Floor Heat

[washregal]

Ok.. now that it is majorly cold in the east probably not the best time to ask this question.. but I am going to..

I am in SE PA.. PECO land.. it's a blank check every month for the most part. My question is...

Would it make sense to leave the floor heat operational 24/7.. if so at what temp?

Currently I have it shut off around 8pm, and turn on at 6 am. clear the ice off before morning use.

Just wondered if it would be more constant on a 24/7 basis rather than a ramp up all at once with gas...

I am going to put a Johnson Controls Digital thermostat in next year...any recomendations with that as well?

 

[I.B. Washincars]

Having had my a$$ sued off for a slip and fall I can only imagine how much fun their lawyer would have had with me had I endangered my customers just to put a few more pennies in my greedy little pockets by turning off the floor heat. If you're not going to have it on when it is "majorly" cold why did you install it to begin with?

 

[Jim Caudill]

I just shut-down the wash when it requires floor heat. Otherwise, it is negative cash flow. I didn't understand the comments about PECO (is that your utility company?) and the blank check. The last winter than I ran my floor heat full time, it cost me about $2,400 for one month. Now, I only do around $50 a day on a nice day, maybe $75 in the summer. Plain to see that you cannot afford to run floor heat at $50 to $70 per day.

 

[Bubbles Galore]

Just my gas bill from Nov. 14-Dec. 14 was over $1,300! I about hit the floor last night. You have to love the great white north. I don't get the luxury of shutting down when it is cold. If that were the case, see you in April.

 

[PaulLovesJamie]

I can only imagine how much fun their lawyer would have had with me

That about sums it up.

I'm also in SE PA, I run my floor heat 24x7. When the temps get down below 15 or so (like the last few days) I close the wash because I'm losing $ otherwise. When the wash is closed I let the floors get a little colder, but I still dont turn it off - note that when I'm closed there's no water, so ice isnt a problem. I turn the heat back up before reopening.

 

[Waxman]

I utilize my SS bay doors and I think it's going to save me a bundle this year off my propane bill. Last year I kept everything open and heated 24/7/365. Not so this year. I close the bays down via the doors at 8pm, automatic and self serve. The little I make between 8pm and 8am does not justify the floor heat expense during Winter months. Since the slabstat is in my middle bay controlling the floor heat, it is satisfied much easier for the 12 hours the doors are down.

My Dad actually had the idea of paying one employee a nominal fee to come by at 8pm and shut down in winter. Makes sense so far.

 

[mjc3333]

floor heat $$ out the door!!

The last two years running I have readjusted my return temp for my floor heat to a more managable level. My floor heat turns on at ~30 - 32 F with a dayton air thermostat. I send out the floor heat at ~80F and monitor the incoming flow after it runs its course thru all of the floors at ~50 F. I used to send it out at 120F and had no way of monitouring the return temp. My bills used to be $1800 to $3000 / month for natural gas OUCH!!!!! Once I put in the return stats set at ~50F - 60F my bills are down to a high of ~$1000 / month. If there is a day that is below 20- 22F AND is extemely windy, I have to turn up the return temp to ~70F, OR put down rock salt. Ths rock salt alt. is cheaper but more labor intensive. Being in the NE corner of PA, when the outside temp is below 20F nobody washes (very few). It is NOT economical anymore to keep the floor heat raised to temp that keeps the floors 100% ice free 24/7. I would have to double my prices in the winter months to keep up. Doors on the bays would be a big help. Also thermal blankets on the less used bays during a cold snap would help. You could also turn off the less used bays and close them down. All these things would help, but would require time and labor.

Ok.. now that it is majorly cold in the east probably not the best time to ask this question.. but I am going to..

I am in SE PA.. PECO land.. it's a blank check every month for the most part. My question is...

Would it make sense to leave the floor heat operational 24/7.. if so at what temp?

Currently I have it shut off around 8pm, and turn on at 6 am. clear the ice off before morning use.

Just wondered if it would be more constant on a 24/7 basis rather than a ramp up all at once with gas...

I am going to put a Johnson Controls Digital thermostat in next year...any recomendations with that as well?

 

[torquewrench]

I'm in cold northern michigan. Gas bill was over $20,000 for the year! Two years ago I installed a central wood boiler system. I know spend about $1,800 in wood and a little time cutting and splitting. It was money well spent. It heats my floor,water,and sends warm water up top to keep all the lines warm.

 

[Kirb]

For those of you shutting down bays when it get to cold to wash do you totally shut off floor heat or just turn it down? Also when you raise or turn heat back on do you need to raise the temp slowly to prevent cracking to concrete?
Thanks,
Kirb

 

[mjc3333]

I'm in cold northern michigan. Gas bill was over $20,000 for the year! Two years ago I installed a central wood boiler system. I know spend about $1,800 in wood and a little time cutting and splitting. It was money well spent. It heats my floor,water,and sends warm water up top to keep all the lines warm.

What kind of wood burning system did you install?

Where did you get it from?

How much did it cost?

 

[Reds]

What kind of wood burning system did you install?

Where did you get it from?

How much did it cost?

mjc - I am in NE pa too. I heat my home with wood, as do lots of people out here. Our wonderfull governor is pushing legislation to limit the use of outdoor wood boilers, which I am sure in time will include wood stoves and fireplaces. Some boilers put out more smoke than others and if you have neighbors close by it will most likely cause problems. Plus on some days, for some reason, the smoke lays low and does not go up in the air and dissipate. The cost is cheap compared to gas or oil, but there is some work involved. You need to feed that boiler twice a day (dawn and dusk) and keep a BIG pile of split wood handy. I have a logging truck FULL of logs dumped twice a year - you have to cut, split and stack it. Then clean up the sawdust and debris. Luckily I live in the woods and it is easy to clean up. If you have it delivered on site you will have to contend with the wood pile. Or you could have it delivered split and stacked, which is more expensive, but still cheaper than gas. It's 0 degrees out, and I just fed my stove an hour ago. I havn't bought heating oil in 4 years - costs me $700 to heat a 4000 sq.ft. house and heat domestic hot all year. Five people showering and several loads of wash per day. If I could get away with the smoke issue and storing firewood at my site I would install a wood boiler in a flash. I am in a shopping center and it would not be practical or pretty.

 

[dogwasher]

I wouldn't run the floor heat all night...your just waisting energy out into the open air. I use a time clock and its off all night until early morning.

 

[torquewrench]

What kind of wood burning system did you install?

Where did you get it from?

How much did it cost?

I would guess i got about $25,000 into the set up.Well worth it! I did do most the install my self. I bought the boiler from a central dealer.I just tied it into my existing boilers so that they are still used for back ups

 

[mjc3333]

I wouldn't run the floor heat all night...your just waisting energy out into the open air. I use a time clock and its off all night until early morning.

What do you do if someone washes while the floor heat is off? Do you close down some of the bays to prevent customers from washing?

 

[Waxman]

by closing my doors at night the slabstat is more easily satisfied and that is what saves $. i never turn floor heat off until spring.

my hot water boiler (for washing) is on a timer and i insulated the holding tank like crazy to save $.