Step 3: Analyze your project requirements - determine your project needs and address any initial concerns:

To properly analyze your hydronic heat project requirements you’ll need to know or be able to provide the following information - or your supplier will need to be able to figure it out for you.

Heat Load Estimate - Heat Source Sizing

To insure that your radiant floor heat system will do the job - your system needs to be designed to put out more BTU’s per hour than your structure can lose.  There are a few different ways to approach a heat loss estimate.  Sometimes the architect does one as part of the floor plan - you may need to look to a mechanical engineer or your radiant system designer.

Factors that come into play include the climate at your construction site - insulation values for walls, ceilings, windows and doors - and domestic hot water usage.

Hydronic Heating Installation Methods Include:

* Tubing installed in a concrete slab on grade
* Tubing installed in a topping slab
* Tubing installed in a thin-slab on Subfloor
* Tubing attached below a Subfloor
* 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

See our “radiant basics” category page for a brief overview of these methods.

Your radiant heat system design will need to take into account the method by which your tubing will be installed.  In some cases, more than one method will work, and that means you and your system designer will have to decide which methods are right for your project.

Tubing Spacing

This will be determined by the heat loss estimate and your method of tubing installation.  Some suppliers will provide you with a customized tubing layout with spacing and loop length guidelines.  This can be an invaluable service to a first-time radiant installer and opens the door for novice do-it-yourselfers to install their own radiant system - and get it right the first time.

Operating Temperature

This will be affected by all of the above factors.  Your system designer should be able to give you the design temperature range for your system.  In some cases, further tweaking may be necessary once your system is up and running.

Fuel Type

You have several options: Natural Gas, Oil, Propane, Electric, Wood, Solar, Waste Oil, Bio-Diesel and a few other alternatives.  Your choice of heat sources may be determined by the type of fuel choices available at your site.

Zoning

Your system designer should be able to make zoning recommendations for you based on your plans.  If you have specific zoning requirements, let your designer know - they’re usually happy to accomodate those requests.

You may need custom radiant system design work and system submittal documentation - this will be important when it comes to your permit applications and sometimes your energy code/Title 24 paperwork as well.

If you’d like me to take a look at your hydronic heat project and provide an estimate, feel free to contact me through the contact form above…

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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.

Technorati Tags: effective radiant installation method, hydronic heat, hydronic slab, PEX tubing, radiant tubing, slab insulation, slab on grade, thermal mass

We’re creatures of comfort - I know, it’s a cliche` - but it’s true.  We spend a lot of time, effort and energy trying to get - and stay - comfortable.  Most of us can tell when we’re comfortable and when we’re not, but few of us ever think about why.

The key concept is called thermal comfort.  Basically, we’re comfortable when our bodies are releasing heat at the same rate as we produce it. Our bodies transfer heat in four different ways.

1) Evaporation
2) Convection
3) Conduction
4) Radiation or radiant

Interestingly enough, if you were to chart the human thermal comfort requirements and compare that curve to the output of various heating solutions (like forced-air, radiators, baseboards and in-floor hydronic heat) you’d find that the output of a radiant heating system is an almost identical match to our thermal comfort curve.

Simple enough, but why would I want radiant heat?

If you’re concerned about your indoor environment - there’s no dust and no allergens blowing around with in-floor hydronic heat.

In-floor radiant heat is a virtually slient heating system

Eliminate cold areas, drafts and uneven heat distribution.

Comfort - Imagine warm floors on a cold morning, there’s nothing else like it.

Energy efficiency - Whether you’re “building green” or trying to reduce your “carbon footprint,” radiant is an effective way to reduce your energy consumption without sacrificing comfort.

Unsurpassed zone flexibility - that’s right, hydronic heat offers precise thermostat control for different areas of your home.

Technorati Tags: hydronic heat, in-floor radiant heat, radiant heating system