Blaine, You don't hear water moving through the pipes in a hot water system. I already have hot water heat, but it is via big cast iron radiators. I would prefer heating through the floor rather than big clunky, ugly, radiators. It is a more comfortable heat, and they say you can actually keep the house a few degrees cooler because you quote feel warmer. I can believe this as when my thermostat says 70 degrees, a thermometer on the floor reads 62.
I am looking at the radiant, hhydronnic heat as a replacement heat source, so the house slippers don't really come into play here. *GRIN* I've never liked forced air heat. I find it noisy, dusty, and uneven. I've had hot water heat in every place I've lived except for two, and I've always preferred hot water. Hot water under the floor is just the next step. Last summer I met a woman who had a house built totally off the grid. She lives in Colorado, which is known for sun, but not necessarily warm winters. She has solar heated hot water for both potable and radiant heat. She also has solar for electricity. The house was specifically designed for these features, so it was a lot easier than trying to retrofit an old house. Anyway, I really don't feel like digging out my heat transfer textbook from my college days, so I will just let the discussion of watts and melting snow die quietly. -- Blue skies. Dan Rossi Carnegie Mellon University. E-Mail: d...@andrew.cmu.edu Tel: (412) 268-9081
