Hi all. I just figured I would share my project. I have been building a 28 x 32 attached garage over the last couple of years. I am finally finished. The garage has living space above it and is attached to an earth home. I have always wanted radiant floor heat as I work out there a lot in the winter and in Iowa we can get pretty cold. I installed 900 feet of pex and insulated the floor and sides in the typical fashion, using 2 inch foam board. I then set to finding a source to heat it with. Electric rates are high in my area but natural gas isn't available. Propane was an option but I would have to get a tank and with propane prices spiking last year, I opted for electric. The local plumbing wholesale house quoted me 1000 bucks for an electric boiler. I considered a water heater but that option didn't sit well with me for several reasons. I decided to build my own. The concept is pretty simple, it dawned on me while sitting in my hot tub. Why not use a hot tub heater and put some simple controls in it. I started researching various hot tub tube heaters and stumbled upon a heater that looked just like a water heater element. That lead me to look at water heater elements. I managed to find one at the local hardware store that was rated at 5.5 kw. The boiler I was quoted was an 8k but was slightly oversized I believe. I mounted the element in a piece of black iron pipe and began testing. It works great! The system consists of 3 electronic temp controls: one on the incoming side that can be used to modulate the element if I want to, one on the output side that is used as a high limit to cut the boiler out if output temps become too great and one that I am using as a thermostat. There is also a flow switch that will cut the element out if the pump stops for any reason and a pressure relief if something really goes wrong. I also added a time delay relay to allow the pump to run for a predetermined time after the element kicks out. The time delay relay wasn't necessary but I had it laying around and wanted to do some experimenting. I fired the system up about 2 weeks ago and have been monitoring it with an hour meter and an omega data logger. Temps have been abnormally cold here but the system is working great after playing with several different thermostats and settling on the electronic temp controller as the best option. I originally set the thermostat at 60 but found this to be too warm, I knocked it back to 57 and that seems about right. the system only runs about 4 to 5 hours a day and that is with temps down into the teens. I built this system with alot of donated parts and a bunch of scrap stuff from work so I have less than 100 bucks in the boiler portion. All the plumbing (pump, air bleed, pressure tank, ect) was purchased but I don't count it as part of the boiler system because I needed it for any boiler that I purchased. This could realistically be built for less than 300 bucks which is cheaper than an electric water heater. Now for my disclaimer: I am not a plumber or boiler mechanic, I am an electrician and had a lot of help from a friend that IS a boiler mechanic. He ran my numbers and double checked everything for me. You could seriously injure yourself and cause property damage if you don't know what you are doing with one of these systems
My DIY radiant boiler
- Thread starter burhead
- Start date
anthony666
Well-known member
please move the controls etc out from under the pump
KELLHAMMER
Well-known member
Do you know about how BTU your generating?
Also how many amps the boiler is requiring ?
I built a similar system except the boiler itself I purchased was Seisco Radiant Heat modulating boiler in '08 which was only 500 for the unit. Which was way cheaper than any other boiler.
We keep the temp at 50deg during the coldest times and the space , which is very comfortable. Total cost for tubing, controls, valves & boiler was right around $2800. Tubing and insulation were and additional 2k . The space is a five car garage with a second floor, which stays warm from the residual heat
We were getting quotes of15k to 20k to do the install.
Also how many amps the boiler is requiring ?
I built a similar system except the boiler itself I purchased was Seisco Radiant Heat modulating boiler in '08 which was only 500 for the unit. Which was way cheaper than any other boiler.
We keep the temp at 50deg during the coldest times and the space , which is very comfortable. Total cost for tubing, controls, valves & boiler was right around $2800. Tubing and insulation were and additional 2k . The space is a five car garage with a second floor, which stays warm from the residual heat
We were getting quotes of15k to 20k to do the install.
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TractorJeff
Well-known member
heating element in a pipe?
Kim HotStart makes those for pre-heating engines.
I just picked up an NOS one yesterday as it was considered obsolete stock prior to end of the year inventory.
Kim HotStart makes those for pre-heating engines.
I just picked up an NOS one yesterday as it was considered obsolete stock prior to end of the year inventory.
rburke65
Well-known member
Wow...that's funny. I went to grade school and high school with a guy we called 'bur head'. I have no idea where or how he got the handle. He is in Arizona now.