Hydronic Heat

Step One: Gain a basic understanding of hydronic heat and radiant heating - determine if this is a project you can do yourself or what level of installation assistance you may need.

Concepts you may need to be familiar with:

* PEX Tubing installed in a concrete slab on grade
* PEX Tubing installed in a topping slab
* PEX Tubing installed in a thin-slab on Subfloor
* PEX Tubing attached below a Subfloor
* PEX Tubing attached with heat transfer plates below a Subfloor
* Engineered Subfloor with metal and tubing grooves
* Above-floor boards with metal and grooves
* Lumber overlay method with or without plates

You can also find a simplified overview in our “radiant basics” article series.

Take some time to study - do the research, it will pay off in the end.  At this point, you’re trying to determine if a do-it-yourself approach is feasible for you.

Here are some factors that may come into play:

Budget - A complete radiant system installed by a professional may cost anywhere from $8 to $15 per square foot.  Other DIY approaches can run as low as $2 and as high as $10 per square foot.  It will be up to you to determine how much of the work you’re willing and able to do and how much you’re willing to invest in your radiant project.

Time - The more you choose to do yourself, the more time you’ll have invested in your project.  The upside is - you’ll save money and when you’re finished, you’ll be able to enjoy the benefits of a radiant system - for less.

Ability/Aptitude - Some people have a knack for DIY projects, some people have less of a knack.  As part of your research, you’ll be able to get a good idea of what’s involved and what’s expected.  When selecting your radiant heating system supplier, you’ll need to find out what kind of support they offer.  If they’re not local, you may need to identify a local mechanical or plumbing contractor who would be willing to assist you with your hydronic heat project.

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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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