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Customer demand has made radiant floor heating the fastest growing sector of the home heating market. And no wonder. This healthy, quiet, economical and clean method of heating - invented in the Roman empire - is now also durable and reliable, thanks to new materials and advances.
This guide from master plumber, longtime contractor, and renowned how-to author R Dodge Woodson brings plumbing and construction pros (and even savvy do-it-yourselfers) all the details and know-how needed to:
- Understand and explain the advantages of in-floor radiant heating.
- Install, test, and debug embedded and dry radiant heat systems in new or existing homes.
- Offer hot water heating as part of your system.
- Heat seldom-used areas and provide outdoor ice removal and other add-on amenities.
- Select superior equipment - tubing, boilers, expansion tanks, pumps and controls.
- Troubleshoot and repair system problems.
- Avoid common errors and mishaps.
Easy to understand, fully illustrated, and filled with tips that will save you time and money, this unique guide is the perfect tool for anyone who wants to install radiant floor heating and do it right the first time.
Radiant heating is hot.
More and more customers want in-floor radiant heat because of these benefits:
- Low cost operation, installation and equipment.
- Healthy and cozy warmth for lower body without overheating upper body.
- Quieter and cleaner than forced air systems.
- Can be combined with hot water heating for additional savings.
Add radiant floor heating to your money-making arsenal. Demand for radiant floor heating is rising fast, and Radiant Floor Heating is your ticket to cashing in on this highly profitable opportunity.
Top expert R Dodge Woodson grounds you in all aspects of specifying, designing, installing and troubleshooting today's advanced, super-efficient radiant floor heating systems. He also gives you business-building advice for selling the benefits of these systems to clients. Whether you're installing radiant floor heating in new construction or retrofitting existing structures, you get step-by-step procedures for:
- Estimating heat gain and loss and laying out an effective in-floor piping diagram.
- Installing piping in thick and thin concrete slabs, through wooden floor joists and between layers of subflooring.
- Combining in-floor heating with an existing hot-water baseboard system.
- Establishing heat zones for more cost-efficient heating.
- Selecting and installing gas- and oil-fired boilers, circulating pumps and electrical controls.
- Deploying radiant floor heating in special-use areas like garages, spa rooms, pool rooms and greenhouses.
- Troubleshooting and repairing both new and existing systems.
- And much more!
Excerpt from the Preface
Radiant floor heating systems have been around since the days of ancient Romans. People throughout the ages have recognized the comfort associated with these systems. However, even with their long and successful history, radiant floor systems have only recently begun to gain major attention in modern construction, and there is still market resistance to what is an excellent, multipurpose heating system. Understanding the features and benefits of the system will enable one to appreciate this quality form of heating.
Old-school heating contractors can be stubborn when it comes to touting the advantages of little plastic tubes installed under a plywood subfloor. It's common for tradespeople to assume that radiant floor heating systems must be installed in concrete to achieve a suitable heat delivery. This is because in the "old days" that's the way it was always done. Not so, today. It's very common to find radiant floor systems installed without the use of any concrete. Heat tubing can be stapled to the bottom of subflooring, it can be installed on top of subflooring, and it can be installed in thin-slab applications. And, of course, conventional slab installations are still quite popular. The fact is, almost any job is a potential job for radiant floor heating.
Did you know that radiant floor heating systems can be combined with hot water baseboard heating systems? Is it possible for one boiler to serve both types of heating systems? Certainly. Minor modifications allow the temperature of supply fluids to be controlled for both types of systems. Radiant floor heating can be used in additions, remodeling, and new construction. Both commercial and residential buildings can be heated with radiant heat tubing in floors. And, special heating needs, such as snow and ice melting systems, can be combined with the general heating system. Radiant floor heating systems require only a low temperature fluid to do their job. This translates into lower operating costs. The PEX tubing used to create most radiant floor systems is very inexpensive when compared to copper tubing. Since radiant floor heating rises from a floor, it actually heats more space than perimeter heat emitters do. There is little dust movement with a radiant floor heating system. Radiant heating systems deliver a clean, comfortable, even heat in all applications.
The last few years have seen surges in the use of radiant floor heating systems. This trend is likely to not only continue, but to expand. The systems available today offer a wide range of opportunities for contractors and installers. Radiant floor systems can be tailored to meet any number of heating needs. But, installers and contractors must be aware of the wide array of options open to them. This is where the concept for this book originated. Here you will find the guidance needed to launch your career or heating business into the future with the power of radiant heating systems at your disposal.
Contents
Chapter 1: Why Aren't More Contractors Using in-Floor Heating Systems? Chapter 2: Comparing in-Floor Systems to Other Systems. Chapter 3: Designing Functional, Cost-Effective Systems. Chapter 4: Combining in-Floor Systems and Baseboard Systems. Chapter 5: Establishing Heating Zones. Chapter 6: The Mechanics of Manifolds. Chapter 7: Boilers. Chapter 8: Material Selection. Chapter 9: Circulating Pumps. Chapter 10: Controls and Control Systems. Chapter 11: Components for Heating Systems. Chapter 12: Expansion Tanks. Chapter 13: Domestic Water Heating. Chapter 14: Slab-on-Grade Piping Systems. Chapter 15: Thin-Slab Piping Systems. Chapter 16: Dry Piping Systems. Chapter 17: Radiant Systems for Ice Removal. Chapter 18: Purging Air from Systems. Chapter 19: Solar Heating Systems. Chapter 20: Coal-Fired Heating Systems. Chapter 21: Wood-Fired Heating Systems. Chapter 22: Troubleshooting Gas-Fired Boilers. Chapter 23: Troubleshooting Oil-Fired Boilers. Chapter 24: Selling Radiant Heating Systems. GLOSSARY. APPENDIX A: PRESSURE LOSSES AND FLOW CHARTS. APPENDIX B: TEMPERATURE CHARTS. INDEX. |
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