How hydronic and radiant heating works in Haney, Maple Ridge homes, and what's involved in retrofitting it into older character housing.
Tell us what you need—we’ll call you back fast.
Quick answer
Hydronic heating uses a gas-fired boiler to circulate hot water through radiators or in-floor tubing rather than blowing heated air through ducts. In Haney's older character homes it's most often retrofitted as in-floor radiant during a basement or main-floor renovation, or kept running on the original cast-iron radiator system with upgraded controls.
Need a licensed gas fitter for your hot water / boiler? Call CANRO at (604) 359-1081 — residential natural-gas heating and hot water across Metro Vancouver since 1999.
A hydronic system heats water in a gas-fired boiler and pumps it through a closed loop of piping to radiators, baseboard convectors, or tubing embedded in a floor slab. Unlike forced-air furnaces, there's no ductwork and no moving air — heat radiates or convects from the emitters into the room. That tends to produce steadier, less drafty warmth, which is part of why so many older Haney homes still have their original cast-iron radiator systems decades after installation.
The boiler itself can be a standard atmospheric unit or a modern condensing boiler, which extracts more heat from the combustion gases before venting and typically runs at higher efficiency, particularly on milder days common through Maple Ridge's shoulder seasons.
Because Haney's housing stock skews older, most of the hydronic work we do here isn't new construction — it's adding in-floor radiant to a basement that's being finished, or replacing failing cast-iron radiators with modern low-profile panel radiators during a renovation. Basement slabs in homes from this era often need a bit of extra planning: floor height, insulation underneath the tubing, and whether the existing boiler has enough capacity to serve a new zone all factor into scope.
Hydronic heat has a slower response time than forced air — a room takes longer to warm up and longer to cool down, which is an advantage for steady comfort but means it doesn't react quickly to a sudden cold snap the way a furnace does. It also doesn't provide central air conditioning or air filtration on its own, so homes wanting cooling typically pair hydronic heat with a separate cooling solution rather than trying to combine it into one duct system.
| Factor | Hydronic (Radiant/Radiator) | Forced Air |
|---|---|---|
| Warm-up speed | Slower, steadier | Faster response |
| Air movement/dust | None from heating itself | Circulates air through ducts |
| Zoning | Naturally zoneable by loop/radiator | Needs dampers to zone |
| Cooling | Not included; separate system needed | Can share ductwork with AC |
A full new hydronic boiler installation in this region typically runs $6,500 to $14,000 or more depending on boiler size, number of zones, and how much existing piping can be reused — that's a ballpark, not a quote, and the final number depends on what's found once the mechanical room and existing piping are inspected. A licensed installer will check the condition of existing radiators or emitters, verify gas line sizing can support the new boiler, and confirm venting meets current code, since older Haney homes sometimes have venting installed under standards that have since changed.
Homeowners considering this kind of retrofit should budget time as well as money — because it touches flooring or wall cavities in an older home, a radiant retrofit is usually planned alongside other renovation work rather than as a standalone weekend project.
Safety note
Any work on gas piping, the burner, the venting, or the combustion chamber must be done by a Technical Safety BC licensed gas fitter. If you ever smell gas (a rotten-egg odour) or suspect a carbon monoxide problem, leave the home immediately and call FortisBC's emergency line at 1-800-663-9911 from a safe location before calling anyone else.
Yes, this is one of the more common retrofits we do — a new zone is added to the existing or a new boiler, with tubing embedded in the basement slab or an overlay system if the slab can't be excavated.
Not necessarily. Cast-iron radiators in good condition can often stay in service on a new high-efficiency boiler; they just need to be checked for leaks, corrosion, and proper valve function first.
A modern condensing boiler can be very efficient, but the comparison depends on the specific equipment and how the system is set up. What matters more day-to-day is that hydronic heat tends to feel steadier with fewer temperature swings.
Yes, zone valves paired with a standard or smart thermostat give room-by-room or zone-by-zone control, similar in convenience to a forced-air system, just without the ductwork.
A single new zone in an existing basement might take a few days; a full system replacement with new zoning can take longer, especially if piping needs to be rerouted through finished spaces.
Family-run, TSBC-licensed (gas LGA0043870 · boiler LBP0046450), serving Metro Vancouver homes since 1999. Residential, natural gas only.
Call (604) 359-1081 Email info@canroheat.ca“Canro does an amazing job! Super professional and skilled with everything—boilers, furnaces, and AC. Always a pleasure working with them!”
“Five stars for Canro. We needed a replacement of a 30-year-old boiler. A new high-efficiency unit was installed—clean, professional work.”
“I can’t speak highly enough about George, who was recommended for a boiler service call for my parents’ home. George is excellent.”
25+ years keeping Metro Vancouver homes comfortable. Honest advice, upfront pricing, work that lasts.