuff coming to Home Depot that is designed for any flooring application.

It sounded like might be a lower temp, but somehow more efficient.

 

[ericjeeper]

you can put hrdwood over radiant

Several manufactured systems designed for this on the market. You can see the tubing so you just do not nail where the tube is.

 

[wdchuck]

yes

There are systems that will nail up to the bottom of the subfloor, between the floor joists, it's a pretty easy setup to install, it's been showcased on 'THis Old House', Ask This Old House and Hometime. Contact the woodstove mfgr., they may have components to help with this.

 

[mga]

there is alot to consider and plan for if using a real hardwood floor over radiant heat. heated floor are nice, but get the facts before spending big bucks on the flooring.

http://www.hoskinghardwood.com/radiant-heat/default.asp

 

[trimmmed]

also, if you intend to put down real, solid hardwood flooring, you can't have any pipes directly under the floor. radiant flooring is out of the question if you plan on nailing or stapling.

you might be able to glue a hardwood floor down, but i'd check on the manufacturer of the floor you intend to buy. doing so could void any warranty.

Well, mines been in, under solid oak flooring that's nailed down, for 17 years or so without a problem. So, hardly out of the question.

 

[mga]

Well, mines been in, under solid oak flooring that's nailed down, for 17 years or so without a problem. So, hardly out of the question.

sheesh...my point was that one has to consider nailing the floor down IF pipes are under it. a 3/4" floor requires 2" nails or cleats. installing the floor first, then running pipes under the sub floor would be wise. just making a suggestion.

 

[trimmmed]

sheesh

sheesh...my point was that one has to consider nailing the floor down IF pipes are under it. a 3/4" floor requires 2" nails or cleats. installing the floor first, then running pipes under the sub floor would be wise. just making a suggestion.

Just pointing out that it's not "out of the question" as you said in your first "suggestion"

 

[trimmmed]

Hello, I currently have an indoor wood burner that heats my home very nicely. My wife and I are thinking of taking up the carpet in most of the first floor and putting down hardwood floors throughout our remodeling process. My question for you, is it possible to add the piping the internal works of a forced air wood burner and have a 100-200 gallon water tank sitting beside the wood burner circulating water into the fire box to create a ratient floor heat system?? I don't want to heat anything else, but would be worth it to have nice warm hard wood floors on those cold days.

Thanks for any info you can provide.

Jason

Aside from the mechanical aspect, one thing you need to consider is the actual heating cycle you get from a radiant floor. It is not instant, it takes a while to come up to temp. It also takes time for it to cool off, so it's not like other heating systems where you hit the thermostat and you got heat, you need to plan for that lag.

You also need a mixing valve that will only let 140 degree max water into the system. A typical boiler is putting out 180 degrees and that is too hot for wood flooring.

 

[MS-310]

It does not have to be an sealed system, I would keep it an open system so you wont have to worrie about the TP valve plus it would be safer just in case you do some thing wroung, Us an mixing valve with your manfold, if you need some help with the manfold PM, I build about 2 a week. Plus look for the stuff that goes on the floor then you snap the pex in to it then put your floor on top, works good and im trying to make my own type of it.
Jack

 

[jefeVTtreeman]

we just put new bamboo flooring over radiant tubing buried in sand ontop of a slab. works great! i would think it would be easy setup to forced air wood burning setup. Gas boilers work great because once the system is hot it stays radiant for a long while so the boiler get barley used, wood would be tricky maybe run it all the time with some sort of heat bleed off.


.

 

[laynes69]

If the wood furnace isn't a boiler, I dont know if it will produce enough heat in the water to do much with the floors. You need alot of area of pipe in a firebox to produce enough heat for what you need. If its a boiler then it would be no problem. I can't see a single coil in a firebox producing enough heat. I think it could provide some hot water for showers, or laundry. Plus whenever you run piping into the firebox, you cool the firebox temps, and this could produce a dirtier burn. You need the temps up in your firebox to produce a clean burn. What kind of furnace is it?