Hydronic Radiant Floor Heating System Over Existing Concrete Slab

The most cost effective system for medium to larger homes is hydronic since the amount of power it would take to heat a whole home with electric would be substantial.

Hydronic radiant floor heating system over existing concrete slab.

There s two basic types of concrete floor heating hydronic and electric. From a radiant heating perspective it doesn t matter if the slab is actually at grade or is poured several feet below grade as part of a full foundation. While it was done as a new house was being built in my last house i poured a concrete floor on top of a wood framed floor system and could have put radiant heat in that as well. There are several manufacturers of electric radiant floor heating systems that can be placed directly on top of an existing concrete slab.

I don t particularly like them however because they re not very energy efficient. This is the best choice for new construction and areas receiving new slabs. How does radiant heat work. 14 years later still in good shape and seems to keep house warm and comfortable.

Though installing a radiant floor heating system can run up to 50 percent more than for example conventional forced air heat it saves 30 percent in energy costs eventually paying for itself. The heat from the radiant heated floor rises to heat all surfaces in a room or home. You re going to lose a lot of energy heating the slab ground if there isn t some better insulating layer like foam boards. We wanted a wood floor and spent a lot of time talking to flooring experts.

Radiant heat warms a floor s surface through electric mats or water tubing installed on the surface of a concrete floor and encased in an additional thin layer of concrete or thinset. Check out our video how to install radiant floor heat tubing in a slab on grade and read this page for a. A slab on grade is defined as any concrete slab poured over excavated soil. Due to it s density and low conductivity concrete retains heat very well.

Some look like wire fencing that you roll out over the floor. Delivered via warm water in plastic tubing installed in a floor radiant floor heating moves out from there making the room feel warm and comfortable. We were told the only way to go was a wood engineered floor glued down. Home products hydronic systems concrete.

The system works via pex pipe a small pump a water heater and a thermostat. Embedding your radiant heating system into a concrete slab is one of the most cost effective ways to install it and most energy efficient being that concrete is a great thermal mass. This system does not move the air with blowers and thereby reduces dust and. This is about installing hydronic radiant floor heating in a slab floor system.

In 1973 it has a concrete slab foundation with radiant heat water runs thru copper tubing within slab.