HVAC for addition to house

[Shann]

SWMBO has decided that we are building an addition to our house. It will be an exercise room and dog room and all around extra space. Because of the dogs and the treadmill we are probably going to do a slab and polished\finished concrete floor. We were thinking about hydronic radiant heating to deal with the heat obviously, but also the fact that a concrete floor can be cold.

However, I got thinking about a mini-split ductless HVAC "heat pump" because it would likely be cheaper and I am not yet sure whether our oil boiler can do another zone. Also, the benefit is that the AC would be built in and I wouldn't have to worry about another ugly window unit.

Just under 400 square feet and we are in VT, so not clear to me that a heat pump will be effective in the cold climate as the temperature in the winter is usually way below freezing and several days of below zero temp per year. The heat pump wouldn't be our primary heating system for the house, but the room would be closed off for the dogs during the day.

I have been surfing the net but would like to hear from anyone who has gone either route or can point me in the right direction.

As always, appreciate the input.

 

[Sid Post]

Skip the heat pump. It will be expensive and ineffective for your application. In floor/foundation heating will be a good winter time feature for you. You can drive it with either electricity or a separate "furnace". While you obviously don't want the unsightliness of another window A/C unit, it is going to be the most cost effective for you.

With sufficient financial resources, you can make anything work. For me, cost effective simplicity is where it's at these days.

 

[Alnamvet68]

HVAC heat pump outside, a small unit is all you need, for those rare and relatively short and rare hot summers, and a Vermont Castings wood or pellet burning stove for those long and common cold winters. The stove will complement the heating portion of your HVAC, and more often than not, the stove itself is more than enough for the space you have.

 

[mete]

Heat pumps aren't enough when the temperature outside is less than 20 F.
Plastic tubing it the concrete will do the best job. As the floor is heated the temperature seems warmer than it actually is !

 

[Shann]

For cost considerations it looks like a window unit AC and regular old baseboard hot water like the rest of the house is going to be the best option. Our budget is not small, but on the other hand these seem sensible options.