Heating 3100 soft home

Jwhairforce1

Looking to heat 3100sqft home with renewable energy. I have a 2ft craw enclosed crawl space. I was thinking of laying 1in pvc pipe 16" on center on the floor of the crawl space and covering with 4in of sand. Is this a good idea and what's the best way to heat the water? I didn't want to go with the outdoor wood burner. Trying be 1 and done. 

SumPower

Plastic (PVC) is considered an insulator and does not conduct heat well. An Outdoor wood burner would be better.

BB.

Welcome to the forum JW.

You really need to look at the the entire system--And not just focus on one "thing"...

Depending on how much space you have and how much DIY you wish to do--Here is a very interesting home built heating system for a home in a cold climate (snow on ground):

https://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/SpaceHeating/SolarShed/solarshed.htm

And a second version here:

https://www.builditsolar.com/Projects/SpaceHeating/DHWplusSpace/Main.htm

These are old articles/system (2007 or so)--But the basics still work.

-Bill

Miller_Ranch

I went with these guys. Very happy. My system is in a concrete slab but the have options for framed floors.


https://www.radiantcompany.com/

Dave Angelini

Heating method is down the list from making the building right for efficient heating in my opinion.

 There are so many ways that a building can really bad for efficient heating, The ducting, the recessed lighting, the registers, windows, insulation, attic, and this list just keeps getting longer.

Marc Kurth

It all starts with a load calc.

Graham Parkinson

If you are at the interior finishing stage, and want radiant heat consider a product called "Warmboard".  It is a sandwich of 1" plywood with built-in channels for radiant heating pipes on the top surface, over a layer of pressed on aluminum sheet heat sink material.

https://www.warmboard.com/products/panels/

Warmboard's good heat conductance and large area connected into the room allows lower temperature water to be used which opens up more options for renewable energy or air to water heat pumps etc as a heat source.  (or even outdoor wood stove boilers for that matter).

Stapling heat pipes under the flooring works - but you need higher temperature water due to the increased thermal resistance of going through the floor without an upper surface heat sink layer.