Radiant heat in the fall

fatlazyless · 02-14-2009, 10:16 AM

Ok, I heat my little two bed cottage with a couple of older, Rinnai 18000 btu, propane heaters which seem to work perfect, forever, with zero problems, and no maintenance or service needed. It's a 60 year old, wood frame cottage, built on wood supports,, over an enclosed dirt crawl space.

At temps below 20 degrees, the carpeted floors definately feel cold!

As a do-it-myselfer, could I install flexible plastic tubing on the underside of the wood floors, and heat it with a small hot water heater, and one circulator pump with its own zone thermostat?

Or, am I better to hook up a small Rinnai 6000 btu, non-vented, propane heater down in the crawl space. They sell these at Amerigas-Laconia for just $200, marked down from $400, right now, and they are Rinnai. It could be set on the lowest setting of 50 or 60 degrees, and controlled by simply unplugging/plugging its' 110 volt power cord, from upstairs, when the temps drop. There's got to be enough air leaks down there to keep it operating properly.

You know, that would be pretty easy to do....just one 3/8" soft copper propane line, plug the electric cord into a 110v outlet up in the house....and it is done. And, probably an eighteen dollar, carbon monoxide alarm would be smart.

....anyone trying something like this....don't forget...no compression ferrules in a propane line...

02-14-2009, 10:16 AM	#13
fatlazyless Senior Member Join Date: Apr 2004 Posts: 8,834 Blog Entries: 1 Thanks: 302 Thanked 1,033 Times in 752 Posts	Ok, I heat my little two bed cottage with a couple of older, Rinnai 18000 btu, propane heaters which seem to work perfect, forever, with zero problems, and no maintenance or service needed. It's a 60 year old, wood frame cottage, built on wood supports,, over an enclosed dirt crawl space. At temps below 20 degrees, the carpeted floors definately feel cold! As a do-it-myselfer, could I install flexible plastic tubing on the underside of the wood floors, and heat it with a small hot water heater, and one circulator pump with its own zone thermostat? Or, am I better to hook up a small Rinnai 6000 btu, non-vented, propane heater down in the crawl space. They sell these at Amerigas-Laconia for just $200, marked down from $400, right now, and they are Rinnai. It could be set on the lowest setting of 50 or 60 degrees, and controlled by simply unplugging/plugging its' 110 volt power cord, from upstairs, when the temps drop. There's got to be enough air leaks down there to keep it operating properly. You know, that would be pretty easy to do....just one 3/8" soft copper propane line, plug the electric cord into a 110v outlet up in the house....and it is done. And, probably an eighteen dollar, carbon monoxide alarm would be smart. ....anyone trying something like this....don't forget...no compression ferrules in a propane line... __________________ ... down and out, liv'n that Walmart side of the lake!