Radiant Heating Systems
Questions & Answers...
- Why is 2 inch insulation a must when a water table is present?
- Why should I insulate my upper floors?
- Why should I insulate under my slab?
- Can I have more then one (1) thermostatically controlled zone in my home?
- Can I run my garage off the same heat source as my home?
- Do I require glycol in my system?
- Can I use my domestic water heater for both the potable and radiant floor system?
- Can I put carpet over a radiant floor system?
- Can I put wood flooring over a radiant floor system?
- Why must a system be filled with conditioned or city water?
- Can I air condition with my radiant floor system?
- Is a radiant floor system noisy?
- Does a radiant floor system interfere with how I want to decorate or furnish?
- Why does Radiant Concepts charge for design work, while others do not?
- Approximately how much does a radiant floor heating cost?
Q: Why is 2 inch insulation a must when a water table is present?
A: High water tables will leech the heat out of the bottom of a uninsulated slab to the point that
you may not be able to heat your home.
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Q: Why should I insulate my upper floors?
A: Radiant heat does not relate to the law of gravity, heat radiates equally in all directions.
To ensure adequate heat to where you want it you insulate under the floor which in turn drives the
heat upwards.
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Q: Why should I insulate under my slab?
A: By insulating under the slab with 2" of a ridge board insulation you are slowing the
transfer of heat energy to the ground, which in the Northern tier of the states, the ground
temperature may only be 40 degrees F to 50 degrees F. It also ensures a quicker response time.
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Q: Can I have more then one (1) thermostatically controlled zone in my home?
A: Yes, you can have a thermostat in each room if you wish, or one (1) thermostat to control your
entire home.
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Q: Can I run my garage off the same heat source as my home?
A: Yes, you can if the BTU load is taken in to account for both areas. The issue then becomes
whether or not you want to have glycol in the garage portion, if so, you would need to add a heat
exchanger; which keeps the water in the garage separated from the residential water. Glycol may also
be placed in the entire system.
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Q: Do I require glycol in my system?
A: No, glycol is not required for the average year round home. If the heat source was to fail or
you had a long term power outage the floor would be the last to freeze.
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Q: Can I use my domestic water heater for both the potable and radiant floor system?
A: Yes, but you must first check your local code and the BTU requirement must be determined for
adequate sizing of both domestic use and space heating. This concept can be done with the addition
of a timer on the pump so the water can be purged through the system once a day to keep the water in
the radiant system from getting stale.
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Q: Can I put carpet over a radiant floor system?
A: Yes, but carpet is a very good insulator and will restrict the heat. Caution must be taken in
choosing both the pad and the carpet. The best pad is a waffle rubber no thicker than 1/2" and then
choosing a 1/2" carpet, or placing a carpet such as berber and then using no pad.
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Q: Can I put wood flooring over a radiant floor system?
A: Yes, as long as the surface temperature does not exceed 80 degrees F-this floor temperature has a
direct relationship to the BTUH heat loss of the area or room.
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Q: Why must a system be filled with conditioned or city water?
A: There are bacteria in well water which are not present in conditioned or city water, these
bacteria become very active when the water is heated and these bacteria can cause damage to both the
tubing and the components.
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Q: Can I air condition with my radiant floor system?
A: No, It would not be practical to run cold water through the tubes to try to air condition,
because when the surface temperature of the floor or ceiling gets colder then the dew point in the
air, condensation will form. You can imagine the hassles involved with that! In most parts of the
country the humidity varies quite a bit and it is very hard to control the system temperature. The
air conditioning issue will have to addressed separately.
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Q: Is a radiant floor system noisy?
A: No, not at all, in fact the quiet operation is one of the benefits with radiant floor system.
Q: Does a radiant floor system interfere with how I want to decorate or furnish?
A: No, not at all, the system is completely invisible except for the thermostats on the wall.
Also, since the system is radiant there is no moving air and so dust does not accumulate. There are
no vents that will get in the way of your decorating.
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Q: Why does Radiant Concepts charge for design work, while others do not?
A: Radiant Concepts specializes in radiant floor heat system design. We want to ensure that
every system installed is done properly so the client is satisfied with the system; so it works as
they WANT it to. We do also sell the materials for a radiant floor system, but again our main
concern is designing a system correctly so YOU are getting the best system for you and your
lifestyle.
In regards to others not charging a fee for design services, be assured you are, it is hidden in
the package price when a system is sold. Remember many just want to sell product and not a system.
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Q: Approximately how much does a radiant floor heating system cost?
A: Approximately Do-It-Yourself systems run $2.00 - $4.00. If installed by Radiant Concepts
approximately $5.00 - $7.00. Pricing range depends on the amount of thermostatically controlled
zones and other controls decided upon for individual system.
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