Heating with gas

[315wall]

I've been using my hot water tank and a separate pump to pull hot water through a loop of plex back to the hot water tank for about 10 years on my 315 tank. Its very stable and hardly noticeable on my gas bill. I was running multiple heaters almost all day long to keep it at temperature in both the summer and winter.

 

[salty joe]

If I had radiant heat, I'd have run a dedicated zone to my tank in a heartbeat. Instead, I set up a mini boiler system with a tankless water heater. So much cheaper than electricity.
The issues I have with using a regular water heater are if/when the water heater fails, the tank will keep calling for heat but will keep getting cold water. It could strip the tank of heat in short order. The other potential problem is the possibility of introducing harmful organisms to the house water.

 

[Ocelaris]

You know, I wonder if a lot of the energy spent heating tanks would be better spent insulating the house. I spray foamed the rim joist around the basement and glued/anchored 2" pink foam around the basement cement walls. I have in two years only used the heaters once. Just saying that if you're building new construction, insulation and air sealing is a no brainer. Also, I have no bugs in the basement which is a nice bonus.

 

[salty joe]

Yep, I agree The downside is accumulation of CO2.
My biggest regret is not installing a vent for the stove when I built. I recently tried to talk my wife into an electric oven, she said no way.
When she does a lot of cooking, the pH drops like a rock.

 

[Ocelaris]

I put a relatively cheap hrv by Panasonic in the basement, and that helped quite a bit. Just requires a single 5" hole in the exterior. But combined with a 3/4" line (20') to the skimmer and I'm in good shape. I have recently installed a 4" duct for make up air in the boiler room which essentially stays open most of the winter with the boiler going. I still leave the windows in the basement open when I can and get a very small bump in pH, which means to me the hrv and skimmer intake are doing a decent job. Plus the kalkwasser reactor doesn't hurt.

When I replace the stove exhaust I will definitely be trying to fit a make up air vent.