Consumer Homes.

Question:

I am building a 1,600 sq. ft. ranch and plan on using a geo-thermal heat pump to power a radiant floor system,a/c, hot water and pool htg. I will also use solar thermal to assist the pump and a p.v. system to drive the pump. does any one know of anyone who has done this? and a supplier of a variable speed heat pump compressor? thanks in advance. Kevin

Response:

> I am building a 1,600 sq. ft. ranch and plan on using a geo-thermal heat > pump to power a radiant floor system,a/c, hot water and pool htg. > Kevin

If one does his thermal dynamics equations BEFORE planning on heating/cooling systems, the question is moot. First, what are the area’s heating and cooling degree days? Second, based upon the insulation and R-factor, what is the replacement heat or amount of cooling needed for such a structure and area? Third, is there any thermal mass for storing / releasing heat over long periods of time? Only when you can answer these questions would you start to pick out the required system. For example, a super insulated concrete dome may need such little cooling that you can’t find a small enough A/C unit. A Canadian super-insulated home was so efficient in winter that the family couldn’t use the kitchen oven without "overheating" the whole house! Did you factor in air-to-air heat exchangers? A radiant floor is great – if the house can absorb that amount of heat. If it’s super-insulated, you may be opening all your windows in the dead of winter to dump heat. And for southern builders, the problem is reversed. How can you keep from heating up in the summer? Shading? Breezes? Heat pumps? Thermal mass – water columns? — |404-361-9972 http://www.freeyellow.com/members/living-word

Response:

>> I am building a 1,600 sq. ft. ranch and plan on using a geo-thermal heat > pump to power a radiant floor system,a/c, hot water and pool htg. > Kevin >For example, a super insulated concrete dome may need such little cooling >that you can’t find a small enough A/C unit. A Canadian super-insulated home >was so efficient in winter that the family couldn’t use the kitchen oven >without "overheating" the whole house! Did you factor in air-to-air heat >exchangers?

Where is there more information on this?  Is there an online link for this? WEMentink. Figured that I wasn’t the only one interested in this.

Response:

I am building a 1,600 sq. ft. ranch and plan on using a geo-thermal heat pump to power a radiant floor system,a/c, hot water and pool htg. I will also use solar thermal to assist the pump and a p.v. system to drive the pump. does any one know of anyone who has done this? and a supplier of a variable speed heat pump compressor? thanks in advance. Kevin

Response:

> I am building a 1,600 sq. ft. ranch and plan on using a geo-thermal heat > pump to power a radiant floor system,a/c, hot water and pool htg. > Kevin

If one does his thermal dynamics equations BEFORE planning on heating/cooling systems, the question is moot. First, what are the area’s heating and cooling degree days? Second, based upon the insulation and R-factor, what is the replacement heat or amount of cooling needed for such a structure and area? Third, is there any thermal mass for storing / releasing heat over long periods of time? Only when you can answer these questions would you start to pick out the required system. For example, a super insulated concrete dome may need such little cooling that you can’t find a small enough A/C unit. A Canadian super-insulated home was so efficient in winter that the family couldn’t use the kitchen oven without "overheating" the whole house! Did you factor in air-to-air heat exchangers? A radiant floor is great – if the house can absorb that amount of heat. If it’s super-insulated, you may be opening all your windows in the dead of winter to dump heat. And for southern builders, the problem is reversed. How can you keep from heating up in the summer? Shading? Breezes? Heat pumps? Thermal mass – water columns? — |404-361-9972 http://www.freeyellow.com/members/living-word

Response: