| Modern Hot Water Heating |
What do we mean when we say "modern hot water heating"? To qualify for our definition of modern hot
water heat the system must meet the following criteria:
1.Low emission. The boiler must be clean burning. Most boilers with an energy star rating fall in this category.
However, some are much better than others.
2. Low temperature. ERS uses radiant floors, radiant walls, cast iron radiators and European style radiators
to deliver low temperature output. ERS does not advocate simply stringing pex below or in between floor
joists. This is not a low temperature system. Underfloor heating is done using aluminum heat transfer plates
from Radiant Engineering, Inc.
An example of a low temperature system would be a concrete floor. Typical input water temperatures for a
concrete floor range from 80F to 120F. In our well insulated home, we haven't run water temps above 100F
at a outside temperature of -5F. Panel radiators typically run at temperatures of 90F-180F. ERS oversizes
panel radiators when possible to operate at a maximum temperature of 140F. Low temperature systems are
more efficient at using fuel and typically are more comfortable to be in. Modern condensing boilers are more
efficient the lower the temperature they can operate. A boiler running at 100F may be operating at 98%
combustion efficiency. That same boiler running at 170F will be closer to 85%. All of the systems offered by
ERS are low temperature.
Low temperature heating systems are also candidates for solar space heating. Check out our Solar hot water
page for more details.
3. Practical design. There are many ways to do hot water heat. Some are much better than others. Since
we actually install these systems everyday we have developed better, more cost effective ways of system
design. For example, it is customary for many installers or radiant heat companies to start and stop every
tube loop in the mechanical room. For smaller homes this makes complete sense. For larger homes it can be
a mechanical room nightmare with 30 or 40 loop ends cascading down in to a mess. This can also waste a
lot of tubing coming and going long distances just to get to the room they are supposed to be heating. A
more manageable design would have remote manifolds fed with just a set of larger distribution lines from the
mechanical room. The house may have the same number of zones, but a much more organized mechanical
space, and less tubing waste.
water heat the system must meet the following criteria:
1.Low emission. The boiler must be clean burning. Most boilers with an energy star rating fall in this category.
However, some are much better than others.
2. Low temperature. ERS uses radiant floors, radiant walls, cast iron radiators and European style radiators
to deliver low temperature output. ERS does not advocate simply stringing pex below or in between floor
joists. This is not a low temperature system. Underfloor heating is done using aluminum heat transfer plates
from Radiant Engineering, Inc.
An example of a low temperature system would be a concrete floor. Typical input water temperatures for a
concrete floor range from 80F to 120F. In our well insulated home, we haven't run water temps above 100F
at a outside temperature of -5F. Panel radiators typically run at temperatures of 90F-180F. ERS oversizes
panel radiators when possible to operate at a maximum temperature of 140F. Low temperature systems are
more efficient at using fuel and typically are more comfortable to be in. Modern condensing boilers are more
efficient the lower the temperature they can operate. A boiler running at 100F may be operating at 98%
combustion efficiency. That same boiler running at 170F will be closer to 85%. All of the systems offered by
ERS are low temperature.
Low temperature heating systems are also candidates for solar space heating. Check out our Solar hot water
page for more details.
3. Practical design. There are many ways to do hot water heat. Some are much better than others. Since
we actually install these systems everyday we have developed better, more cost effective ways of system
design. For example, it is customary for many installers or radiant heat companies to start and stop every
tube loop in the mechanical room. For smaller homes this makes complete sense. For larger homes it can be
a mechanical room nightmare with 30 or 40 loop ends cascading down in to a mess. This can also waste a
lot of tubing coming and going long distances just to get to the room they are supposed to be heating. A
more manageable design would have remote manifolds fed with just a set of larger distribution lines from the
mechanical room. The house may have the same number of zones, but a much more organized mechanical
space, and less tubing waste.