DIY Home Improvement Forum banner

Radiant floor heating payback

3K views 6 replies 5 participants last post by  beenthere 
#1 ·
My husband and I are building a new home, 2, 000 SF approx. And we are tossing back and forth hydronic radiant floor heating vs forced air. Radiant is very expensive, how many years on average does it take to recoup your installation if we go this route?

Thank you for your help.
 
#5 ·
I'm not expecting any payback for going with radiant heat. It's all about comfort. Forced hot air moves toward the ceiling (carrying dirt), and leaves your feet cold. Radiant heat starts at your feet and provides even heat all the way to the ceiling.

That said, it seems likely that I'll pump fewer BTUs of heat into the house by setting the thermostat lower. On the downside, you can't effectively use temperature setbacks with a thermal slab.

I do know that the thermostat on my current house gets bumped up a LOT because of cold feet. That's a damn inefficient use of BTUs.
 
#7 ·
Radiant he won't save you money, just because its radiant heat.

You have to design and build the home to be energy efficient.

This means considering going to SIPs construction. And making sure the house is very air tight.
Along with a high slab insulation including a high perimeter insulation.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top