How to Install Under Floor Electric Radiant Heat
The fist time electric radiant heating was specified for one of my kitchen remodel projects, it really raised my brows. Electric radiant heat under floor tile, in the bathroom too? How is that going to work. Electric radiant heat under carpet, is that safe either? Well, the product just blew my socks off. It is vastly easier and less expensive than the most common method of radiant heating, which is hydronic; under floor plastic tubing carrying re-circulating hot water. Does this Spark an idea?
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Things You'll Need
- Radiant Floor Heating Mats or Cables
- Floor Thermostat Assembly
- An Electrician to Test and Final Connect the System into the Power Source.
Instructions
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Electric radiant heat can be installed under tile, hardwood floors, carpet, concrete and even directly underneath the tile of your shower floor. It can be installed over any kind of sub floor; no custom sub floor is required as is the case with hydronic radiant heating and that creates an enormous cost savings.
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Also, keep in mind that electric radiant floors are more energy efficient than a standard forced air system. They don't heat the ceiling area and there is no energy required to distribute the heat such as a blower from a forced air system, which moves heat through air ducts. Heated floors distribute warmth evenly and efficiently in a given space, far different than a 4" x 8" vent blowing hot air from one corner of the room.
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Determine the rooms where you want to have electric radiant floors installed. There are two primary systems. The fist is a Mat System and the second is Floor Heating Cables. An example of a Mat System is pictured on the left. Mat Systems are the easiest to install and are qualified for all applications. However, if you plan to heat underneath your shower floor, I recommend heating cables, specifically Nexans heating cable system. Nexans are so durable and water proof that they are used underneath driveways to melt snow.
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If you plan to use a electric radiant Mat System, go online to one of the resources I have listed below. A sales rep will walk you through the process of preparing your order, which usually includes making a sketch of your room(s) with dimensions and faxing it over to them. Based on your information, they will send out the appropriate mats and installation kit.
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If you feel that a Heating Cable system is best for you, you can order those components yourself, but will need an electrician to install that kind of system as it is a bit more complicated. Go to the resources below to find a distributor for the best heating cable product.
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In the following steps you will find an outline of a standard under floor tile installation. I didn't choose to illustrate this application because it is the most complicated way to do it, which it is, but rather show you how easy this product is to work with. Last clarification: It is assumed in the following steps that any finished floor surface has been removed, or you have no finished floor installed and that your heating mats are in hand.
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Step One: Your tile mortar bed and backer board has to be installed first otherwise the heating mats will be buried by too many material layers and will not work as desired. So, layout the heating mats on the floor in line with the layout drawing sent to you. Although the sales rep provided you with Mats specific to your floor space, you will still need to trim and work them a bit. If that gets confusing, just call your rep back and run through your questions as you are working on the project.
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Step Two: Locate your power source for the heating mats and be sure to run the power cable to that location. Once your mats are laid out and tied together properly, have an electrician come over and inspect it. He can provide an Ohm test, which will show whether or not current is properly running through all of the mats. You must do this test before covering up the heating mats.
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