Radiant Heaters 101

December 22, 2008 00:12 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

The number of types of radiant heaters available for residences or businesses is awfully mind-boggling. There’s really a lot of selection for homeowners to choose from. Today we’ll discuss the electric cable heating system kind of radiant heaters.

Electric cable heating systems are gaining popularity in as radiant heaters and are ideal for heating smaller areas (10-300 square feet) like bathrooms, kitchens, and sun rooms. These systems are comprised of a thermostat and a heating cable. On some systems, the cable will be shipped to you as a large spool of cable. These systems are oftentimes less expensive, and give you the ability to space the cable how you want and customize a layout that will heat every square inch of your floor. Other systems have the cable attached to a plastic mesh or tape to create a mat to maintain its proper spacing.

Every available cable system is equally effective, so when determining which radiant heater system to purchase, you should look at the warranty of the product, along with the ease of installation. Some cables must be embedded in a separate layer of concrete or mortar, whereas other systems can simply be installed in the thinset.

Radiant Heaters Tip: When heating smaller areas with a radiant heater, it is nearly impossible to beat the simplicity and price of an electric cable heating system.


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What Do You Know About Radiant Heating?

December 10, 2008 00:12 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

Recent research by Wavin Plastics into the publics perception of under floor heating systems has revealed more than a third of house buyers would include this type of heating in their top five wish list of luxury items when buying a new home.

While findings show that awareness of under floor heating systems and its benefits are high, only a tenth of the population have actually lived in a property which has such a heating system. However, 37% have experienced the comfort of these heating systems either by visiting a home or hotel which has the system installed.

There are many benefits to under floor radiant heating systems, such as warmth without the dryness of central heating, comfortable to walk on with bare feet, as well as being very energy efficient.Many times, once people have experienced how fantastic radiant heating systems are they want them in their own homes. More and more people are realizing the benefits of radiant under floor heating.

Surprisingly, these radiant floor heating systems are now very affordable.There is virtually a system out there for every budget.If you’ve always dreamt about the possibilities of having floor heating, but always assumed it was too expensive, you should contact the staff at warmzone.com about economical floor heating solutions.


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Treat Yourself to a Warm Home

December 27, 2008 00:12 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

When the first day of winter arrived over the weekend, it brought along cold weather and the potential for incredibly high heating bills. Installing radiant heaters in a home under construction or in an existing home is proven to cut heating costs. It works by putting water lines in the home’s concrete floors or under existing floors and running hot water through them.

Radiant heaters help to keep the whole house at a more constant temperature. In this way, our regular heaters don’t have to do as much to keep things warm and toasty during the winter. It might take a little effort, but being more environmentally friendly doesn’t have to involve major renovations. Many people waste a lot of energy by not sealing cracks, doors and windows. Checking to make sure a home’s insulation is in good shape and replacing it if it’s not is another good way to stop energy waste.

Switching to radiant heaters will not only help save energy, and lower heating costs, but you’ll soon find that it really adds to your family’s comfort as well. That is because it put the heat at our feet, which are generally cold, and offers cooler air near head level, where we are generally a little warmer.

Radiant Heaters Tip: If you are looking for a great way to save energy and maximize comfort in your home at the same time, then radiant heaters may be the perfect solution for you.


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Hunting for a Heating Solution?

December 18, 2008 00:12 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

Quite simply put, radiant heaters are the most efficient form of heat available in today’s market. Significantly less operating time is required to attain and maintain the desired warmth compared to furnaces and other, traditional methods of heating, which keeps operational costs to a minimum.

High efficiency boilers or electric radiant floor systems makes radiant heat one of your most efficient ways to heat your home. Combined with a well-insulated home these systems can quickly warm your home and then shut down or wait idle for long periods of time before being called upon by the thermostat to operate.

More than ever before, homebuilders, househunters, and home renovators alike are looking for energy-efficient heating options for houses. We say they need look no further than radiant heaters for their ideal home heating solution.

Radiant Heaters Tip: It might take a little effort, but being more environmentally friendly doesn’t have to involve major renovations. Many people waste a lot of energy by not sealing cracks, doors and windows. Checking to make sure a home’s insulation is in good shape and replacing it if it’s not is another good surefire way to stop, prevent, and reverse energy waste.

 


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Radiant Heaters

November 11, 2007 00:11 AM  BY  WARMZONE

Radiant heaters, as opposed to warm air systems (such as a forced air unit heaters), deliver the source of heat to the floor level, not the ceiling. And since warm air rises, heating the floors proves to be the most efficient means of heating living areas.

