We Will Cover The Types Of Radiant Floor Heating Systems
Principally you'll find three types of radiant floor heating systems: electric radiant floor systems; hot water or hydronics radiant floor systems, and radiant air floor systems (the heat is carried by an air medium);. Every one of these three types might be broken into smaller groups according to the form of installation: those that utilize the large thermal mass of a concrete slab floor or gypcrete concrete spanning a wooden subfloor (these are called "wet installations"); and those where the installer installs the radiant floor tubing in between layers of plywood or attaches the tubing on the underside of the finished floor or subfloor ("dry installations").
For the purpose of this article we shall focus on the hot water or hydronic radiant floor heating system.
Hydronic Radiant Floors
Hydronic (liquid) models include the most well liked and cost-effective radiant heating systems for areas with extended heating seasons. Hydronic radiant floor systems push heated water from the boiler through tubing laid in a pattern beneath the floor. In some systems, the temperature in each room is controlled by governing the flow of hot water through each tubing loop. This is accomplished utilizing a system of zoning valves or pumps and thermostats. The cost of installing a hydronic radiant floor varies by location and in many cases varies according to the size of the house, the sort of installation, the floor covering, remoteness around the site, and also the cost of labor.
So-called "wet" installations embed the cables or tubing in a solid floor and therefore are the oldest form of modern radiant floor systems. The tubing or cable is usually set in a thick concrete foundation slab frequently associated with slab style homes devoid of basement or basement and garage floors or in a thin layer of concrete, gypcrete, or other material placed on surface of a subfloor. If concrete is utilized and the new floor isn't on solid earth, additional floor support could be necessary because of the added weight. This can be a strong recommendation that you need to consult a professional engineer to work out the floor's carrying capacity.
Thick concrete slab systems have high heat capacity and are just the thing for storing heat from solar energy systems, which may have a fluctuating heat output in addition to geothermal heating sources or on demand tankless boilers. The down-side with the thick slabs is their slow thermal response time, which makes strategies just like night or daytime setbacks difficult if not impossible. Most experts recommend maintaining a consistent temperature in homes with one of these heating systems.
Thanks to recent innovations in floor technology, so-called "dry" floors, wherein the cables or tubing run inside an air space beneath the floor, have been gaining in popularity, considering that a dry floor is faster and cheaper to install. Keep in mind that since dry floors involve heating an air space, the radiant heating system has to operate within a higher temperature.
Some dry installations involve suspending the tubing or cables beneath the subfloor between the joists. This approach usually requires drilling through the floor joists to be able to install the tubing. Reflective insulation must also be installed underneath the tubes to direct the warmth upward. Tubing or cables could also be installed from above the floor, between two layers of subfloor. In these instances, liquid tubing is normally installed in aluminum diffusers that spread the water's heat throughout the floor in an effort to heat a floor more evenly. The tubing and also heat diffusers are secured between furring strips (sleepers), which carry the load from the new subfloor and finished floor surface.
At least one company Warmboard has improved on this idea by developing a plywood subfloor material manufactured with tubing grooves and aluminum heat diffuser plates included in them. The maker claims this product provides an impressive radiant floor system for new construction or remodeling projects considerably less expensive to install and faster to respond to room temperature changes. The Warmboard products also permit the utilization of half as much tubing since the heat transfer of the floor is greatly improved over more traditional dry or wet floors. You can learn more on my website where I do have installation videos on Warmboard and all sorts of other types of PEX radiant floor heating systems.
For the purpose of this article we shall focus on the hot water or hydronic radiant floor heating system.
Hydronic Radiant Floors
Hydronic (liquid) models include the most well liked and cost-effective radiant heating systems for areas with extended heating seasons. Hydronic radiant floor systems push heated water from the boiler through tubing laid in a pattern beneath the floor. In some systems, the temperature in each room is controlled by governing the flow of hot water through each tubing loop. This is accomplished utilizing a system of zoning valves or pumps and thermostats. The cost of installing a hydronic radiant floor varies by location and in many cases varies according to the size of the house, the sort of installation, the floor covering, remoteness around the site, and also the cost of labor.
So-called "wet" installations embed the cables or tubing in a solid floor and therefore are the oldest form of modern radiant floor systems. The tubing or cable is usually set in a thick concrete foundation slab frequently associated with slab style homes devoid of basement or basement and garage floors or in a thin layer of concrete, gypcrete, or other material placed on surface of a subfloor. If concrete is utilized and the new floor isn't on solid earth, additional floor support could be necessary because of the added weight. This can be a strong recommendation that you need to consult a professional engineer to work out the floor's carrying capacity.
Thick concrete slab systems have high heat capacity and are just the thing for storing heat from solar energy systems, which may have a fluctuating heat output in addition to geothermal heating sources or on demand tankless boilers. The down-side with the thick slabs is their slow thermal response time, which makes strategies just like night or daytime setbacks difficult if not impossible. Most experts recommend maintaining a consistent temperature in homes with one of these heating systems.
Thanks to recent innovations in floor technology, so-called "dry" floors, wherein the cables or tubing run inside an air space beneath the floor, have been gaining in popularity, considering that a dry floor is faster and cheaper to install. Keep in mind that since dry floors involve heating an air space, the radiant heating system has to operate within a higher temperature.
Some dry installations involve suspending the tubing or cables beneath the subfloor between the joists. This approach usually requires drilling through the floor joists to be able to install the tubing. Reflective insulation must also be installed underneath the tubes to direct the warmth upward. Tubing or cables could also be installed from above the floor, between two layers of subfloor. In these instances, liquid tubing is normally installed in aluminum diffusers that spread the water's heat throughout the floor in an effort to heat a floor more evenly. The tubing and also heat diffusers are secured between furring strips (sleepers), which carry the load from the new subfloor and finished floor surface.
At least one company Warmboard has improved on this idea by developing a plywood subfloor material manufactured with tubing grooves and aluminum heat diffuser plates included in them. The maker claims this product provides an impressive radiant floor system for new construction or remodeling projects considerably less expensive to install and faster to respond to room temperature changes. The Warmboard products also permit the utilization of half as much tubing since the heat transfer of the floor is greatly improved over more traditional dry or wet floors. You can learn more on my website where I do have installation videos on Warmboard and all sorts of other types of PEX radiant floor heating systems.
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