![]() ![]() Snowmelt systems can be both electrical or hydronic, with antifreeze added to circulating water. These systems work by heating snow-covered surfaces to 38 degrees, at which temperature, the precipitation evaporates.Ī radiant heating system is an effective way to clear a snow-covered pathway without tearing up decorative concrete, stone or brick. Called “snowmelt” systems, these radiant heat assemblies are embedded under sidewalks and driveways. Radiant heating systems are heating up outside homes, too. “Our product runs on AC, using a 24-volt transformer, or DC current, such as a solar- or wind-powered source.”Īn electrician should connect the system to the power source, and Irgens estimates the installation of STEP Warmfloor to cost between $11 and $15 per square foot. “STEP Warmfloor’s system cannot overheat because the black carbons in the plastic are semi-conductive to a maximum temperature of 85 degrees,” said Monica Irgens, president of the company. Louis, the product is a low-voltage polymer radiant heating system, which has thin wires that warm plastic, then radiates the heat at a temperature that is self-regulating. STEP Warmfloor is an innovative hybrid of an electric floor-warming system designed to heat an entire house. Bathroom floors can achieve a comfortable temperature in less than an hour and can be controlled by a programmable thermostat. These heating mats are designed to operate like an electric blanket under the floor. Electric mats or rolls are constructed of coils of heat-resistance wires that are joined to a supporting material. If a homeowner wants to take the chill off the floor in a small area, an electric heated-floor system under stone or tile can be a creature comfort and is a preferable retrofit in an existing home. But, Eatherton said, industry manufacturers are working to perfect radiant cooling systems coupled with air circulation. When the system is first turned on, floors may take a day to warm up to 75 degrees, but, once warmed, the heat is easily maintained.Ī detraction is that a radiant floor heating system might be considered a redundancy, since duct work for air conditioning is often standard in home construction. Above-ground applications using radiant floor heating should have double the amount of insulation in walls and attics to maximize the warming effect. Loops of PEX tubing can be embedded in a concrete basement or placed between the floor joists in upper floors. “When compared to forced-air heating systems, energy cost savings with radiant heat can average between 15 percent to 50 percent, depending on a home’s location and how well it is built and insulated.”Ī qualified plumber should be contracted to install a hydronic system with industry-estimated costs between $8 to $10 per square foot for new construction. “A hydronic radiant floor-heating system must be specially designed for each house, but minimally, you want at least one linear foot of tubing per square footage in the home,” he said. Eatherton says a hydronic radiant system is easier to install during new construction, as opposed to retrofitting a system into an existing home. Cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) tubing is a long-lasting, flexible pipe that carries heated water beneath the floor’s surface and doesn’t corrode.Ī boiler system heats the water, which is pumped through tubes in a closed-loop hydronic radiant floor system. The Radiant Professionals Alliance is a trade organization of 250 members that primarily works with hydronic (water) radiant floor-heating systems. While today’s radiant heating systems are much more sophisticated, they operate on the same physical principles of energy transference – the movement of heat from warm objects to colder ones. Used initially for bathhouses about 100 B.C., hypocausts were a common feature of stone houses in colder parts of the Roman Empire. The ancient Romans built hypocausts, which were floors raised on tile piers that were heated from beneath. ![]() Using radiant heat to create a warmer home isn’t new. “Technological advances and product innovations have stepped up interest in radiant heating.” “Radiant heat is an even heat, unlike a forced-air heating system, which can have pockets of warmed air,” he said.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |