A First-time Customer Reports

摘要

I first learned about open-direct radiant systems a few years ago when I worked on a.Fine Homebuilding article, "Energy Efficient From the Ground Up" (FHB #161, and online at Fine Homebuilding.com). At the time, I was impressed with the simplicity of the system. I didn't have a lot of money to spend when it came time to start my own renovation, so I contacted Radiantec to order a system. After calculating the theoretical heat loss for my house, we settled on an open-direct system consisting of a 34-gal., 100,000-Btu water heater and enough plumbing for three separate zones. Radiant heat can be expensive, but because I could install it myself, it cost only about $11,000, which included hiring a plumber for the initial water-heater hookup. The materials alone cost $8500.