[spark25]

Hi,

A customer wants me to install electric radiant heat in his 1800 sq ft house. The mats I have researched seem to be only for small areas like bathrooms or kitchens. What products have you used to heat entire homes? It will be installed on a concrete slab. She will be installing laminate flooring as well.

Thanks

 

[backstay]

Hi,

A customer wants me to install electric radiant heat in his 1800 sq ft house. The mats I have researched seem to be only for small areas like bathrooms or kitchens. What products have you used to heat entire homes? It will be installed on a concrete slab. She will be installing laminate flooring as well.

Thanks

The products for small areas is floor warming, not heating.

 

[FrunkSlammer]

I've installed Nuheat cables... works really well. Puts out a lot of heat and if the house is sealed properly and insulated properly, it'll be more than enough heat.

 

[backstay]

I've installed Nuheat cables... works really well. Puts out a lot of heat and if the house is sealed properly and insulated properly, it'll be more than enough heat.

Link please.

 

[BBQ]

I've installed Nuheat cables... works really well. Puts out a lot of heat and if the house is sealed properly and insulated properly, it'll be more than enough heat.

So you have run the heat loss calculations?

 

[BBQ]

I went to the nuheat web site and I can't find anything that says they are intended for whole home heating

http://www.nuheat.com/download.html?file=/docs/nuheat-specification-data.pdf

 

[Chris1971]

Hi,

A customer wants me to install electric radiant heat in his 1800 sq ft house. The mats I have researched seem to be only for small areas like bathrooms or kitchens. What products have you used to heat entire homes? It will be installed on a concrete slab. She will be installing laminate flooring as well.

Thanks

If they want electric heat, sell them electric baseboard heaters.

 

[wcord]

Link please.

Don't know if this product is available in the States, but here is a link
http://www.flextherm.com/en/products/cable-system/green-cable-concrete

and

Can radiant floor heating be used as the primary heat source for a room?
Radiant floor heating can be used as the primary heat source for a room. Several factors must be considered: the level of subfloor insulation, the size of the room, the exposure of exterior walls, the window coverage, the desired comfort level and the system’s output.

 

[backstay]

Don't know if this product is available in the States, but here is a link
http://www.flextherm.com/en/products/cable-system/green-cable-concrete

and

Can radiant floor heating be used as the primary heat source for a room?
Radiant floor heating can be used as the primary heat source for a room. Several factors must be considered: the level of subfloor insulation, the size of the room, the exposure of exterior walls, the window coverage, the desired comfort level and the system’s output.

I heat all my buildings with radiant floor heat, hot water from a wood boiler. Floor warming heat systems are not the same.

 

[wcord]

I heat all my buildings with radiant floor heat, hot water from a wood boiler. Floor warming heat systems are not the same.

you are correct.
one uses water, the other uses electrons:whistling2:
Usually in floor electric heat for main heat ( not supplemental ) is installed at 10w/sq foot.
I did a few houses in the past which used ceiling radiant heating panels. They worked really really well. The heating costs were 1/2 of their neighbors.

Depending on one's physical ability, a wood boiler, may not be possible. Did the wood thing , It was a lot easier to work the hours, I spent on chopping, stoking cleaning etc, and pay the electric bill for my electric furnace.

It would be interesting to compare electric boiler costs for water vs electric cable costs. And I wonder if there is a way to compare the quality of heat, Personally I think wood heat is awesome

here is a link for whole house heating costs,

http://www.warmup.ca/ca/in-floor-heating-running-costs.phtml

 

[backstay]

you are correct.
one uses water, the other uses electrons:whistling2:
Usually in floor electric heat for main heat ( not supplemental ) is installed at 10w/sq foot.
I did a few houses in the past which used ceiling radiant heating panels. They worked really really well. The heating costs were 1/2 of their neighbors.

Depending on one's physical ability, a wood boiler, may not be possible. Did the wood thing , It was a lot easier to work the hours, I spent on chopping, stoking cleaning etc, and pay the electric bill for my electric furnace.

It would be interesting to compare electric boiler costs for water vs electric cable costs. And I wonder if there is a way to compare the quality of heat, Personally I think wood heat is awesome

here is a link for whole house heating costs,

http://www.warmup.ca/ca/in-floor-heating-running-costs.phtml

But adding cable to the top of a existing floor will not be capable of whole house heating. The thin layer of covering would not keep the heat needed to output the Btus in anything close to comfort. You would burn your feet. That's why those electric heating cables are now buried in sand under the slab.

