# Electric Boiler for Hydronic Floors?



## Shannonovotny (Dec 15, 2014)

We have hydronic floors in a portion of our home and it has run on its own water heater. The water heater is 18 years old and finally died. We've been getting quotes on replacing the water heater but due to changes in code in our area we can't get a permit for the water heater in it's current location in our home. We need to get a boiler. The latest person we spoke to suggested an electric boiler. Does anyone know if this is something we should consider? We only use the floor heating 4-6 months of the year and we're in Wisconsin and this is the only source of heat in this area of the house (about 400 sq. ft.) so we need something!

 Thanks!


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## frodo (Dec 16, 2014)

in my opinion,  electric is to expensive to heat with. your best bet is natural gas

http://www.laars.com/product/residential-products/by-model.aspx


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## Shannonovotny (Dec 16, 2014)

Thanks for your thoughts. Is electric that much more than a gas boiler? The cost to purchase and install is quite different. The gas quotes are in the $5,000-6,000 and the electric is $3,500.


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## nealtw (Dec 16, 2014)

Was the hot water tank gas?


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## bud16415 (Dec 16, 2014)

I don&#8217;t understand what in your code says you can&#8217;t use a water heater for in floor heat. There are things in the code about having a pan under it or something along those lines but no one offered to tell you what it would take to do things just like you had. Changing a water heater isn&#8217;t a big DIY job. 

Tell us a little more about what you have now.


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## slownsteady (Dec 16, 2014)

I'm a little puzzled; 
the code doesn't allow you to grandfather in the new heater?
What are we defining as the difference between a water "heater" and a "boiler"?
If you don't already have gas, or if lines have to be moved, of course the cost for the installation will be affected.


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## bud16415 (Dec 16, 2014)

Some people use a water heater along with a circulating pump as a heat source. The house I helped my nephew build we did this with base board units. He heats his whole house with one hot water tank. His is gas fired but same idea been running about 20 years now.


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## nealtw (Dec 16, 2014)

http://www.radiantec.com/systems-sources/domestic-water-heaters.php

CAUTION, NEGATIVITY
We must note here that "innovation is not always welcomed by those with special interests in the status quo". You must consider the source when you evaluate comments from those who profit from the sale of boilers. The use of water heaters in radiant heating applications is accepted by all major codes and is simply a better way to do the job. Click here for more information about Radiantec systems and code compliance.
- See more at: http://www.radiantec.com/systems-sources/domestic-water-heaters.php#sthash.QNumtlUU.dpuf


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## inspectorD (Dec 16, 2014)

nealtw said:


> http://www.radiantec.com/systems-sources/domestic-water-heaters.php
> 
> CAUTION, NEGATIVITY
> We must note here that "innovation is not always welcomed by those with special interests in the status quo". You must consider the source when you evaluate comments from those who profit from the sale of boilers. The use of water heaters in radiant heating applications is accepted by all major codes and is simply a better way to do the job. Click here for more information about Radiantec systems and code compliance.
> - See more at: http://www.radiantec.com/systems-sources/domestic-water-heaters.php#sthash.QNumtlUU.dpuf



Who here is selling boilers? And what negativity? Please explain.


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## nealtw (Dec 16, 2014)

inspectorD said:


> Who here is selling boilers? And what negativity? Please explain.



That statement was just borrowered from the site I linked to.

Anytime someone says the cheaper way is against code I wonder, you know!!
That should be double checked and not by asking the people who sell boilers, which I think is the case here. 

I don't know this company but they seem to be building tanks just foir this and argue in some cases it is better than a boiler, I wonder if they know tanks are against code.:beer:


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## bud16415 (Dec 16, 2014)

My nephews house was an experiment in doing things on a shoestring. At that time we were told don&#8217;t think of using a water heater tank type for a source of home heat you have to have a boiler and expansion tanks and the whole nine yards. We set up the area to take 3 40 gallon tanks one was going to be normal hot water for the house one was going to be for heat and the third was going to be a second zone for more heat if one tank couldn&#8217;t handle it. We never needed the third tank. The only problem we had was because the tank was on the first floor his shop area and the baseboards were on the second floor living area even when the pump wasn&#8217;t running hot water would rise and cold would return. We ended up putting a solenoid valve in that opened when the pump was called for. We ran a stand pipe up and out the side of the house and we tied the whole thing into his water line for the house and also put a valve to his sump on the return side. To get the air out of the system all you do is turn on the water to add water to the system and run it thru all the heaters and out to the drain along with the air. You close that valve then and wait till water shoots out the side of the house and you are totally full of water. After a year we checked the level and it only needed about a cup of water to top it off. I forget the numbers but the water going out was about 180 and coming back about 165 or something like that. The heat is instant and no noise at all. And the stand pipe is always open to air so very low pressure in system. Nothing ever built up in the tank because the same water just keeps going around.


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## slownsteady (Dec 17, 2014)

It never occurred to me that you could use a "hot water heater" as a heat source for the building, so I was a little confused when I first read the thread. I learn something every day here.
Is there another heat source for the rest of the house?
And if code is only objecting to the _location_ of the heater, then what's the problem with simply relocating the new one?


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## bud16415 (Dec 17, 2014)

In my nephews house he wanted 10 foot ceilings down stairs about 1/3 of it is a garage area and the other 2/3 is a shop area where he works out of. He partly heats it with wood and space heaters but it stays quite a bit colder than his living area upstairs. The first floor is a slab and I begged him to add the tubes in the floor for later use but he didn&#8217;t have the money at the time. He is now kicking himself for not doing that. So when he is working down stairs some of that heat helps the upstairs but the single hot water tank will keep the 24 x 48 warm all winter. Being new construction we did insulate the second floor a lot and he has all small windows up there of good quality. He has a single zone and a single Tstat with just a big loop around the house. He wanted the bedrooms cooler so we sized the baseboards less per sq ft there and ran the water there last. Worked out pretty good I thought. Something like a 20x20 addition I would recommend doing it. I wouldn&#8217;t recommend electric as the OP has but I&#8217;m sure it works ok.


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