About radiant floor heating systems

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 Radiant heating systems work largely on radiant heat transfer, which is also known as infrared radiation.  Radiant heat transfer is the direct delivery of heat from a hot surface, such as floor tiles, to objects and individuals in a room.  Another example of radiant heating is the warmth that is felt across the room from a hot stovetop. 

Radiant heating can be installed as continuous PEX also known as cross-linked polyethylene tubing under the flooring, which will then circulates hot water, providing heat throughout the house.  On a larger scale, radiant heating can also be used to heat a swimming pool or to keep sidewalks and driveways free of ice in the winter.

 Another method of installing radiant heat is by using electric panels that are installed in the walls, floors, or ceilings, providing heat to the occupants of the room.

Radiant heating offers several advantages including that it is energy efficient, does not require ductwork or vents, which makes it clean and hypoallergenic. 

Hydronic radiant heating systems require little electricity, therefore they provide the added benefit for homes and business in areas with increased electricity prices.  In addition, hydronic systems can use a variety of different energy sources for heating, such as gas- or oil-fired boilers, wood-fired boilers, and even solar power water heaters.

The answer to that question is yes—However, carpet and carpet padding is designed to be thermal insulators.  Therefore, you cannot use carpeting over a floor cooling system, as the use of carpeting will drastically reduces the ability of the system to properly cool the floors as well as the room. 

Radiant floor heating, however, can work well with carpeting, though it does have some limitations.  If you plan to use carpet, then the designer/installer of the radiant heat system must be aware of this prior to designing your system.  In addition, they also must be skilled in using carpet with radiant systems so that they will be able to design and install a system, which will over come the limitations placed on it by the carpeting.

The insulation value or otherwise know as the R-value is often higher for the carpet pad than for the carpet, even though the thickness of the carpet will have an affect on the R-value of carpet.  In addition, the R-value of the carpet pad can also vary depending on the materials from which it was made.  Therefore, in order to design the proper radiant heating system that can work with the type of carpet and padding you have selected, your designer/installer has to know and understand about the different thickness as well as the different materials carpet is made from and then have the knowledge to properly guide you with your selection.

Many older homes used radiant baseboard heaters as their sole heat source. These baseboard heaters are not the same as the forced-air baseboard heaters and should not be confused with temporary baseboard heating systems, which you simply plugged into an outlet. Radiant baseboard heaters are metal units that contain electrical elements and work in the same way as radiant underfloor heating systems and ceiling systems. However there are several drawbacks to these older units as they do not contain sensors, which monitor the room’s temperature, therefore the temperature must be controlled manually. In addition, these older models do not display the room’s current temperature and are often more expensive to operate than running a furnace. For this reason many homeowners replace these older systems, often with modern underfloor radiant heating systems.
 
 If you are planning to install your new radiant heating system yourself or if you plan to remove your older system yourself before having a professional contractor install the newer system, then the following should help you with your project.
 
 **WARNING: Standard electrical wiring was often used in older homes to supply 220-volt current. With this type of electrical wiring, both the black and white wires
 carry current.
 
 How to remove your old radiant baseboard heater:
 
 1. Turn OFF the power at the circuit breaker box. DO NOT attempt to remove the heaters while the current is still on.
 2. Unscrew and remove all of the retaining screws.
 3. Carefully, pull the heater from the wall. If the heater has been painted or sealed to the wall, you may have to use a box cutter to carefully cut away at the
 paint so that you do not damage your drywall.
 4. Once the heaters have been pulled away from the wall, cut the wires as close to the heater as possible, then place wire nuts on the ends of the wires coming out
 of the wall for added safety.
 5. Next, carefully remove the your trim and baseboard from the area around the heater.
 6. Depending on the type of remodeling you are planning to do, and whether or not a professional contractor will be installing your new system at this point you may
 or may not repair the baseboard heater cutout in the drywall.
 7. Because the newer system that you will be installing will have a high-voltage, be sure to follow all of the manufacturer’s instructions carefully and precisely.

When considering radiant floor heating, I asked quite a number of questions. I also received a lot of information from contractors and distributors that I didn’t realize or had thought about asking. The following is a list of several helpful tips to help you when considering installing radiant floor heating.

