With fossil fuel prices soaring, electricity is often feasible for radiant heat. Standard electric water heaters suffer from slow recovery rates, but electric boilers don't. For large radiant systems, a 100-200 Amp service panel is dedicated to the boiler and this adds to installation costs. But, if rates in your area are below .07 kwh, electric water heating may be cheaper than gas or oil. Since electric boilers don't require venting, no BTU's are dumped up a flue stack. That translates into 100% efficiency.
We sell the Electro-Boiler brand.
Although we don't sell the heat sources shown below, we've received lots of positive feedback from customers who use them. Of course, you'll want to do some research to be sure the following units are appropriate for your situation.
Geothermal heat pumps are becoming an increasingly popular method of heating water. They transfer heat from the earth's warmth into your home in the winter. They've been used quite successfully in conjunction with radiant floors and, like solar, are very environmentally clean and efficient. Check out www.ecrtech.com if you are interested in this method of water heating.
The Wood Doctor is a unique approach to outdoor wood boiler design. A special converter is utilized to obtain maximum heat output from the wood, and at the same time, dramatically lower smoke emissions. Check out the details at www.mainewooddoctor.com
The Wood Doctor comes in a wide range of sizes. If you have a good supply of wood, an outdoor wood boiler can take a lot of the hassle out of burning it.