How do I Warm the First Floor With a Cold LP Hot Water Boiler in the Basement?

Consult with a mechanical contractor and ask for a complete home evaluation. Have the professional determine the optimal layout for a hot water radiant heating system. Radiant heat systems are different from traditional warm air furnaces. With a furnace, a central thermostat controls the entire home. Hot water radiant heating systems allow the homeowner to create individual heating zones. Each zone is controlled with a separate water flow pathway and thermostat.

Determine the layout for the new heating system that best suits your needs. Homeowners can use radiant heat to augment a traditional furnace and heat one or two rooms or replace the entire warm air heating system.

Install the hot water heater coils / heating elements between the floor joists under any room heated by hot water radiant heat. The heater coils are available in a number of styles. Some are vinyl composite tubing and other systems look like small copper radiators. The heating elements are installed directly to the bottom of the plywood subfloor.

Connect the heating elements to the water pipes and create closed loops for each heating zone. These pipes come together at the LP boiler and the hot water supply line pours water into the radiant heating system. The radiant heating loops should be separate from the hot water lines in the home that supply water for cleaning, cooking and bathing.

Install a thermostat in the center of each heating zone. Run the thermostat wire into the mechanical room and attach these control circuits to servos that operate the valves on the heating zone loops.