Hello all, I have a 32x28 13 foot ceiling well insulated garage. I also insulated under the slab and installed four 250' runs of 1/2 pex. I purchased a Nibco hot water floor heat control board and pump system. I have a open loop system now with a 50 gallon electric water heater as a hot water source. I am limited to electric only. I have tried this system the past three years but have always stopped using it because of the high electric cost during the winter months. I live in midwest Indiana. The cost of my electric bills in Dec for the past three years has been $600 to $800. In 2014 I had a new 18 seer 2 stage heat pump installed in my house with a new variable speed air handler. I then installed my old forced air electric furnace in the garage to use as the primary heat source. I only keep the garage at 45 deg F unless I am going to work out in it. My question is. Is there another electric hot water heating source I can use for my Hot water floor heating system? I have thought of trying two 50 gallon electric water heaters in series or a wood pellet boiler. I can not install a outside wood boiler or have a propane tank either.
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The only way to create the BTU's of heat with less watts is to use a heat pump. Heat pumps create more BTU's per watt than resistance heaters, but the advantage decreases as outdoor temps drop. At a certain temp, which varies by model, the advantage is gone and the system kicks over to using resistance heating strips (they can also use gas, but you've told us that is not an option). Some companies have heat pumps that claim to be more efficient than resistance heaters to well below zero degrees. Yes, heat pumps cost more to purchase up front, but with your electric bills, cutting the bills by 20-40% will offset the upfront cost fairly quickly.