Under Floor Heating

[mash head]

I am about to pour the slab for my house and the thought of under floor heating has come up. During winter we always have the fire going so there some free energy to utilize was wondering if any one here knew anthing about it. my plan is to run some high pressure polly through the floor and circulate with some thing similar to a march pump. From what Ive seen here theres a wide range of knowledge on this site and was just hopping some one might know more about it than I. I could lie and say that I am trying to keep my beer warm in winter. Feel free to coment or just take the piss.
Cheers Greg

 

[matti]

http://www.radiantfloorheating.com.au/

 

[mash head]

Thanks matti I have searched the net but come up with people like this who want the business of instalation. I was thinking of hot water heating and doing most of the work my self (tight arse). Heat will be from fire place circulated through underfloor pipes.
Cheers Greg

 

[chappo1970]

My first reaction was to take the piss option but your expecting that aren't ya Borat?

So a few years ago I build a yurt for a alternate hippy couple in Rathdownie on the Qld/NSW boarder. Anyway he was a cattle farmer (great guy the way) and she was some whizz bang engineer for the CSIRO (the hippy). Anyway long story short she can up with a very ingenious system to heat the floor. Essentially long coils of copper tubing was wound up the fire place and flue and heat the transferring to a floor heating system. Apparently it worked exceptionally well by all accounts. Anyway some food for thought?

Chappo

 

[pdilley]

My slab is concrete, insulation, then electric heating element, then tile. Not designed by me or a CSIRO hippie so I dont use it

The central boiler feeding to radiators and coils of copper piping layed out before pouring the slab was commoj in the 80's and 90's in the eastern US.

If I ever get my dithers and oppurtunity to build Id be more passive in my design, not sure if full insulated slab or jus insulated perimeters, then enough eves to block high summer sun and short enough to allow full winter sun to penetrte and heat the slab or internal bricks which would radiate stored heat a night. Probably too hippie to most builders but then CSIRO is in my depts portfolio so I guess I fit in just fine

Cheers,
Brewer Pete

I like straw bale constuction too

 

[mash head]

very close to what I am thinking but will probably go a jacketed flue but other than that will be making it up as I go.
Am ciure liots ov woodka wheel elp in zis kaze. . Belarus ist gouit Da Peristalker comrad Borat

 

[chappo1970]

I'll see if I can drag up the skematics for it for ya. She may have been a hippy but the anal engineering side of her was there as well. PM so I don't forget tomorrow.

Cheers

Chappo

 

[glenos]

My folks have something similar to what you are trying to achieve, although I suspect their's is on a bigger scale. They have a system by these guys http://www.tubulousaustralia.com.au/

There is poly pipe in the slab, this is connected to a manifold so they can isolate rooms that are not in use, the manifold is fed from a jacketed boiler, the water is circulated using a small pump. I think there is also a header tank of some sort, helps to even out the temp.

Points to consider are:

• water quality and any metal components, too soft and low pH will lead to corrosion, too hard and it will scale.
• temperature control, you can actually boil the water in my folks system, although the house never seemed too warm.
• idiot proofing, I think this is partly where the header tank comes in so it doesn't run dry, also gives you a way to do a water change from time to time.

Its a good idea, especially if you have the fire going anyway and a plentiful supply of wood.

Some DIY info here

 

[mash head]

Thanks mate I think this info is just what I was looking for subjective views and no one seling anything. If I dont do it now it will be too late once the concrete is poured. :icon_cheers: Greg