Quote:
Originally Posted by opiesche
Nov. 29th - Dec. 27th 2011: 142 therms - 52F avg.
Nov. 27th - Dec. 26th 2012: 126 therms - 50F avg.
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I've kind of forgotten how you are heating your water... I seem to recall that there was a water heater involved in your hydronic system... is correct? A separate water heater?
I keep seeing estimates of 20% of total energy for DHW.
If that's true, and your DHW didn't change, then I'm calculating that your heating costs went down by 14%.
That's enough right there to make it worth it.
But, as you have said, you haven't insulated yet...
But what you didn't say is that your heat source is right in the floor, next to an unheated area, with a big delta-T.
I mean with convection heating, you are heating up all the surfaces and not at all concentrating that heat on the floor... with that big delta-T waiting on the other side, just looking for BTUs to munch.
So when you get that insulation in, you should see a very large jump in efficiency.
* * *
And regarding what Mikesolar said in the previous post, I have seen studies that suggest that 3/4" (or greater) is optimum, but that smaller spaces are also effective, but progressively less so as distance is reduced... and direct contact is where you lose all radiant reflectivity effect.
Best,
-AC