Question 1

WHY RADIANT FLOOR HEAT?

Accepted Answer

Radiant floor heat is the most comfortable heat available. Warmth radiates from the floor warming our bodies and the objects surrounding us. The radiant heat energy that we pay for rises from the floor to the ceiling instead of being blown in from the ceiling and staying up by the ceiling as with forced air heat, escaping through the ceiling or through open doors.

Question 2

WHAT IS A RADIANT HEATED FLOOR?

Accepted Answer

Hydronic radiant floor systems pump heated water from a boiler through tubing laid in a pattern under the floor. In some systems, controlling the flow of hot water through each tubing loop by using zoning valves or pumps and thermostats regulates room temperatures.

Question 3

IS ELECTRIC HEAT AFFORDABLE COMPARED TO GAS WHEN USED IN A RADIANT FLOOR SYSTEM?

Accepted Answer

You decide, depending on your electric rate. Generally, electric rate increases have not approached the continuing steep rise in propane, natural gas and fuel oil prices. Examples: If electricity costs you 5¢ per kWh it would compare to propane at 81¢ per gallon, natural gas at 88¢ per Therm or fuel oil at $1.13 per gallon. Or, if you pay 8¢ per kWh for electricity it compares to propane at $1.29 per gallon, natural gas at $1.41 per Therm or fuel oil at $1.80 per gallon.

Question 4

WHAT IS HYDRONIC RADIANT HEAT?

Accepted Answer

Radiant heating is a technology for heating indoor and outdoor areas. Heating by radiant energy is observed every day, the warmth of the sunshine being the most commonly observed example. Radiant heating as a technology is more narrowly defined. It is the method of intentionally using the principles of radiant heat to transfer radiant energy from an emitting heat source to an object.

Question 5

DO I NEED TO HAVE FREEZE PROTECTION FOR MY IN FLOOR RADIANT HEAT SYSTEM?

Accepted Answer

Yes, as your Radiant Heating System is expensive, it deserves protecting using a fluid that that keeps the fluid in the system from freezing. Even though you may be in an area that does not reach severely cold temperatures the product that we offers provides both freeze protection and contains rust inhibitors.

Question 6

CAN I USE AUTOMOTIVE ANTI-FREEZE IN MY RADIANT HEATING SYSTEM?

Accepted Answer

No! Automotive Anti-freeze is not environmentally safe.
Automotive antifreeze is poisonous and must not be used as a heat transfer fluid in a radiant heating system.

Question 7

WHAT SHOULD I USE FOR FREEZE PROTECTION IN MY HYDRONIC RADIANT HEATING SYSTEM?

Accepted Answer

The best product for freeze protection in a Hydronic Radiant Heating System is a Propylene Glycol that contains inhibitors. It should be added to softened water at a ratio of 23%. As a substitute for Propylene Glycol, RV anti-freeze containing propylene glycol may be used. Installer assumes all responsibilities for material and the ratio used.
Warning: Many RV Anti-freeze products use alcohol as the base and must not be used.

Question 8

CAN I USE RADIANT HEAT WITH A GEOTHERMAL SYSTEM?

Accepted Answer

Radiant heat used in conjunction with a geothermal system provides a system that is highly efficient, provides unsurpassed comfort as well as extremely flexible. Geothermal systems are available in forced air as well as hydronic models. The hydronic models create hot water that can be used for radiant heating as well as forced air heating using a fan coil.

Question 9

WHY DO MOST PEOPLE ONLY TALK ABOUT USING RADIANT HEATING FOR BASEMENT AND GARAGE FLOOR INSTALLATIONS?

Accepted Answer

Radiant floor heat is most effective in basement or garage concrete floors that are either at ground level or below ground level. Garages and basements commonly meet these conditions and have relatively well-defined heat losses. Other common applications include home additions, workshops, storage buildings, commercial buildings etc. Such structures may have more widely varying heat losses. For such applications contact us with a description of your radiant heat floor plans. We are happy to help you choose the appropriate product.

Question 10

CAN RADIANT FLOOR HEAT BE ADDED LATER?

Accepted Answer

Unfortunately, there are no low-cost ways to add radiant floor heat to an existing garage or basement concrete floor. If you are building, now is the time to install radiant floor heat. If nothing else prior to pouring concrete at least install the PEX tubing.

Question 11

WHAT IS A ZONE?

