You can save energy and create a healthier more comfortable living environment by having the floor itself distribute the heat from the ground up via a radiant in floor heating system.
Concrete floor heat boiler systems.
How does radiant heat work.
Due to it s density and low conductivity concrete retains heat very well.
There s two basic types of concrete floor heating hydronic and electric.
These wires are often sold on a pre assembled mat which makes it.
This is the best choice for new construction and areas receiving new slabs.
Basic materials for radiant floor heat installation in a slab.
For concrete floor radiant heating systems the warm water tubing or electric heating elements can either be embedded within the slab on grade anywhere from the bottom of the slab to within 2 inches of the surface depending on the design and installation technique or fastened to the top of a concrete subfloor and then covered with an overlay.
The workers in the photograph at page top where our concrete slab.
Embedding your radiant heating system into a concrete slab is one of the most cost effective ways to install it and most energy efficient being that concrete is a great thermal mass.
The most cost effective system for medium to larger homes is hydronic since the amount of power it would take to heat a whole home with electric would be substantial.
Both provide heating in a room from the floor up for consistent efficient warmth.
Electric radiant underfloor systems use electronic cables that run under the floor to give off heat.
They re ideal for whole house heating but professionals suggest installing them during the home s construction because they can be difficult to retrofit if the home isn t already outfitted with the proper equipment.
Radiant heating system design or installation mistakes that must be avoided.
Remember since you will only have 1 chance to pour the concrete slab you will only have 1 chance to put the pex tubing in it.
Since most conventional boilers are designed to produce super hot water 185 degrees radiant floor company builds what we call split manifolds for multiple zone closed systems that use radiant floor heat in combination with standard baseboard radiators fan coils cast iron radiators or any other hydronic heating device that requires super hot temperatures.
Warm water systems run hot water through pipes to create heat whereas electric underfloor heating heats wiring beneath the floor to generate heat.
This article explains how to avoid some fatal mistakes when installing radiant heat in a concrete floor slab by describing an incompetent radiant heat floor installation along with an explanation of why things went wrong and how to avoid these errors.
Heating your home with a forced air furnace isn t your only option when you have concrete floors.