The sooner you decide to install radiant floor heating in your home, especially if you are renovating or building, the better as this will eliminate having to change floor plans once construction has started. Before you begin construction, you have to go over your house plans and decide where you want to install your radiant heating, the type of system you want to install and if you plan to use a concrete slab system (wet installation) or if you want to install the radiant heaters directly under the floor (dry installation). By planning ahead, you will save on time, labor, and cost.

By hiring a professional contractor, to install your radiant heating system may cost you more than doing it yourself, but it will eliminate the stress of having to install the system yourself. In addition, many times, if you have a professional contractor install your system, they will guarantee their work. However, if you do decide to do it yourself, then you will need to draw to-scale an exact layout of where you plan to install the radiant tubes/ cables. If you plan to install radiant heating throughout your home, then you should consider the placement of the tubing/ cables depending on areas or zones that will be controlled by thermostats. This will enable you to turn back temperatures in rooms where less heat is required and increasing the heat in rooms that need it.

If you are going to use a concrete with your radiant heating, then radiant heating systems which can be installed in thinset or in only a layer of concrete are simpler to install than those which require multiple layers. In addition, to ensure that you get the most out of your radiant heating try to avoid using high thermal resistance floor coverings for your finished flooring. This would include extremely thick plush carpets and pads. They are great insulators against the cold, but they will also make your heating system extremely ineffective as well.

One reason many people like radiant heating systems is because they are virtually unnoticeable, with the only indication that you even have one being the temperature controls or thermostats. If you want to keep your system completely hidden, then you may want to hide your thermostats and controls in a secluded out of the way closet as radiant flooring works by sensor located in the flooring to measure a room’s temperature, so the thermostats and controls can be placed nearly anywhere.

Radiant heating systems are virtually maintenance free. The key word here is “virtually,” this means that you will still need to purchase some extra supplies to ensure that your system is always in excellent working order. If you have a hydronic system, to make it more efficient and to reduce your energy cost even more, you may want to purchase and install some radiant barrier insulation, which will reflect the heat it produces instead of allowing it to escape. To install the barrier, you simple wrap it around the boiler.

If you are planning to install hardwood flooring over your radiant heat, consider purchasing radiant floor panels. These panels are specifically designed for use with hardwood floorboards so that they will provide you with the most heat and will not harm your beautiful hardwood floors.

Radiant floor heating has so many benefits that once you have it installed, you’ll be glad that you made the decision.

When you see or read the term “dry system” in association with radiant flooring, this means then that the radiant heat system was installed beneath a finished floor without concrete or gypsum material poured over the radiant heat tubing.  Dry systems are usually installed in circumstances where concrete or flooring material cannot be poured.  Dry radiant systems can be installed either with the radiant floor tubing above the floor which is when it is placed between two layers of plywood, or below floor where it is placed under the subfloor. 

Hydronic radiant floor systems provide heat by pumping hot water through tubing located in loops beneath the finished flooring material.  As the hot water flows through the tubing, it heats the surrounding air and flooring material, which radiates the heat directly to objects in the room. 

For systems installed above floor, the system is sandwiched above the sub floor and below the finished flooring material.  Often, this system employ grooved wood panels that are installed beneath the finished floor and secures the system’s tubing.  Manufacturers of the panels claim that it can be used with a variety of floor coverings, including ceramic and marble tile, vinyl, wood, and carpeting.

Below floor systems, are installed beneath the subfloor and involve attaching the system’s tubing to the underside of the subfloor either by suspending the tubing from the subfloor or with the aid of special brackets.  This is a very popular system for retrofits, as it does not involve the tearing up of the existing flooring material.  In addition, it also cost less to install than the above floor systems.  However, the below floor systems do require a higher source temperature in order to perform consistently to that of an above floor system.

When retrofitting a home using an above floor system, it can be very costly as well as time consuming.  The existing finished flooring will have to be removal, however if you were planning to replace your existing flooring anyway, then this be an option for you to consider.  The installation of a below floor system will require the drilling of holes through the floor joists so that the tubing can be installed through. 

