[southjblue]

I am remodeling a porch and thinking of using radiant heat---Over cement floor and then tile---Will come off my oil hot water heater---Anyone ever done this?I'm told it can be done as a do it yourself project---any help appreciated.I did check the net but there are no do it yourself tips
[email protected]

 

[shootintom]

It's a whole lot easier now than when I did mine and probably cheaper too. Contact any of your local heating and cooling distributors where ever you are located and they should be able to hook you up with anything you need. The stuff I used in the floor was relatively new and the only folks doing it were on This Old House! The tubing in the floor I used was PePex and there is a whole lot of metering valves and pumps but it's hooked up just the same as another loop in your system. The room I used it in is 24' x 24' and the slab is well insulated. All totaled I used almost 900' of tubing in the floor in 2 loops and it runs off my boiler. I did my installation in the early '90's and have been nothing but satisfied with it. At the time the tubing was $1.00 a foot and I'm sure it's come down since then since there is a lot of people installing it now. Hope this helps. I did install everything myself and I'm not a plumber or heating guy, just had a lot of help from the local plumbing distributor.

Tom

 

[Chichay]

I have 14 zones of radiant heating in my home, controlled by 14 thermostats. Love it. Don't forget to put it in the bathroom floors too; nothing like stepping onto a warm floor after a shower or tub bath, especially in the winter. Chichay

 

[southjblue]

Thanks guys---keeep your letters coming in----sjb---

 

[Jim Zee]

Consult a heating proffesional we do it right the first time, here is one word of advise. The flooring industry manufacturs a fabric for tile floors that reduces noise if a space is underneath ( apartments for example)use this as a insulator for exsting slab work so you can reduce the amount of heating going south.
Jim

 

[southjblue]

I gave this out to a heating proffesional---His price was $8000.00 for the room.
The room is 12x16---I'm using my existing hot water heater---If I were to do the whole house it would cost $100,000.00---No wonder these guys don't have much work---At that rate I'll have to use another system---Still looking for ideas----George

 

[midalake]

I am building next year and I hope others chime in. I am on propane here and I am thinking of putting in a dual propane/electric. With the price break on power in the night I can save some dollars on heating. I am not sure how someone could quote you 100,000.......you could install an entire geo-thermal system for that.



GS

 

[Joey S.]

Contact Radiantec, they have packages for the do it yourselfer, and have been around for a long time. Some things to consider: You would want to probably use 1/2" pex tubing. You would need to create a feed and return manifold for the tubing. Try to keep tubing length's for each loop, aproximately the same (not greater than 250'). If you are pouring a slab it is best to zip tie to the metal fabric you are using for the pour. Space tubing aprox 8" apart (closer at exterior walls). You will of course need a thermostat in the room. At the boiler you will need a mixing valve to mix hot and cold water (water temp through tubing should be aprox 120f, give or take). You will need a circulating pump, spirovent (takes air out of the system), back flow preventer and I would install a thermometer (gauge) in both the feed and return lines at the boiler.
Of cousrse you will also want to include system purge valves as well.
Joe S.

 

[southjblue]

Thanks so much Joe S---I'll check Monday---George

 

[Butler]

I'm a plumbing contractor and $8,000 for one room sounds a little high, but I don't know what the conditions are, Rehau, Pex or any of the plastic pipe makers should give you a drawing to make the system work if you provide them with a floor plan,,,,,I go through my local supplier and they go to the factory, there might be a web page someplace where you can do the same thing....Butler

 

[southjblue]

Thanks Butler---I just came up with the idea and it seems that I can't get the
info needed since I only have limited time ---I went to radianttec and they will take 2 wks to get a price for me---I'm trying others now---Thanks again
George