HVAC: What's best for cold climates?

[Campgottagopee]

^^^ This^^^ probably find you’ll burn wood more often then you think. Certainly on the coldest of days. It’s cheap and in abundance… so why not

I love the smell of wood stove smoke and the sound of gun fire.

 

[Tjf1967]

I'm guessing tile floors are the best for this.

Anyone using it with wood floors?

Not me but I helped a friend who installed them under his wood flooring. We were in the basement running the tubing under the floors. Then put in insulation that was designed for them in between the rafters. Pretty straight forward. He built a three story monster for his wife and kid. The hearing system with all the zones looked very complicated until you thought it through. Huge houses are not my thing. I need storage not living space.

 

[jasonwx]

i'm going bass fishing and mtb in fla... all that above stuff looks expensive and complicated...i'll just fly to the mtns to ski...

 

[Harvey]

I'm going to live in the mountains and fly to Florida whenever I want... to.... um... nevermind.

 

[sig]

I am redoing a home in the Helderberg's. It is to much of a challenge to run duct work, so i went with a combination of heat systems. The first floor will be heated by a propane boiler and Runtal radiators. The radiators are pricy but are light years better then those fin systems. I am convinced radiant or radiators is the best heat source in the mountains. A mini split is being installed upstairs. It will heat a bedroom, bath and 3 season room. Roughly 500 sqft. I do not trust the mini splits as the sole source of heat, especially in the mountains. Each floor will also have a propane fireplace insert. Harv I really don't think you need air condition at your new place. Ceiling fans and a cross breeze should do the trick. I would recommend a Generac generator so you can flush the toilet and heat the home.

 

[Harvey]

That's an existing home, so ducts are a real PITA for sure. In new construction probably way easier, I'd assume.

For radiant floor, cement and tile sounds like the best, but it also sounds like wood floor are ok IF you have someone who knows what they are doing.

If you bury those radiant pipes in cement... does anything every go wrong with them? That would be a drag.

I am going to have 3 floors, or 2 1/2 floors.

Walk-in basement floors will be cement with tile, but I can't imagine it would be worth it to put radiant floors in the basement. It would be way cool, but likely a big waste of money, I'm guessing.

Maybe you just mini-split AC for the master bedroom up stairs.

Put radiant in the tile floors (kitchen and bathrooms) and use something like Runtals for the rest of the house?

Can't wait to see what you come up with @sig. When will it be done?

 

[sig]

I should be done in the spring. You should definitely do radiant in basement floor. it is an awesome heat for that space. nothing will go wrong with those pipes in your lifetime. if you go with radiators run one to the master bath upstairs.

 

[Harvey]

Backup is non-negotiable. Both propane and wood.

I'm not the quickest on the uptake, but I'm paying attention now.

If I can't burn wood or propane at all, I can't really have a heat pump. Not sure how that works.

There are two kinds of backup.

What you need when it's too cold for your heat pump.
What you need when the electricity goes out.

If you can't burn something (locally) how do you do it?

 

[Campgottagopee]

I'm with you Harv
It's a must to have multiple sources of heat. I have wood pellets, fuel oil, and a wood burning fireplace.
I'm willing to go down to two sources of heat, but source #2 has to work without electricity.

 

[Harvey]

I'm willing to go down to two sources of heat, but source #2 has to work without electricity.

This is what I am thinking.

Also can you run a generator?