Installing Radiant Heat In Concrete Floor

The workers in the photograph at page top where our concrete slab.

Installing radiant heat in concrete floor.

While it is simple it is very important to do it correctly. Installing pex tubing for concrete slab underfloor heating is one of the easiest ways to install radiant heat when installed in a concrete slab radiant underfloor heating is very efficient and comfortable since the concrete slab installation is fairly simple many people fail to follow some simple yet very important steps thinking that it will work no matter what. This article explains how to avoid some fatal mistakes when installing radiant heat in a concrete floor slab by describing an incompetent radiant heat floor installation along with an explanation of why things went wrong and how to avoid these errors. Installing underfloor electric radiant heat.

There are two basic types. The heating contractor laid out the pex tubing according to the zones that were established for heating the home. Radiant heating works well with ceramic tile and vinyl but not with wood floors. Basic materials for radiant floor heat installation in a slab remember since you will only have 1 chance to pour the concrete slab you will only have 1 chance to put the pex tubing in it.

Its success with carpeted floors depends on the length of the weave thick carpets or those with thick pads won t work well as heat generated by the system will stay trapped in the floor. This is about installing hydronic radiant floor heating in a slab floor system. Radiant heating system design or installation mistakes that must be avoided. The rest of the house has clay tile.

If it is not you can have a floor heating system that is inefficient costly to operate and may not work at all. The concrete was 4 thick and the insulation under the slab was 2 thick. Very helpful information regarding flooring choices that go with radiant heat. So even if there are no existing plans for the radiant floor heating or a snow melting system installing pex tubing in it may turn out to be a good decision.

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. Tubes that circulate hot water or electrical heating elements are installed in the concrete slab when it s poured turning the thermal mass of the concrete into an inconspicuous radiator of warm even heat. The system works via pex pipe a small pump a water heater and a thermostat. The picture above shows a concrete floor we re about to pour with radiant heating tubes installed.