Effective Design Of A Radiant Floor Heating System

For hydronic underfloor radiant heating systems the systematic design process can be described as a 12 step program beginning with the heat loss and ending with the head loss.

Effective design of a radiant floor heating system. Most underfloor heating systems can keep the floor as warm as 85 degrees. How does radiant heat work. Radiant floor heating systems are known for being quiet. Unlike forced air systems there isn t a loud furnace that kicks on.

All the necessary components of a well engineered and efficient hydronic radiant floor system are explained in a straight forward and non technical manner. 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. Therefore you won t hear anything while they re on.

This topic is part of our p rofessional development curriculum. 5 the turkish bath system for floor heating can be very effective if using convective air transfer in a large thermal mass floor. Ceramic tile is the most common and effective floor covering for radiant floor heating because it conducts heat well and adds thermal storage. There are two types of radiant floor heating electric and water based systems.

Common floor coverings like vinyl and linoleum sheet goods carpeting or wood can also be used but any covering that insulates the floor from the room will decrease the efficiency of the system. There s two basic types of concrete floor heating hydronic and electric. The second section gets down to the nitty gritty details of actual radiant floor installations. You can set the temperature to whatever feels most comfortable to you.

Due to it s density and low conductivity concrete retains heat very well. Radiant floor systems have a limited heat output. The floor heating cables of these two most popular brands take the pie for being the best electric radiant floor heating cables. The first part contains a general overview of radiant heat and it s various applications.

Sun touch is a technologically driven product preferred by tech savvy users while heatwave s cables are greatly easy to install. If you are new to radiant heat our design and construction manual is a must read this manual provides a wealth of general information about radiant heat. When using thermal solar collectors to heat the air it is even possible to get seasonal heat storage in large thermal masses in masonry floors and the dirt rock beneath them. Slab insulation methods calculating heat loss tubing options system options and much more all written in easy to understand language for the homeowner with pictures and diagrams.