Hydronic Cooling

Hydronic Cooling – What!?

Think with a bit of planning, hydronic heating can also be hydronic cooling.

Water can absorb more than 3000 times as much heat energy as the same volume of air. As a passive cooling agent this is a spectacular way to keep a cool 18 degrees inside temp on those hot days.

Surface Cooling

The same floor networks can transport cool water throughout your house in a passive kind of effect.

This is really where you are glad you powered your system with a heat pump. A new generation heat pump will have no problem working in reverse, cooling the water and pumping it through your hydronic system. It is important to note that surface cooling is not recommended below 18ºC to prevent airborne water vapour condensing on or in the slab. The point at which this happens in known as the Dew point.

More Active – Fans

Generally, radiators are not recommended but there are some models now that can comfortably be used to heat and cool. Fan convectors, that utilize convection to draw air across pipes circulating cool water.

Fan powered radiator units can be run at much lower temperatures (down to 5°C) and are designed to cope with condensation – the Dew point – that happens at these lower temperatures.