Radiant heaters or radiant energy is the oldest form of heating used to provide comfort and is the basis for all heating systems. Radiant energy is totally pure radiation and is absorbed by an object without physical contact with the heat source or by heating the surrounding air, as is the case with convective, forced air systems.

Under floor heaters were first used by the Romans. Initially the preserve of the rich, under floor heating became increasingly commonplace in public buildings and villas, particularly in the colder regions of the Roman Empire. The Roman system was based on hypocausts, comprising ducts that underlay the floor (itself built on raised brick piles) and flues that were built into walls. Hot air or steam from fires circulated up through this system, warming the floor and walls, with heat passing into the rooms.

More specifically, the floor was laid out as series of concrete slabs acting as radiant heaters supported by columns of layered tiles, with a furnace at the bottom of one exterior wall. By placing the fire here, the draught would take the radiant heat under the floor, and up through the walls to radiant heater chimneys located in the corners of the room.

Today we recognize the brilliance of the Romans and Koreans as early adopters of radiant heating, as the technology is still a desired method for delivering comfortable and efficient heat in our homes. Now we have radiant heaters using electric resistance cables that are constructed of highly rated materials and feature manufacturer warranties of up to 25 years.

 

About Warmzone
Warmzone provides consumers with energy-efficient, radiant heating solutions for homes and businesses. Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, Warmzone's electricians and radiant heat experts will help you determine the best radiant heating solution, ranging from electric heated floors to large commercial snow and ice melt projects. Send us a plan or drawings and we'll be happy to provide you with a FREE estimate and options for your roof heating and ice melting project.


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What's Your Plan This Winter

October 26, 2008 00:10 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

Winter weather is on the way. Start thinking about heating system solutions for the coming winter months or spend the season shivering and wishing you’d planned ahead. Leaving decisions like this to the last moment (for example, when your furnace up and dies in the middle of a brutal Nor’easter) causes unnecessary stress, expense, and, most obviously, a freezing cold house.

Whether you are building a new home from the ground up, preparing to replace your heating systems are using electricity instead of natural gas or heating oil. Not only does this cut down on heating costs, but it is also more efficient and eco-friendly as well. Radiant heating systems are quickly replacing traditional furnaces.

Heating Systems Tip: Choosing the best heating systems for a new home or to add supplemental heat to a cold spot in your home now takes a little homework. The radiant consultants and designers at Warmzone have been trained in all of the latest heating systems to properly assess your project and prescribe a system that will add value to your home within your budget.

 


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Which Radiant Heating System Should You Choose?

December 28, 2008 00:12 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

If you are looking to warm your floors with radiant heaters and are trying to research what kind of radiant heaters to install you might find yourself scratching your head at this point. There are dozens of products available to purchase, and there are even more companies telling you that their product is the best.

So which product is the best? Should you install a hydronic heating system that pumps hot water through your floors, an electric cable heating system, or a low-voltage screen system? The answer lies in the type of project you are doing. Not every system is ideal for every project, but there is an ideal system for every project.

Hydronic Heating Systems   

Hydronic floor heating is the oldest and most popular type of radiant floor heating. These systems are comprised of a boiler or hot water heater, pumps, manifolds, PEX tubing, thermostat, and either gypcrete (a concrete-like material) or wood panels. Hydronic heating is the most complex of all radiant heat systems. These systems require trained professionals to design and perform the installation. Your best economies of scale are achieved for hydronic systems in large areas or entire homes because of their expensive components and operational costs.  Hydronic systems can be installed under any type of flooring. Most hydronic systems require hot water tubing to be installed in a 2-4″ bed of light concrete and are best installed during the initial construction because of its weight load demands and adjustments to floor height. Recent low-mass products have been developed to avoid these challenges by fitting the tubing into pre-cut wood panels, making hydronic systems more convenient and possible for most major remodeling projects.

 If you want to heat smaller areas like a bathroom or kitchen, a hydronic floor heating system may not be the best value for your project. The complexity and cost of installing the system, along with the long-term maintenance and up-keep required, is not worth the small amount you will save in operational costs.

Electric Cable Heating

Electric cable heating systems, often called line- or high-voltage systems, are gaining popularity and are ideal for heating smaller areas (10-300 square feet) like bathrooms, kitchens, and sun rooms. These systems are comprised of a thermostat and a heating cable. On some systems, the cable will be shipped to you as a large spool of cable. These systems are oftentimes less expensive, and give you the ability to space the cable how you want and customize a layout that will heat every square inch of your floor. Other systems have the cable attached to a plastic mesh or tape to create a mat to maintain its proper spacing.

