DISTRIBUTING HEAT FOR LIQUID SYSTEMS

DISTRIBUTING HEAT FOR LIQUID SYSTEMS

You can use a radiant floor, hot water baseboards or radiators, or a central forced-air system to distribute the solar heat. In a radiant floor system, solar-heated liquid circulates through pipes embedded in a thin concrete slab floor, which then radiates heat to the room. Radiant floor heating is ideal for liquid solar systems because it performs well at relatively low temperatures. A carefully designed system may not need a separate heat storage tank, although most systems include them for temperature control. A conventional boiler or even a standard domestic water heater can supply back-up heat. The slab is typically finished with tile. Radiant slab systems take longer to heat the home from a "cold start" than other types of heat distribution systems