Hydronic or Gas Heater - Which is more efficient?

[Bobbyd38]

I have the option of heating my new garage with either a Hydronic unit which I would run off my existing Home Nat Gas fired boiler which already has a spare manifold and control box for another zone or a direct Nat Gas fired Modine type unit.

Hydronic requires running water lines through a 36' long unheated, but well insulated Garage before reaching the new one. The direct gas fired unit requires running a New gas line about 50-60' pipe to get to the unit as well as venting.

My main question is which heating system is more efficient for my application?

Thanks,
Bob

 

[dfiler2]

Which of those units is more efficient? If your boiler is 92% and the modine unit is 80% then the choice would be obvious. The building will take the same number of BTU's to heat either way. If they are the same efficiency then you need to figure out the cost of installing one or the other.

 

[theoldwizard1]

Depending on home much you use your garage and what you use it for, efficiency is really NOT the most important issue. They will be close operationally, but radiant floor heat is SO MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE !

 

[86turbodsl]

You need to look at your use case. Will you be keeping it heated all the time to temp, or will you just be out there sporadically? If sporadic, just do the gas heater, and save all the BTU's you'd use on hydronic heating the floor 24/7.

 

[ambenz]

I would think of which application to use, based on which one will work with zero maintenance for the longest time.
Using the existing system and maybe adding a new pump is all you have to maintain compared with....gas valves gumming up, electric starts going out, control boards frying, etc...when installing another stand alone system.
KISS= keep it simple stetson.

 

[dfiler2]

Depending on home much you use your garage and what you use it for, efficiency is really NOT the most important issue. They will be close operationally, but radiant floor heat is SO MUCH MORE COMFORTABLE !

I guess I am assuming he is talking about a fan forced hanging hydronic heater as no radiant floor was mentioned.

 

[Bobbyd38]

I guess I am assuming he is talking about a fan forced hanging hydronic heater as no radiant floor was mentioned.

Yes I did mean a Fan forced Hanging Hydronic Heater.

 

[Bobbyd38]

So now I am also considering a Dual Split Heat Pump, because I was told they are a lot cheaper to run than either the gas fired air or hydronic units. The only downfall is they take the room a little longer to bring up to temperature.

This is a 24x48' Garage on an exterior insulated slab with 6" Walls, 16" Ceiling with Blown in cellulose insulation. I plan to keep temp at 45 degrees in winter except days when I plan to work in it, maybe 2-3 days per week.