How to Install a Radiant Heating System
Radiant heat flooring systems are silent, efficient and comfort-inducing home appliances that heat the home and make walking barefoot on floors comfortable all year round. Radiant systems come in two main categories: hydronic or hot water tubing connected to a central gas boiler known as a wet system, and a dry system with fabric panels embedded with wrapped electrical heating coils, not unlike an electric blanket.
Which system you choose is determined by the square footage of the application, the depth available for installation and the operating costs of the given power commodity in your area. As a very general rule, water tubing systems are used in larger residential and commercial applications, while electrical panel systems are used in smaller areas that are not typically in round-the-clock use, such as a bathroom. Radiant systems can be installed over the underlayment and under the finish flooring or embedded in a new or retrofitted concrete pad.
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Things You'll Need
- Polyethelene water tubing or electric panel radiant kit
- Electrical wiring hookups for dry install
- Copper boiler piping for wet install
- Subfloor or concrete mix & rebar if needed
- Thermoplastic adhesive & smooth trowel
- Vapor barrier material
- Finish flooring
Instructions
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1
Lay a waterproof vapor barrier down over a level, clean and stable subfloor and up the side walls of the space extending at least 2 inches. If making a dry installation proceed to Step 2; if installing a wet system, proceed to Step 3.
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2
Trowel on a layer of heat-safe adhesive and seat the electrical panels in the adhesive. Connect the wire ends of each panel to the central power supply and the control panel. Turn on the power and test for smooth operation and heating. Proceed to Step 4.
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3
Install wet tubing connectors and seating method designed for your radiant system, be it wire grid and ties, MDF trenches or plastic trays. Secure tubing in snaking patterns according to the manufacturer's specifications. Make the plumbing connections for both the inflow from the boiler and the outflow back to the boiler. Turn on boiler via the thermostat and test the smooth operation of the system.
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4
Allow any adhesives to dry and cure and then lay down a second vapor barrier over the tubing or panels and proceed with the finish flooring installation.
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5
Lay down the finish flooring material of mortar and tile or a concrete layer at least 1.5 inches in depth that can be polished after curing or carpeted.
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Tips & Warnings
When installing a wet radiant system, it is very important to properly match the size of your boiler to the amount of piping and the distance the piping must travel in order for the system to operate at maximum efficiency. Check with the manufacturer or seller of your system to help determine required boiler capacity.
If installing a wet radiant system and you are not experienced with making plumbing and boiler connections, call in a plumber to assist in at least this aspect of the installation.
