Can you cool a house with radiant heat?

Gas or oil-fired radiant heating systems that require cooling can use super efficient mini-split systems for spot cooling or, again, go to a whole house cooling system (expensive). A better option is to use a geothermal or air-to-water hydronic heat pump that generates chilled water that can be used for cooling.

Can radiant heating be used for cooling?

Radiant cooling systems have been embedded in the ceilings of adobe homes, taking advantage of the thermal mass to provide a steady cooling effect. Homes built on concrete slabs are prime candidates for radiant heating systems, and radiant floor cooling takes advantage of the same principle using chilled water.

How well does radiant cooling work?

Radiant cooling is quiet, dust free, efficient and has been used in Europe for decades. Most important, studies in USA by Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory in California estimate the energy saving of radiant floor cooling to be over 30% of traditional forced air cooling!

Can you cool a house with a hydronic heating system?

While hydronic systems tend to be associated with heating, it's an often-overlooked fact that hydronic technology can also provide extremely comfortable and efficient cooling. Just as water is effective at conducting heat, so too can it effectively convey cooling.

Is radiant cooling more efficient?

Just like radiant heating, radiant cooling is also significantly more energy-efficient than forced air systems. And, in hot summer months, that energy benefit is even more pronounced as air conditioners notoriously demand an exorbitant amount of energy.

Cool Your House with CHILLED WATER

What is hydronic cooling?

Hydronic cooling is simply the removal of heat from the space utilizing chilled water as the heat exchange medium. As opposed to evaporative cooling which introduces humidity into the space, hydronic cooling systems are completely closed loop meaning no water is added to the space for the purpose of cooling.

How cold can radiant cooling get?

Important design criteria to follow include keeping floor surface temperatures no less than 66F, and a having a room set point temperatures in the range of 76F to 78F. The cooling capacity of the radiant cooling system is limited to about 12-15 btu/h/ft².

How do I air condition my house with radiant heat?

What is radiant air conditioning?

Radiant cooling systems are usually hydronic, cooling using circulating water running in pipes in thermal contact with the surface. Typically the circulating water only needs to be 2–4 °C below the desired indoor air temperature.

Is radiant heating better than forced air?

Radiant heating has a number of advantages. It is more efficient than baseboard heating and usually more efficient than forced-air heating because it eliminates duct losses. People with allergies often prefer radiant heat because it doesn't distribute allergens like forced air systems can.

Does in floor heat also cool?

Although some radiant floor systems are capable of cooling by circulating cool water through the tubing, most homes will need a separate system to provide the cooling. The reason is that heating is ideally delivered from the ground up, while cooling is best delivered through ductwork located near the ceiling.

What is the primary energy advantage of using radiant cooling?

Radiant cooling systems offer lower energy consumption than conventional cooling systems based on research conducted by the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory. Radiant cooling energy savings depend on the climate, but on average across the US savings are in the range of 30% compared to conventional systems.

Is radiant heat gas or electric?

Radiant heating systems require either natural gas or electricity as a fuel source. In the case of electricity, the components are heated by electrical resistance. For natural gas, however, the system does require a boiler installation to heat the water that will flow through the pipes of the radiant heating system.

Can you put central air in a house with no ductwork?

If your home doesn't have existing ductwork, you're not out of options. You could have air ducts installed for a traditional split system, or go with a ductless central air conditioning system. A ductless system requires a compressor and condenser outside as well as several blower units inside.

Can a boiler system cool a house?

Fortunately, it is still possible to cool your home. One very common method of bringing air conditioning comfort to a home with a boiler heating system is to simply install a ductless mini split cooling system.

Can you have air conditioning with baseboard heat?

Homes with a baseboard system as their primary heat source lack the needed ductwork for traditional central air conditioning systems. But you can still enjoy air conditioning in your home. There's no need to spend money on costly renovations to install ductwork when you can cool off without tearing your home apart.

How do radiant cooling systems work?

Radiant cooling systems work by circulating chilled water through a network of polymer pipes installed in floors, walls or ceilings. This network of pipes can turn the floors, walls and ceilings of a conditioned space into cooled surfaces that evenly absorb heat energy.

Can hydronic baseboard cool?

You don't get the benefit of warm air until the liquid inside reaches the appropriate temperature to throw off heat. However, they also take longer to cool down which means you'll continue to get nice, even heat for some time after the unit is turned off. View this guide to learn more about how hydronic heaters work.

Can radiators cool a house?

In hot weather, would it be possible to cool the interior of a house by circulating chilled water through the exisiting central heating system? Yes, but it wouldn't work very well. The rate of heat transfer is more-or-less proportional to the temperature difference between the radiators and the surrounding air.

Why do hydronic systems work so well?

Energy Efficiency

Hydronic heating systems are more efficient than other heating methods. Air is not particularly good as a heat conductor. As it travels through ducts, it can lose energy or leak through gaps or joints. Less energy is needed to heat the water and to transfer the heat throughout your home.

How do you stop condensation in radiant cooling?

In order to avoid condensation, the surface temperature of panels should be controlled higher than the attached layer dew point temperature, which will limit the cooling capacity [6]. The surface temperature of radiant panel was tested in experiment [7].

How does geothermal heating and cooling work in a house?

During the summer, geothermal heating and cooling systems absorb heat from your home and transfer it to the underground loop where it is then absorbed by the cooler earth. The geothermal heat pump uses the cool water returning from the ground to create cool, dehumidified air conditioning for your home.

What are the disadvantages of radiant heat?

What are the disadvantages of radiant energy?