Accepted Answer

A zone refers to a specific area in a building or home that is controlled by a separate thermostat or temperature control system. In a radiant floor heating system, zoning allows different areas of the home to be heated to different temperatures, providing customized comfort and energy efficiency. For example, a home with an open floor plan may have one zone for the living room and kitchen area, another zone for the bedrooms, and a third zone for a basement or other separate space. By dividing the heating system into zones, homeowners can adjust the temperature of each area to meet their individual heating needs and preferences.

Question 12

WHAT IF I WANT MORE THAN ONE TEMPERATURE ZONE?

Accepted Answer

Zoning a basement or garage concrete radiant floor will require framing thermal barriers between zones before concrete is poured. Otherwise, the efficient heat conductivity of concrete will blend temperature between zones.

Question 13

WHAT IS A LOOP?.

Accepted Answer

In Radiant Heating, a loop is a single length of PEX tubing. An area may have many loops.

Question 14

DO ALL THE "LOOPS" NEED TO BE THE SAME LENGTH?"

Accepted Answer

Ideally, yes. Unequal loop length creates unequal pressure resistance in which the shorter length will tend to move more fluid resulting in uneven heat. For good performance with a radiant system, make sure that each loop is nearly equal in length.

Question 15

WHAT TUBE SPACING IS APPROPRIATE FOR RADIANT HEAT APPLICATIONS?

Accepted Answer

Spacing depends on several variables including the heat loss of a basement or garage area. In residential areas such as basements, 12-inch spacing is most common. It is helpful to space the first few tubes closer together in an area at ground level as in a basement walkout area where heat loss is greater. Likewise, spacing can be wider where heat loss is less, as where the floor is several feet under the surface of the ground, or in the center of a large space.

Question 16

DO I NEED TO INSULATE THE BASEMENT OR GARAGE CONCRETE FLOOR?

Accepted Answer

Basement and garage floor insulation is critically important to keep from losing heat to the outdoors by conduction through adjacent walls, foundations to the earth. When the radiant heated floor is not insulated adequately, it may cause dramatically increased energy loss resulting in higher energy bills. Also, the radiant heating unit may not have sufficient output for the unintended heat loss.

Question 17

WHY THERMOLEC?

Accepted Answer

It's small, light-weight, but very powerful boiler. It employs patented power-sharing technology. It's 99% efficient, CSA, H stamp, and UL listed for space heating applications. It allows for self-diagnostics and ease of service.
See the system wiring details here.

Question 18

WHAT SIZE BOILER SYSTEM SHOULD I SELECT?

Accepted Answer

Call us at (320)297-9100 to discuss factors and find out what size is right for you.

Question 19

IS A COPY OF THE RMS OWNER AND INSTALLATION MANUAL AVAILABLE?

Accepted Answer

Yes, you may obtain the Radiant Made Simple RMS Owner and Installation Manual by going to our Manuals page under the questions tab.

Question 20

WHY ISN'T MY THERMOSTAT WORKING PROPERLY?

Accepted Answer

The correct wiring for the thermostat can be found on this pdf.

Question 21

HOW MUCH FLUID IS NEEDED WHEN USING 1/2" DIAMETER PEX TUBING?"

Accepted Answer

1/2" PEX tubing requires approx. .92 gallons per 100' of 1/2" PEX.

Question 22

CAN I HAVE TWO ROOMS AT SEPARATE TEMPERATURES?

Accepted Answer

Yes. 2 separate areas to be heated are called zones. The heat for each is controlled by a separate thermostat. However, in order to have separate zones, each area needs to be separated with a thermal barrier. Not installing a thermal barrier will allow heat generated for one area to migrate to other areas.

Question 23

WHAT PEX PRODUCT SHOULD I USE FOR A VERY LARGE AREA?

Accepted Answer

For very large areas, the PEX diameter to use could be 5/8" diameter. A PEX length could be as long as 500 feet. When using PEX of this length calculations must be made to assure sufficient pump capability that allows for a sufficient fluid flow.

Question 24

CAN AN RMS BE USED FOR A MULTI-ZONE SYSTEM?

Accepted Answer

The RMS product is designed for a single zone system. The RMS pump size has been selected for a maximum of 5 loops of 1/2" PEX at 300 feet per loop. The manifold has been selected for a maximum of 5 loops.
The design of an HRC allows versatility for pump, manifold and fluid control. The results of this design are: Simplification for installation and economical cost for the RMS product.

Question 25

Can radiant floor heat be used with carpeted floors?

Accepted Answer

Yes, radiant floor heat can be used with carpeted floors, but the carpet must have a low R-value to allow heat to pass through.

RADIANT HEATING FAQ

Frequently asked questions