Hydronic Heat

Step 2:  Identify possible suppliers – assess their qualifications and match them up to your expectations.

The easiest way to do that in today’s world is to do an internet search for terms like: hydronic heat, hydronic floor heating, radiant heat, radiant floor heating, radiant design, etc.  You’ll find lots of possible suppliers in the first 10-30 listings and lots of free information about the way they approach radiant heating, the products they offer and usually the type of services they provide.

The tough part will be sifting through all that information to assess their qualifications.  You may want to contact a few of them by e-mail or phone to see what kind of process they go through with their customers.

Some people get hung up on price right about here, and that is understandable.  It is important to have a budgetary figure in mind early on.  Various suppliers have differing methods for approaching your project and working up bids.

They may be able to give you a rough price range, but the key concept at this point is to get a good idea of the product quality and level of service they offer.  This may be your radiant heating system someday – you probably don’t want the cheapest and you probably don’t want the most expensive.  Odds are, you’re looking for the best quality products at the best price with the level of service that best suits your level of ability – in other words, you’re looking for the best value.

So, after some initial research – ask some questions, see what kind of vibe you get from the company website and your salesperson.  You’re looking for the company that offers the products and services that fit you the best.

If you need some help with YOUR hydronic heat project – feel free to contact me above with your questions.

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In a hydronic heat slab on grade installation – radiant tubing is attached to re-bar or 6×6 wire re-mesh with plastic ties and embedded in cement. In residential installations, a 4 inch slab is typical. Tubing can be installed in the lower half of the slab – spacing and height will vary by design. Slab insulation is recommended, but not always necessary.

The large thermal mass stabilizes temperature fluctuations, but can slow the response time. This is a very cost effective radiant installation method ahydronic heatrecommended whenever hydronic heat is desired and a cement slab is being poured.

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A hydronic heat overlay typically uses a 1 x 4 sleeper, although a 5/8 x 4 sleeper would work for 1/2″ PEX. The sleepers are attached to a slab or sub floor and radiant tubing is installed between the sleepers with or without metal plates.

Heat transfer plates enhance the evenness of the heat and accelerate the output. They may also add significantly to the overall costs.

This method is an excellent way thydronic heatronic heat to existing construction.

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hydronic heat16″ height=”162″ />In a hydronic heat staple-up system the radiant piping is attached to the underside of the sub floor by way of staples, j-hooks or metal plates. Insulation is recommended, but not always necessary.

A good rule of thumb would be 3-4 times the r-value below the tubing as above. R-values are cumulative, so if you have a sub floor with floor coverings that have a cumulative r-value of 3 – you should have at least r-9 to r-12 below your radiant tubing.

Staple-up systems may need to run at a higher temperature, it will depend on your radiant designer.

This method is often used in retrofits where joists are accessible as well as many new construction project. The benefits to this hydronic heat installation method are a low materials cost – it is however a more labor intensive installation.

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