With fossil fuel prices soaring, electricity is often feasible for radiant
heat. Standard electric water heaters suffer from slow recovery rates, but
electric boilers don't. For large radiant systems, a 100-200 Amp service panel
is dedicated to the boiler and this adds to installation costs. But, if rates
in your area are below .07 kwh, electric water heating may be cheaper than
gas or oil. Since electric boilers don't require venting, no BTU's are dumped
up a flue stack. That translates into 100% efficiency. We sell the Electro-Boiler brand.
The fireboxes
of these units utilize an internal ASME certified stainless-steel coil,
where water is heated and sent to a holding tank or directly to an open
or closed radiant floor system. During normal operation these units also
heat the room very much like a standard parlor stove,
so virtually all the heat generated by an indoor wood boiler ultimately
heats the home. We sell Thermo-Control boilers,
models 200, 400 and 500, which have a flat top surface that can even be
used for cooking. See their web site at: http://nationalstoveworks.com/
Although we don't sell the heat sources shown below, we've received lots of positive feedback from customers who use them. Of course, you'll want to do some research to be sure the following units are appropriate for your situation.
Geothermal heat pumps are becoming an increasingly popular method of heating water. They transfer heat from the earth's warmth into your home in the winter. They've been used quite successfully in conjunction with radiant floors and, like solar, are very environmentally clean and efficient. Check out www.ecrtech.com if you are interested in this method of water heating.
The Sequoyah gasification boiler is a unique approach to outdoor wood boiler design. A special converter obtains maximum heat output from the wood, and at the same time, dramatically lowers smoke emissions. Check out the details at www.woodgasificationfurnace.com
The Sequoyah comes in two sizes. If you have a good supply of wood, an outdoor wood boiler can take a lot of the hassle out of burning it.