A hydronic radiant floor heating system can be an exceptionally comfortable and efficient way to heat a room… or NOT. It all begins with the design. In the course of replacing fossil-fueled boilers with geothermal heat pumps, I’ve encountered my share of radiant floor installations that clearly had their roots in a poor, in some cases disastrous, design.
The key design choices are:
• Location of the tubing (that transports the heated water) relative to the subfloor
• Tubing pattern and size
• Water supply temperature(s) and flow rate(s)
• Heat conducting medium surrounding the tubes
• Finished floor covering, e.g. carpet, hardwood, tile
All will have significant impact on the performance of the system and most cannot be (easily) altered after installation, so it pays to get it right the first time.
Ask yourself, do I mind if:
• the system is slow to respond when my room suddenly needs more heat (e.g. opening exterior door on a cold and windy day, sudden drop in outside temperature) and once it has, often overshoots and is too warm?
• the average floor temperature fluctuates significantly over time in the course of maintaining consistent room temperature?
• some rooms are too warm while others are too cool?
• the floor temperature varies across the room?
• my system is not as energy efficient as it could be?
These issues can all be addressed with proper design.
Exercise your right to enjoy all the benefits a well-designed radiant floor heating system can offer. Contact us today for a free initial consultation.