Nothing beats the comfort of a radiant heating system – ask anyone who’s ever enjoyed the many benefits of radiant heat, there’s just nothing else that compares. And it is possible for the average homeowner to install their own radiant floor system. It’s easier when you’re dealing with new construction, but existing homes can usually be retrofitted with a radiant floor heating system.
So how does one figure out what’s really important when it comes to a new radiant heating system?
Over the years, I’ve arrived at the following list of priorities:
1) Information – it’s important to get a hold of all the information you’ll need to make an informed decision.
2) Design – save yourself a lot of future headaches, have a radiant heat expert help you with your system design and tubing layout.
3) Quality Components – there’s nothing wrong with finding a good deal, but in a lot of cases you DO get what you pay for.
4) Support – If you’ve never installed your own radiant heating system before, you’ll need help – find a supplier who will be there for you when you need it most.
If you’d like to “drill-down” into this list and get a more in-depth look at how to avoid problems with your radiant heat system, click hear to avoid radiant heat disasters.
Technorati Tags: radiant heat, radiant heating, radiant floor heating, radiant floor
5 responses so far ↓
radiant floor heat // April 26, 2008 at 1:41 am
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comparing heating systems // April 27, 2008 at 11:58 am
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installing radiant heat floor // May 6, 2008 at 5:47 pm
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Susan // November 13, 2008 at 4:08 pm
HELP – we installed radiant floor in our 1869 home for our first floor (planning 2nd floor next year) but it has NOT been very warm. It does not seem to hold the heat. The company is telling us to block off 2nd floor and add curtains to our windows. I can’t believe only doing this would increase the amount of heat and sustain a reasonable temperature. We have it sent to 75 and it will only get up to 69. CAN YOU HELP US FIGURE THIS OUT – PLEASE…
radiantheatexpert // November 13, 2008 at 10:25 pm
Hi Susan,
In a nutshell, the system is not putting out enough BTU’s per square foot to offset the heat losses of the area in question. Here are three things to try:
Reduce the BTU losses – by blocking off the 2nd floor, adding curtains, improving the insulation (walls, ceilings, windows, doors), etc.
Increase the system output – by turning up the water temperature (gradually, in 3 to 5 degree increments)
Increase the floor output – by adding reflective insulation below the floor to reflect radiant energy upward.