I'm in a bit of a bind concerning my in-floor hydronic heating setup. I have a small, well-insulated house about 700 sq ft, with concrete slab in-floor tubing already installed but no heating system in place. The mechanical room is tiny, and I can't fit anything bulky like a heat pump water heater. To add to the complexity, I'm in a rural area with all-electric utilities, so no gas options. I'm aware that electric tankless heaters can be pricey to operate for domestic hot water, and I've received quotes around $10k for a heat pump system, which seems excessive given my current needs. I'm curious if using a tankless electric water heater would be a terrible idea since it doesn't need high temperatures—once the slab heats up, it doesn't take much to maintain it. Plus, could I set it up to circulate within the loop without pulling cold water from the well?
1 Answer
It's really about how much you're willing to pay to keep your home warm. To figure out your potential costs, you'd need a clearer picture of how much heat your home will actually use. But hey, if you've got a budget—like saying you're ready to spend $2k upfront or $500 a month—you could always give it a shot!
Thanks, that makes sense! My energy usage data shows I used around 600kwh for heating back in January when demand was highest. This info seems to indicate that a tankless heater might work without shockingly high costs, especially compared to that heat pump quote.