Dry hydronic systems both above and below installations have been credited for saving homeowners approximately 20% to 40% on their heating bills.  Hydronic radiant heating is energy efficient, quite, virtually maintenance free, hypoallergenic, and does not require any ductwork.  If you are building or renovating your current home, consider installing a hydronic radiant heating system.

When building our home, I wanted radiant heat. I also wanted hardwood floors. What I wanted, however, our builder did not, nor would not provide. The reason for this was that the radiant floor heating systems that have been around for more than 40 years, ran at higher temperatures, which caused hardwood floors to expand and contract excessively, resulting in permanent damage to the hardwood floors. Today, however, in-floor radiant heating systems can be installed over the finest of hardwood flooring. However, it must be noted that the temperature of the radiant floor heating system is not what harms the wood floor, but the drastic change in moisture, which can cause various hardwood flooring to warp, cup, or gap. This is because, as the temperature increases the moisture in the wood decreases, thus causing the wood to contract. However, if an adequate amount of moisture is maintained in the home, then this is not a problem.

The contractor installing your hardwood floors, and the contractor installing your radiant heating systems, should be aware of, and also inform you of any and all special considerations required in using radiant heat with hardwood floors, so that you can receive the maximum use and enjoyment from both. If neither contractor informs you of any special considerations or recommendations, you should inquire about them. In order for your radiant heat and hardwood floors to work together successfully, they need a particular amount of moisture. Therefore, you have to make sure that the contractor installing your hardwood flooring has and uses a moisture meter, which measures the moisture content in both the concrete and wood floor materials, then calculates the percentage of relative humidity.

With wood flooring, having too much moisture can be as bad as having too little moisture. Before installing your hardwood flooring, you also have to allow the material to acclimate to the room. Therefore, please place the open boxes of your hardwood flooring material in the room where it will be installed for at least 72 hours so that it can acclimate to the finished room. When installing hardwood flooring over radiant floor heating, always use a moisture barrier, which will help to maintain an even moisture balance in the floor. You can also expect to see seasonal expanding and contracting of the wood, which is quite normal. In addition, when installing your hardwood flooring it is vital that the hardwood board or planks be placed perpendicular to the tubing and not parallel. Moisture is the key to installing good hardwood flooring over radiant heat. Therefore, try to maintain a comfortable low constant temperature. Once you walk on your warm hardwood floors, you’ll be so glad that you decided to use radiant floor heating.

If you are planning to install radiant floor heating in new construction or renovation, then you have several options to choose from.  The following is a list of things you must consider to help you decide which design option is best for you and your home. 

Step One:  You have to determine what type of fuel/ energy source you have or will use such as electric, gas, oil, etc.  In addition, you have to determine if you will be installing an electric or water (hydronic) systems.

Step Two:  You’ll need to determine if your installation will be ‘wet,’ this means that the cables/tubing are embedded in a concrete slab or lightweight concrete/ thinset or if your installation will be ‘dry,’ meaning attached to subfloor or sandwiched between the sub-flooring and a layer of gypsum-cement.  The method of installation will you choose may depend on if this is new construction or if you are renovating an existing home, the type of finish floor, energy costs in your area, and your budget.

It is important to understand the importance of the concrete or gypsum-cement sub-flooring.  Both have a high thermal mass, which retains heat, and very slowly releases that heat, which is important to the radiant floor heating system.

Step Three:  At this point you have to determine how many zones or areas you want.  This is so that you can separately change the temperature in these areas such as the bedroom, kitchen, bathroom, or living room.

Step Four:  Now that you have determined your source of energy, installation, and number of zones, your next step is to decided if you will be doing this project yourself of if you will be hiring a contractor.  Before you decide that you will do this your self, you must take into consideration the amount of time you have per day to devote to this project, your experience, and what inconveniences this will cause.  Keep in mind this is not a project that you will be able to roll out of bed, read the paper, then start the project, and be finished before dinnertime.  To do it your self this will take several days if not a week, depending on your skill level.  If you decide to hire a contractor, make sure that they are qualified to install a radiant heating system.  Make sure that you check the contractor’s references.

By doing your research, and determining what type of radiant floor heating system you want, you will almost certainly get the type of radiant flooring you need.