Every available cable system is equally effective, so when determining which system to purchase, you should look at the warranty of the product, along with the ease of installation. Some cables must be embedded in a separate layer of concrete or mortar, whereas other systems can simply be installed in the thinset. Most cable systems can only be installed under tile. However, on others, if the cable is embedded in mortar or concrete, any flooring can be installed on top of the concrete. When heating smaller areas, it is nearly impossible to beat the simplicity and price of an electric cable heating system.


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Adding a Heating Source to Your Home is Easier than You Think

December 11, 2008 00:12 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

Have you ever gone on a ski vacation for the weekend and stayed at a little ski lodge? A lot of the times, they’ll have a huge fireplace in the main room with smaller bedrooms up in the loft area or second-story. But the problem is that when you’re in the main room with the roaring fire, you’re often overwhelmed by the heat and retreat to the bedroom, where it’s far chillier. You see, many vacation or weekend homes weren’t built with air conditioning ducts with which to deliver the heat to the different rooms of the house. However, there is a solution to adding heating to homes that have not been built for traditional forced air systems: radiant heaters.

As opposed to warm air systems (such as a forced air unit heaters), radiant heaters deliver the source of heat to the floor level, not the ceiling. Radiant heaters or radiant energy is the oldest form of heating used to provide comfort and is the basis for all heating systems.

Additionally, radiant heaters also offer more comfort than forced air heating by heating the atmosphere from the ground up. Since heat rises, the heat will be more evenly distributed, providing a much more comfortable atmosphere.

Radiant Heaters Tip: Radiant energy is totally pure radiation and is absorbed by an object without physical contact with the heat source or by heating the surrounding air, as is the case with convective, forced air systems. 


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Radiant Heaters Offer Reliability and Comfort Year Round

December 24, 2008 00:12 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

You may not know that radiant heaters for your home or business come in a variety of forms – all efficient and providing reliable, cozy warmth. Today we’re going to discuss one form of radiant heaters: hydronic floor heating.

Quite a name, isn’t it? Hydronic floor heating is the oldest and most popular type of radiant floor heating. These systems are comprised of a boiler or hot water heater, pumps, manifolds, PEX tubing, thermostat, and either gypcrete (a concrete-like material) or wood panels. Hydronic heating is the most complex of all radiant heat systems. These systems require trained professionals to design and perform the installation. Your best economies of scale are achieved for hydronic systems in large areas or entire homes because of their expensive components and operational costs. Hydronic systems can be installed under any type of flooring. Most hydronic systems require hot water tubing to be installed in a 2-4″ bed of light concrete and are best installed during the initial construction because of its weight load demands and adjustments to floor height.

For heating smaller areas such as a bathroom or kitchen, a hydronic floor heating system may not be the best value for your project. The complexity and cost of installing the system, along with the long-term maintenance and up-keep required, might not be worth the small amount you will save in operational costs.

Radiant Heaters Tip: Many recent developments have made hydronic systems more convenient and possible radiant heater solutions for major home remodeling projects.


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Too Many Choices for Home Heatng Systems

October 25, 2008 00:10 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

If you’ve been researching home heating systems, chances are your head is spinning right about now.  It’s no wonder! The number of types of radiant heaters available for residences or businesses could make anyone dizzy in no time at all. There’s really a lot of selection for homeowners to choose from. Today we’ll discuss the electric cable heating system kind of radiant heaters. Electric cable heating systems are gaining popularity in as radiant heaters and are ideal for heating smaller areas (10-300 square feet) like bathrooms, kitchens, and sun rooms. These systems are comprised of a thermostat and a heating cable. On some systems, the cable is be shipped as a large spool of cable. These systems are oftentimes less expensive, and give you the ability to space the cable how you want and customize a layout that will heat every square inch of your floor. Other systems have the cable attached to a plastic mesh or tape to create a mat to maintain its proper spacing.

Every available cable system is equally effective, so when determining which radiant heater system to purchase, you should look at the warranty of the product, along with the ease of installation. Some cables must be embedded in a separate layer of concrete or mortar, whereas other systems can simply be installed in the thinset.

Radiant Heaters Tip: When heating smaller areas with a radiant heater, it is next to impossible to beat the simplicity and price of an electric cable heating system. 


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