Here in Sacramento, it is my understanding that most -- if not all -- of the original radiant heating systems with galvanized pipes are no longer operable. If you are one of the lucky neighbors that has a system that still works, I'd love to hear from you in the comments section below this post!
I ran across some information today via Ideal Bite (a blog devoted to "green living") that struck me as worth sharing here. Per Ideal Bite:
* ... Depending on the size of your house and how high your ceilings are, radiant heating can save 30% on your heating bills (and might help you snag a tax rebate).Go to Ideal Bite's post directly for further information and links.
* Since it doesn't involve vents, forced air, or ducts, radiant floor heating can reduce dust mites by 80% - good news if you or your fam have bad allergies.
* You'll get more-even heat distribution throughout rooms - so you won't have to hang out near vents to feel warm.
If you are interested in exploring "green" options for replacing your original radiant heating system in your Eichler Home, I recommend consulting with Matthew Piner of Piner Works Architecture and Building Group here in town, located within the Green Living Center. Per my conversation with Mr. Piner, there are a number of viable solutions for Eichler Home owners. Mr. Piner would assess your particular needs and situation and route you to the very best solution and an installer. Per a recent Sacramento Press article, "radiant systems offered by the Green Living Center ... employ sunlight and other natural environmental features to provide comfortable home temperatures."
6 comments:
How well I remember the radiant heatin the Eichler as a child. Kids spend so much time on or near the floor and that heat made it totally cozy for the months which could almost be called winter. Other than setting the heat 8-12 hours or so ahead, I think it was pretty easy to maintain and love!
Thanks Julia -- seriously, what's not to love about radiant heating? So cozy.
Many of the copper systems that were installed by Eichler over the years survived. I guess our neighborhood was involved in a trial/error of a "special" green paint used on galvanized pipes instead of copper. The oxygen in the waters corroded our pipes anyway. So much for the "special" green paint!
I wasn't aware that Eichler homes had radiant heating. He was really ahead of his time. Very informative post. Thanks.
Thanks Mid Century Madam! I think the notion of radiant heating goes way back in history but the first Eichler Homes to receive radiant heating (according to the Eichler Network) were Stanford Gardens in Menlo Park, built in 1950. Designed by an architect named Castor. http://www.eichlernetwork.com/ENStory9.html
My grandfather used to instal the copper radiant floor systems in the 50' here in southern California for Eichler. One of the most memorable system was for the Santa Fe springs school district, who's system is still in use.
-Corey
That's really cool, Corey! I think ours might still work if copper had been used. I believe Eichler Homes recognized the error and went back to copper piping in the radiant heating systems in subsequent divisions elsewhere.
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