2laz2p
New Member
Posts:1
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| 06 Oct 2011 03:55 PM |
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Howdy all
I currently heat my house with propane forced air along with in floor hyronic for the basement and garage. i have been getting bids on converting to geo but get confused over the vernacular. i am being advised to get an Hydro heat with full time H2O heating capacity and then an A coil that would go in the plenum to provide heat to the ducts. i would also use the same heat pump to heat my eixisting hydronic unit (with a 50 gallon buffer tank). Furnace would be replaced with a new unit with a variable speed blower. Is this the correct track and is this a water to water or water to air. it will use a horizontal bored loop field. the sizing was calcualted based on current energy consumption. thanks
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SkyHeating
Basic Member
Posts:203
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| 06 Oct 2011 04:29 PM |
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If sizing was only done based on energy consumption stop, go online or look up reviews and find another contractor. You can take a very rough guess from this but this is not a proper way to size a system, or the loop field. What if this year was a mild year and your loop is way undersized for a system that is also undersized!
This sounds like it is a water to water heat transfer for the radiant and a water to air transfer for your ducted heating. You might want to look at the WaterFurnace Synergy 3D system that does all of this in one unit.
Where are you located? Regardless converting to a geothermal heat pump is going to save a ton of money over the cost of expensive propane. I am looking at doing a conversion like this(minus the radiant) here in Oregon City, Oregon and looking at a savings of at least $3,000 a year. |
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Visit my Youtube channel for product reviews and customer testimonials http://www.youtube.com/user/skyheating1
http://www.welserver.com/WEL0626/
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ICFHybrid
Veteran Member
Posts:3039
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| 07 Oct 2011 11:18 PM |
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If sizing was only done based on energy consumption stop, go online or look up reviews and find another contractor. You can take a very rough guess from this but this is not a proper way to size a system I disagree. What would be more accurate- sizing off the home's actual energy usage or sizing using calculated values for the construction type? What if this year was a mild year Correctly done, the sizing would take into account the actual temperatures experienced during the period being analyzed. |
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docjenser
Veteran Member
Posts:1400
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| 08 Oct 2011 05:02 AM |
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Posted By SkyHeating on 06 Oct 2011 04:29 PM
If sizing was only done based on energy consumption stop, go online or look up reviews and find another contractor. You can take a very rough guess from this but this is not a proper way to size a system, or the loop field. What if this year was a mild year and your loop is way undersized for a system that is also undersized!
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| www.buffalogeothermalheating.com |
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docjenser
Veteran Member
Posts:1400
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| 08 Oct 2011 05:04 AM |
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Posted By docjenser on 08 Oct 2011 05:02 AM
Posted By SkyHeating on 06 Oct 2011 04:29 PM
If sizing was only done based on energy consumption stop, go online or look up reviews and find another contractor. You can take a very rough guess from this but this is not a proper way to size a system, or the loop field. What if this year was a mild year and your loop is way undersized for a system that is also undersized!
A geosystem is usually sized for to cover 95-99% of the peak load (with forced air), so if you have a cold year, the systems runs more and you extract more heat out of the ground. Not a big deal if the loop then drops down to 28F EWT instead of the rule of thumb target of 30F.
A heatpump is not sized for the total amount of heat delivered for the heating season. Theoretically the loop is, but is very forgiving and in today's world standardized to match the heat pump.
If you are skilled to do so, previous usage data matched with the weather BIN data for that area and the thermostat setting is the best way to get to the actual heatloss of the house. Everything else is a guesstimate, since you need to guess the R-values of existing walls, windows, roof etc.
The usage data is actual data, right on target. |
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| www.buffalogeothermalheating.com |
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SkyHeating
Basic Member
Posts:203
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| 08 Oct 2011 08:44 PM |
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I respectfully disagree. Basing sizing on actual usage has so many variables and while a load calc has many variables to it at least sizes based on standards. Weather is never standard, usage of a system and thermostat settings are never standard and that is my reasoning. Let's say it is a 20 degree day and house is set to 70 degrees even then wind and other factors come into play. But in all reality there is no perfect method. |
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Visit my Youtube channel for product reviews and customer testimonials http://www.youtube.com/user/skyheating1
http://www.welserver.com/WEL0626/
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ICFHybrid
Veteran Member
Posts:3039
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| 09 Oct 2011 04:31 PM |
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Weather is never standard Maybe you didn't realize that you can compare the actual weather to the same period of energy usage. It doesn't need to be "standard" weather. |
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engineer
Veteran Member
Posts:2749
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| 09 Oct 2011 10:21 PM |
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Temperature is n't the only variable. Wind, cloudiness, and precipitation all contribute to raise or lower load. |
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Curt Kinder <br><br>
The truth is incontrovertible. Malice may attack it, ignorance may deride it, but in the end, there it is - Winston Churchill <br><br><a href="http://www.greenersolutionsair.com">www.greenersolutionsair.com</a>
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joe.ami
Veteran Member
Posts:4377
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| 10 Oct 2011 07:33 AM |
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21az,
A water to water geo and buffer tank with a hydronic air handler would be my pick for the application you describe.
Your most important question for prespective installers is going to be tangible references (preferably with geo-hydronic customers).
Your system is less common than most and requires more knowledge/experience.
The brand offered by your current bidder is less popular than others and makes me suspect inexperience.
Whether manJ loss calcs or actual usage are used for sizing, if you take care of finding a good installer the rest will take care of itself.
Good Luck,
Joe |
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Joe Hardin
www.amicontracting.com
We Dig Comfort!
www.doityourselfgeothermal.com
Dig Your Own Comfort! |
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