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Advantages
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Comfort - Warm at the floor and coolest near the ceiling. No drafts.
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Energy Efficient - Save up to 30% over forced air. Set thermostat 6-8
degrees lower and still feel warm. |
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Quiet - No fans or blowers. |
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Clean - Less dust movement. Ideal for people with allergies. |
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Invisible - Out of sight plus no restrictions on the placement of
furniture. |
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Safety - Dry floors in shops, garages and warehouses. |
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Flooring - Works well with a wide variety of carpet and flooring. |
What is hydronic radiant floor?
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It is an energy efficient heating system that works
by circulating hot water through tubes in or under the floor. |
How is radiant heat different
from other types of heating?
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The majority of heating systems in use are forced
air with duct by convection. They heat the air, and then the air
circulates around and heats the objects in the room.
The best example of radiant heat is the sun. It
gives off electromagnetic waves that travel through space without
heating it. Only when the waves strike an object, like your face, the
waves are transformed into the heat you feel. Radiant heat works like
that. It produces heat when waves strike the objects in the room. The
objects then heat the air. |
Are many people using this type of heat?
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Radiant is the fastest growing type of heat in the
United States and has been used extensively in Europe for some time. |
Why are so many people utilizing
radiant heat?
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Several reasons. Probably the most common reason is
comfort. The heat is closest to the floor where it is needed most. The
Chart below shows the differences in room temperatures with radiant
floor and forced air. |
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Notice the temperature range difference with forced
air heat. Plus, no fans or blowers make radiant floor quiet and clean!
No excessive dust or noise! |
What about efficiency?
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Savings over forces air can be over 30%. This is
partially due to the fact that the heat stays closer to the floor and
less heat is lost through the ceiling. Plus, many people set their
thermostats 6 8 degrees cooler and still feel warm. |
What types buildings is radiant heat used
in?
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Radiant floor heat can be used in many different
applications.
Residential
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New Construction |
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Additions |
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Remodeling |
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Garages |
Commercial
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Repair Shops & Utility Sheds |
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Greenhouses |
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Airplane Hangars |
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Snowmelt |
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How does radiant floor
compare with overhead convectors?
Radiant floor has many advantages
over convectors
Appearance & Cleaning radiant floor is out of sight. No cleaning
required.
More heat is on the floor and under machinery.
Never worry about burning off the top of tall equipment. |
How about heat loss when I open my overhead doors?
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Since the heat is in the floor, it is affected less
by overhead doors than hot air unit heaters would be. Your entire slab
plus the objects in your building are warm, so when the door is closed
these objects are immediately radiating heat. With a hot air system most
of the air is lost and the system has to basically start over. |
Do I need to insulate under
the slab?
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Yes, definitely. Unlike hot air,
which rises, radiant heat goes in all directions. You should have a
minimum of 2 perimeter insulation as will as a minimum of 1 under the
slab. |
Does the tubing go directly into
the concrete?
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There are basically three different methods for
putting the tubing in or under the slab. Insulation recommended is
closed cell polystyrene in a minimum of 1 thickness. Vapor barrier is a
6 mil plastic. |
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Tubing is tied to rerod and is installed in the
center of the concrete. Tubing is attached to the rerod with plastic
ties. |
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Tubing is attached to insulation with screw clops
and installed at the bottom of the concrete. |
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Tubing is placed in approximately 2 of sand below
the concrete slab. It is attached with screw clips to the insulation.
All three of these systems work equally well.
Choose whichever system is easiest to layout for your situation. Placing
the tubing in the sand may make it easier to trowel concrete because the
water can go into the sand. |
In a shop or garage, how do I finish the transition
between floor and foundation?
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You can install the insulation about an inch below
the surface so the concrete will float over it or you can cut the edge
on a 45-degree angle. |
Can I install the tubing on
upper floors?
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Of course. There are many different methods of installing
tubing on subfloors. It is very important to have the right amount of
tubing and proper layout for these types of installations. |
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Tubing is attached to the top of the wood subfloor.
Lightweight concrete or gypsum is poured over it. Finish flooring or
carpeting is installed over concrete. |
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Wood
strips or sleepers are glued and nailed to the subfloor. Tubes are
placed between the sleepers. Gaps between sleepers can be filled with
sand to increase heat-holding capacity. The floor is then covered with a
plywood cover sheet. Finish flooring or carpeting is installed over
plywood cover |
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Tubing is
attached to joists underneath the subfloor. By installing the tubing on
the sides of the joists, tubing damage can be avoided from nails or
screws placed in the floor.
Installing
the tubing between the joists is the least desirable method of
installation. There is no mass to hold the heat and radiate from. The
R-Value of the floor covering becomes very critical with this method.
Its also more difficult to install. |
How much insulation do I need
under the sub-floor?
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Generally, if the floor is over an
unheated basement use R-19. If the floor is over a heated basement use
R-13. When installing over a crawl space use R-30. |
Can I use a water heater to heat
my building?
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This is a popular idea and may work
for you bur it depends on how much heat your building requires. Water
heaters are limited on BTU output. Sunburst Sales can run a heat loss
calculation for your project. From this, we can advise you of your
needs. |
What parts do I need to do the job?
Tubing
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We recommend keeping the maximum
length for each loop between 250 -300 feet when using 1/2" ID
PEX-AL-PEX. A large area will require several
loops. |
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Protective Sleeve
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These are the distribution points from
the heat source. Ideally they are centrally located in you building.
Return manifolds have built in balancing valves. |
Adapters
These are used to connect the
tubing to the manifold.
Manifold Mounting Bracket
Use to mount manifolds to the
wall.
Pump
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Sunburst Sales handles Taco and Grundfos
brand pumps. We have several different models and sizes. The most common
pump for radiant floor applications is a zone circulator, which has a
low voltage relay built in. It can be wired directly to your wall
thermostat. |
Isolation
Pump Flanges
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These flanges have built in ball valves,
that can be turned off with an Allen wrench, so that you can remove the
pump without draining the system. |
Air
pressurizing Assembly
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This attaches to the return manifold. It will allow you
to put pressure into the tubing before you pour concrete. It also helps
to bleed air out of the system when it is being filled. |
House Wall Thermostat
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This unit will connect directly to the zone circulating pump.
Every zone requires a separate thermostate. |
What type of tubing is used?
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Sunburst Sales uses
Pex-Al-Pex. Pex-Al-Pex is a cross-linked polyethylene (PEX) tubing with
an aluminum oxygen barrier. The tubing is going to be in your floor
forever, so we believe in using the best product available. The unique
construction of the Pex-Al-Pex tube combines the best of both metal and
plastic. |
How do I get help with my project?
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Call, mail or fax your information
to us. We can work off your blueprint or a sketch. We need to know
dimensions and some basic information like room sizes etc. Fill out the
Radiant Floor Worksheet
and submit it to us. Based on your information, we will provide you with a detailed list of recommended components and
the price delivered to your door. |
How do I order?
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