Adding Radiant Heat to Existing Boiler

[ChrisC123]

The Current Setup
We currently have a 96MBH boiler supplying our single level, 1100sqft ranch house with both heat and domestic hot water. The boiler is a real champ and never runs out of hot water no matter hot long you keep a shower running or whatever load is needed. The boiler has one supply line and two returns, with each return having a separate circulating pump (no zone valves). Almost our entire house is on 1 zone supplying hot water to heatilators under each window. The second zone only supplies a small 10'x10' entrance room with newer baseboards. The open basement and single level house make it very tempting to install radiant heat.


Future Goals
I want to combine the smaller 10'x10' baseboard room/zone with the large whole house heatilator zone, then add the new radiant manifold as the second zone. If possible, by combining the two existing zones into one, it will not require to much extra equipment or changes to the overall system. The one thing I am not very know legible with is the various types of controllers and relays so I was hoping to just tie into the existing system and avoiding messing with these to much. I am fairly comfortable with sweating pipes and the various types of valves/components and when they are needed. I always have my work checked by a pro (friend).


Does anyone see any problems with this plan or have any advise or feedback?

[pecmsg]

The one thing I am not very know legible with is the various types of controllers and relays so I was hoping to just tie into the existing system and avoiding messing with these to much. I am fairly comfortable with sweating pipes and the various types of valves/components and when they are needed. I always have my work checked by a pro (friend).


Does anyone see any problems with this plan or have any advise or feedback?


This is not a DIY site. Radiant is defiantly not a DIY project. You will need control work. Call a contractor. Do it right / Do it once.

[skippedover]

You can do it, we can help. Hogwash. If you want radiant heating, there are many different ways to go about it. Even people who are in the trades often have trouble installing a system properly. Find another way to have fun (work on your car or do your own dental work) and leave the heating to people who know what they're doing. I've seen many DIY radiant jobs that were a total waste of money. That's all the help I'll give you, for sure.

[BadgerBoiler MN]

We can do it, you can help.

MA

[ChrisC123]

I dout I'll get a response to this final question or I might just get flamed but....

If this is not a DIY forum, can someone point me in the right direction to get some DIY help? I only have around six questions to get a general idea of whats involved with this project. After that I plan on figuring out what I can do myself and what I need to pay a pro to do. To say I can't do anything on this project is just plain dumb.

I am just looking to do most of the labor (pulling the PEX, installing the heat transfer plates and moving some exsiting copper) and then pay a pro to do the tough stuff (calculations, and major equipment changes). If I can't do most of the lines then I can't afford this project.

[heatkits]

I like a guy who as the courage to better his environment, I'd help you if you were in my area. In fact, that's the mane of my company "Heat Kits Inc." I have made a very good living for 30 years helping people install their own Heating and HVAC systems. "You do the grunt work and I'll do the rest", doing things this way we sell three times as many system.

Disregard what the other here are saying... You can do it and we can help. Call around; I’m sure you’ll find the right guy to help you.

BTW: We limit our service to what we can conformably drive to in a couple of hours. We're located in the Greater Boston (northern) area.

[BadgerBoiler MN]

Your project is reasonable. What my distinguished colleagues refer to is the many dangerous and wasteful systems we encounter after the fact.

Start with a professional recommended by a local manufacturer or distributor and let him design and assign. This is something I do every day, but unfortunately I am called in after the other guys (both professional and amateur) are asked to leave.

The problem with the over enthusiastic salesman, is that they aren't there to help.

MA

[tuckerin]

Over the past year I have been inundated by my barber with radiant heat questions as he had a "few" problems with his newly self installed system, He purchased most of the material online from a Canadian firm and they designed a underfloor system with an insulation blanket below the tube, what could go wrong? I now cut my own hair and he is using a kerosun heater when it gets below 40.