Greeting all,
When trying to evaluate different radiant systems, and putting cost and water temp aside, what are some other important things to evaluate?
Cost and temp are very important to me, but I can give them an apples to apples look… the other elements no so much.  I see a lot of talk on hear about loop lengths,  head pressure, flow rate,  and pump size.  Do these all fall into line with the heat loss work ? or should I not be so concerned with head loss and pump size?

Thanks all for the great support on the site

Every proper design starts with a computer generated heat load analysis. This determines the size of the heat source (boiler) the type of emitter that will work for you (radiant floor) the design temperature that the chosen emitter will require. Tubing, pumps and controls all follow.

Yes there are those that can effectively 'skip' the heat load (after 20 years of performing proper heat loads, I can guess better than most) but you have no way of knowing who can guess and who can't. The best way to sort out the wheat from the chaff is to ask for a computer generated heat load. Without it you simply don't know what your doing.

I consider comfort and energy usage two primary drivers.

If a source is advocating for larger pumps because they are cheap and allow for "less loops", they are ignoring energy usage. I would call that a black mark.

as for loop lengths and the like, I would consider all of that irrelevant except as it pertains to pump sizing and cost.

thanks guys...   great stuff