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Radiant heating uses a warm surface to transfer heat to individuals
and into a space rather than moving heated air. Although the
air is warmed, the majority of the heat travels through the
air and warms other surfaces, similar to a light shining on
a wall. This natural heat transfer is both comfortable and energy
efficient. Using electricity directly to heat a radiant "panel"
is becoming popular.
Objectives / Locations
/ Controls / Installation
/ Electric Utility /
Safety
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Objectives:
1. Floor Warming;
eliminate those cold bathroom or entry floors, warm up
cold tile or chilly wood floors.
2. Space Heating;
as the primary heating system for a room, house or commercial
building.
3. Spot (zone) Heating;
apply heating to specific areas with individual control.
4. Snow and Ice melting
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Locations:
1. Floors; electric
elements are embedded in or applied to the floor beneath
the floor covering.
2. Walls; manufactured
finished panels are mounted to the wall in variety of
sizes and shapes including towel warmers.
3. Ceilings; electric
elements are embedded in the ceiling or manufactured panels
are mounted to or hung from the surface of the ceiling.
4. Sidewalks and Driveways;
electric elements are embedded in or under concrete or
asphalt.
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Controls:
1. Room Thermostat;
a wall mounted thermostat controls room temperature when
the system is used for space heating. Each room can have
its own thermostat. The thermostat may have a programmable
features if desired.
2. Floor Sensing Thermostat;
when only floor warming is desired, a wall thermostat
is used to control the floor surface temperature.
3. Unit Thermostat;
some wall units come with the thermostat mounted right
on the panel.
4. Snow and Ice Sensors;
sensors measure outdoor temperature and the presence of
moisture such as snow or ice.
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Installation:
Installation is usually done by an electrician or qualified
heating contractor, particularly the final hookup.
1. Floors; concrete;
electric elements are embedded in or below the concrete
depending on the application and desired outcome.
Subfloor; electric elements are embedded in a mud bed,
poured gypsum underlayment, or thinset material. Various
electric products require different thicknesses of material
ranging from 1/8" to 1/2".
Under floor; electric elements are applied to the underside
of the subfloor in the joist space.
2. Walls; surface mount; manufactured panels are mounted
to the wall.
3. Ceilings; surface
mount; pre-manufactured panels are attached to the surface
of the ceiling.
Suspended; panels may be suspended from the ceiling in
various ways. They are also made to fit into a t-bar suspended
tile ceiling.
Embedded; electric elements are either mounted behind
the ceiling gypsum board, sandwiched between gypsum board
or may be mounted to the gypsum board and plastered over.
4. Snow Melting; electric elements are embedded in or
under concrete or asphalt. Sidewalks or driveways can
also be grooved to accept the elements and then filled
in.
5. Wiring; while
a building contractor or owner can often set the heating
elements or panels in place, a qualified electrician should
do the actual electrical hookup.
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Electric
Utility:
1. Voltage Requirements;
Low Voltage; some systems operate on 24 volts using a
transformer to reduce the line voltage.
Line Voltage; most systems operate on 120 or 240 volts
and require a separate circuit breaker.
2. Power;
Watt Density for Floors; the standard watt density for
residential floor heating is 8-12 watts per square foot
(27-40 BTUs/sq ft). Consider the power of 10 square feet
of heated floor is equal to approximately a single 100-watt
light bulb.
Watt Density for Ceilings; ceiling radiant systems typically
run warmer surface temperatures than floors and the installed
wattage ranges from approximately 15 watts per square
foot of panel area for embedded or concealed systems to
a range of 50 to 125 watts per square foot for visible,
insulated ceiling panels.
3. Cost;
Zone Advantage; multiple zone thermostats allow for reducing
utility bills by turning down thermostats in unused areas.
Off Peak Rates; systems that use the concrete and ground
beneath the building for heat storage can take advantage
of lower utility rates on off peak times.
Prices; system
costs vary over a wide range depending on the application,
location and use. Check with local contractors or the
manufacturers for estimates.
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Safety:
1. High Limit Sensors;
floor systems generally have a temperature limiting control.
Floor surface temperatures seldom exceed 90°F and
are typically only a few degrees above room temperature.
2. Ground Fault Protection;
electric systems are designed with UL listed ground fault
protection to ensure there is no danger of electric shock.
3. Standards; products
are tested and UL (Underwriters Laboratories), UL-Canada
ETL, CSA (Canadian Standards Association) or similar testing
laboratory listed.
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