Mechanical room contains sump w/radon vent pipe, air-to-air heat exchanger, manifold for in-floor heating system. A high efficiency modulating gas boiler which provides space heating and domestic hot water.
The in-floor heating system manifold makes it possible to zone different areas of the home, each with its own thermostat. The gas fired boiler is 98% efficient in the space-heating mode, 95% efficient when heating domestic hot water.
In-floor radiant tubing in place prior to pouring thin concrete slab. This slab will also act as a thermal mass in this passive solar designed home. Tile will be the finished surface on the slab. Tubing could supply solar-heated hydronic fluid or conventional boiler fired water.
Pouring a thin slab between wood sleepers in an application where wood flooring will be the final finished layer of flooring. The concrete will also serve as a thermal mass in this passive solar design.
Air-to-air heat exchanger exhausts stale indoor air and supplies fresh make-up air. As the air is exhausted, the exchanger extracts 75% of the heat available and circulates it back through the home.
Controls in moisture producing areas like bathrooms and kitchens allow you to over-ride the automatic air circulation system and rapidly exhaust moisture from those areas by closing other dampers to increase the flow rate from the bathroom or kitchen.
Ground water heat pump installation which extracts heat from six 600’ loops of piping buried in an 8’ deep trench underground. Although this particular installation is very efficient because it runs only on off-peak electricity, the installation costs of heat pump systems remain relatively high. Heat extracted by the compressor is delivered to the home through a radiant in-floor tubing system in a thin slab just like a solar or conventional boiler system.
Central vacuum system removes dust and dirt to a remote unit where it can be emptied. It does not re-circulate filtered air like portable types and it is quieter because the power unit is in the basement mechanicals room.