Hello,

I'm currently renovating my basement. It had the pipes for in-floor heating installed at the time that the foundation was laid, but was never connected. I have plumbers in to give me quotes on getting it set up. All of them tell me that in-floor heating must be run off a boiler, not a hot water tank. But none of them can seem to tell me why, just that it has to be a boiler.
What's the difference? Any ideas?

Thanks!

:confused:

What's the difference? Any ideas?

The difference is heating capacity and the relative cost to produce the heat. However, boilers aren't absolutely required. Any heat source will do, but usually the choice is driven by fuel costs. Some other alternatives for radiant heat are geothermal heat pumps and solar.

Your question is answered here: Radiant Heat From Radiant Floor Company - Radiant Heating FAQ (http://www.radiantcompany.com/faq/)

And the answer is probably yes.

I'll add: You might need to raise the temperature of the hot water heater and provide a mixing valve for domestic hot water.

Regular hot water heaters both gas and electric have been successfully used for in floor heating and fan coil heating. Many of the new high efficiency water heaters will do the job at a reasonabe price but still far less in cost than a boiler.