Radiant Heating Information

Radiant Heat Types

Electric Cables
Electric cable floor heating uses electric heating cable to heat the floor.  The cable is laid into a slab, into a mortar bed, or into the thinset for a tile floor.  Electric cables tend to be less expensive to install than hydronic systems, but generally have higher operational costs.  They are very well suited for small areas where the floor height cannot be raised.

Hydronic Tubing
Hydronic floor heating systems use tubing embedded into the floor to circulate hot water through the floor.  The tubing is installed in one of several ways and carries hot water from a boiler or water heater in order to transfer heat to the area.  Hydronic systems can be more expensive to install than electric systems (especially for small areas), but tend to have lower operational costs.  They have the most benefit over electric when used in larger areas and new construction, when the installation can be designed accordingly.

Baseboard Heating
Baseboard radiant heating utilizes registers along the bottom of walls to provide heat.  Baseboard heat uses convection to circulate hot air over the heating element (which can be either hydronic or electric) and dissipate the hot air into the room.  Baseboard is less efficient than floor heating, but is generally less expensive to install.

Installation Types

In Concrete Heating
In Concrete radiant heating is a very basic, effective, and efficient way to install hydronic radiant heating.  The tubing is attached to the wire mesh or reinforcement grid of the slab to be poured.  The tubing is terminated above the slab level and pressurized for the pouring process.  For this type of system, it is imperative that a good insulation value be achieved between the slab and the ground.  In the end this is a simple system that is very effective and efficient.
 

In Gypcrete Heating
In Gypcrete Heating is very similar to an in concrete system except that gypcrete (or gypsum crete) is a lightweight concrete that is designed to be poured on top of a subfloor.  Since it is lightweight, it can be used on upper floors or when the construction will be above a crawlspace.  In a gypcrete system, the tubing is either stapled directly to the subfloor (with staples) or a wire mesh is attached and the tubing is then affixed to the mesh.  Gypcrete systems tend to be the most efficient because they have a quick response time while maintaining substantial thermal mass.

Staple Up (Under Subfloor)
Staple Up systems are ideal for aftermarket installation in homes with a crawlspace or unfinished basement.  The tubing is installed under the subfloor using emission plates to transfer heat to the subfloor.  We do not design systems that do not utilize emission plates; without emission plates, staple up systems may not provide adequate heat for the application.  This is not as efficient as other types of installation, though it is generally less expensive to install and requires less labor than other types.  For more information on our Radiant Trak emission plates, see the brochure on our download page.

InfloorBoard
InfloorBoard is a product that is designed for applications where floors cannot be raised or the structure cannot handle the load of gypcrete.  It is a 5/8" thick fiberboard that is pre-grooved to accept 3/8" tubing.  InfloorBoard is ideal in small applications and when other aspects of the job require a low profile, low weight system.  This type of system is also simple enough to be completely installed by a homeowner.  For more information, see the brochure on our downloads page.

Boiler Types

Standard Cast Iron Boilers
Standard Cast Iron Boilers are typical boilers that have been in use for decades.  They have cast iron heat exchangers and few moving parts.  They typically operate at around 80% efficiency and usually have long life spans.  They are not as efficient as high efficiency condensing boilers, but they are much more hands off, requiring less maintenance and upkeep and typically having longer life spans.  They may be vented out of a side wall if requested, but they do not come equipped for it typically.

High Efficiency Condensing Boilers
High Efficiency Condensing boilers are small units that operate at very high efficiency.  They typically have stainless steel heat exchangers and operate at 90-95% efficiency.  Due to the efficiency, they can be vented in PVC pipe (plastic) and may be vented out of a side wall if desired.  Due to the number of moving parts and controls that go into making them high efficiency, they usually require more maintenance and upkeep than standard cast iron boilers.  Many high efficiency units may also be mounted on a wall instead of using floor space.

Electric Wall Mount Boilers
Seisco has designed electric wall-mount boilers that operate like on-demand water heaters.  They utilize 240V electric power and can be sized to accommodate almost any square footage.  They are small and are wall mounted, allowing for easy and quick installation while requiring little space.  Unlike standard boilers, they can't be used to provide domestic hot water as well as heating.

On-Demand Water Heaters
Gas fired on-demand water heaters can be used as heat sources for hydronic heating systems.  They typically have copper heat exchangers and function at around 80% efficiency.  They are usually less expensive to install than boilers, but tend to have shorter life spans than boilers.  Unlike standard boilers, they can't be used to provide domestic hot water as well as heating.

Indirect Fired Water Heaters

Indirect Fired Water Heaters function to allow the boiler to be the sole source of heat for both the domestic hot water and space heating needs.  Also known as sidearm tanks, they are a essentially a tank inside of a tank, thus serving as a heat exchanger.  Domestic water is stored in the interior, stainless steel tank while hot boiler water is circulated around it.  This allows for the heating system to be maintained as a closed system, completely separate from the domestic potable water.  This is important when installing radiant systems because if an open system is used, the water will stagnate during the summer and upon first use, stagnant water will be dumped into the drinking water.  While this is not an enormous health risk, we prefer to avoid the risk by designing closed systems.  For more information, see the brochure for the HT Products SuperStor Tank or the brochure for the TriangleTube Phase 3 Tank on our downloads page.