 

[wcord]

But adding cable to the top of a existing floor will not be capable of whole house heating. The thin layer of covering would not keep the heat needed to output the Btus in anything close to comfort. You would burn your feet. That's why those electric heating cables are now buried in sand under the slab.

I don't know what products you use in the States.
We have 2 types. One for in the concrete like hot water piping, and the type you are referring to,which sits in the mortar.( 2 to 10 watts sq foot)
The Thermostats, measure both the floor temperature and the ambient temperature of the room. You can program the unit for maximum floor temp so you wont cook your feet. Its really no different than your hot water heating system, where you have manually adjusted the water temperature for the piping, and the room thermostat turns the circulating on.
Same concept, different energy source.
I have done a couple of homes, where the top layer system was used as the only heat for major areas. eg attached, enclosed sun rooms, with no other heat source. Renovated a 1950's ranch style where the surface type was used to heat one entire wing. That customer is exceptionally picky and I have yet to receive a complaint for that section of the house ( master washroom, master bedroom, 2 other bedrooms. combination of tile and carpet for coverings.

 

[FrunkSlammer]

Link please.

Seriously some of you old guys need too much hand holding.

http://www.nuheat.com/floor-heating/electric-floor-heat/cable.html

I have only installed the cable system as a replacement to baseboard heaters. All I know is the customers love it, their rooms feel warmer and they use less electricity. I'm just saying if you built a house properly with the Nuheat Cable system in mind, I can't imagine it being a problem heating a home.

 

[Whidbey]

I installed a small area of this in a bathroom for a customer in August (50 sq ft). They called me last week to tell me how much they liked it. Installation was easy. This stuff can take a lot of abuse during install. Cut to fit, staple it to subfloor, walk on it. Paid about $450 for materials. It's better than crawling around weaving wire.

http://www.carbonicheat.com

 

[backstay]

I don't know what products you use in the States.
We have 2 types. One for in the concrete like hot water piping, and the type you are referring to,which sits in the mortar.( 2 to 10 watts sq foot)
The Thermostats, measure both the floor temperature and the ambient temperature of the room. You can program the unit for maximum floor temp so you wont cook your feet. Its really no different than your hot water heating system, where you have manually adjusted the water temperature for the piping, and the room thermostat turns the circulating on.
Same concept, different energy source.
I have done a couple of homes, where the top layer system was used as the only heat for major areas. eg attached, enclosed sun rooms, with no other heat source. Renovated a 1950's ranch style where the surface type was used to heat one entire wing. That customer is exceptionally picky and I have yet to receive a complaint for that section of the house ( master washroom, master bedroom, 2 other bedrooms. combination of tile and carpet for coverings.

What was your install price per Sq ft?

 

[wcord]

What was your install price per Sq ft?[/quote

If we are on the job already,and no extra trips, a small bathroom will cost about 370 for cable and thermostat. Instal is another 250 to 350 not including bringing power to the stat. So $ 12 to $15 per sq ft
A larger room can drop down to as low as $8 to $9 per sq .
If we are going in just to do heat for tile renovation, the price is a lot higher due to extra trips to measure and final connections.
A small 50 sq ft bathroom usually takes about an hour maybe 1.5 hours max. A kitchen with an island can take 2 hrs or so.

 

[backstay]

So at $8 per sq ft the 1800 sq ft house heating system, not including a service panel upgrade If needed. Would be $14,400,

 

[wcord]

So at $8 per sq ft the 1800 sq ft house heating system, not including a service panel upgrade If needed. Would be $14,400,

Probably closer to $12k. The cost of the cable per sq ft drops as the area covered gets larger. Number of thermostats or slave relays. And depending on which brand, hot glueing the cable every 3 to 5 feet, allows for longer runs, faster install. Some brands dictate the maximum length between the supports. Small rooms are pricey per sq. It's not cheap, that's for sure.
And without duct work, no AC.
If it was my house, hot water heat exchangers in the duct work, with individual room stats, infloor electric wherever there is tile, just for comfort, not general heating.
Its almost impossible to balance 2 different systems if both are being used to heat the building. Thats why the stats are set up so you can chose floor or ambient room temperature.
But if a customer wants it, who am I to argue with them. I just make sure that they understand the decision is all theirs and I am doing what they ask.

 

[FrunkSlammer]

An 1800sq ft house does not need 1800sqft of in floor heating. There's many spots I would not bother putting the wire. And if it were doing an entire house, the cost could be pretty low.

 

[sbrn33]

If they want electric heat, sell them electric baseboard heaters.

That is what I would have done 30 years ago.
Now I would install cove heat and other types.