3 ms·

Subfloor heating systems aren’t just a water boiler in the basement and bunch of dumb water tubes?

Enginerrrd 6y ago
Yeah I don't think the person you're replying to has any experience in building control systems. I used to be an energy engineer and I would predict sub-floor heating owners will have no real issues here.
- voisin 6y ago
  The point does stand generally though. I have had to replace entire HVACs because the coolant is no longer available or because the cost to replace a certain component is too high because the parts are no longer readily available. I think the only solution is to try to build as minimally as possible. A huge amount can be accomplished through passive heating and cooling (windows placement and size, site location and angle toward prevailing winds and morning / afternoon sun, etc etc). We are too often reliant on technology to allow us to ignore these things and we do so at our peril.
- kingsuper20 6y ago
  >experience in building control systems lol. If you mean 'design', you'd be surprised. Admittedly, I'm not aware of the full array of residential heating control systems, but I've sure seen some over-complex ones.
kingsuper20 6y ago
I've seen some that most definitely were not, usually along with a bunch of other high-efficiency tech. To be fair, I've seen minimum systems also, so it can be done. My general take on home design is simple-passive-accessible. Someone in the future will thank you. It's worth poking around manufacturer's websites. http://www.pexheat.com/Catalog/Controls http://www.pexheat.com/Catalog/Controls and consider the lifespan of a house vs. the lifespan of the subsystems. My general take is that the more built-in and difficult to modify it is, the madder someone will be in 50 years. In the interest of full disclosure, I'm no fan of radiant heating systems having seen the issues of parts availability, latency, the tearing up of floors for repair,and a strong preference for point sources of heat (gas stoves for example), so it might show through in the comment.

Yeah I don't think the person you're replying to has any experience in building control systems. I used to be an energy engineer and I would predict sub-floor heating owners will have no real issues here.

voisin 6y ago
The point does stand generally though. I have had to replace entire HVACs because the coolant is no longer available or because the cost to replace a certain component is too high because the parts are no longer readily available. I think the only solution is to try to build as minimally as possible. A huge amount can be accomplished through passive heating and cooling (windows placement and size, site location and angle toward prevailing winds and morning / afternoon sun, etc etc). We are too often reliant on technology to allow us to ignore these things and we do so at our peril.
kingsuper20 6y ago
>experience in building control systems lol. If you mean 'design', you'd be surprised. Admittedly, I'm not aware of the full array of residential heating control systems, but I've sure seen some over-complex ones.

kingsuper20 6y ago

I've seen some that most definitely were not, usually along with a bunch of other high-efficiency tech. To be fair, I've seen minimum systems also, so it can be done. My general take on home design is simple-passive-accessible. Someone in the future will thank you. It's worth poking around manufacturer's websites. http://www.pexheat.com/Catalog/Controls http://www.pexheat.com/Catalog/Controls and consider the lifespan of a house vs. the lifespan of the subsystems. My general take is that the more built-in and difficult to modify it is, the madder someone will be in 50 years. In the interest of full disclosure, I'm no fan of radiant heating systems having seen the issues of parts availability, latency, the tearing up of floors for repair,and a strong preference for point sources of heat (gas stoves for example), so it might show through in the comment.