Electric Water Heater for radiant heat

[Peter Varieur]

I'm Install a 1/2" 3 loop 500' total radiant heat system. I don't have access to NG and I have no favorable spot for propane. Is there an electrical hot water heater that can satisfy both the heat and domestic hot water. I would be installing a heat exchanger to keep them separate. Only 2 people living in the apartment. I was looking into the instant hot heater but I don't have the space in my electrical panel for 3 more double pole breakers.

 

[Tuttles Revenge]

I don't recall if our old office was heated with an electric or gas water heater, but that was how it was set up. 50 gal tank with a heat exchanger. I don't do heating so I can't advise on the specifics.

 

[Sponsor]

 

[Jeff H Young]

I wouldnt know either but a heat pro in your area should have opinion. it should be basic calculation on 500 feet of radiant how much temp change and watts needed to perform that. but its beyond my knowledge a couple guys would know like fitter 30 I think knows this stuff

 

[Peter Varieur]

I wouldnt know either but a heat pro in your area should have opinion. it should be basic calculation on 500 feet of radiant how much temp change and watts needed to perform that. but its beyond my knowledge a couple guys would know like fitter 30 I think knows this stuff

Yeah, may have to, I can figure out the heat load but not sure about the electric hot water recovery rates are. Once the floor mass is heated up to temperature the heat loss on the return goes way down.

 

[Jeff H Young]

sounds reasonable. watts of water heater times 3 or 3.5 equal btu I belive so some where around 5 k watts is 20k btu or less of course an electric dosnt send heat up a flu pipe to the outside either. and it needs to heat up water for domestic water as well

 

[John Gayewski]

You're not going to find a heating Pro that will recommend a water heater for Comfort space Heating, it's just not done. Water heaters aren't meant for that kind of Duty over period of time although people do do it no proheating person will generally.

You're going to want to either get a separate water heater for each or get an electric boiler for your radiant heat