Hydronic Radiant Floor Heating System Over Existing Concrete Slab

You re going to lose a lot of energy heating the slab ground if there isn t some better insulating layer like foam boards.

Hydronic radiant floor heating system over existing concrete slab.

Shimon rura nov 23 15 at 20 05. I don t particularly like them however because they re not very energy efficient. Radiant heat warms a floor s surface through electric mats or water tubing installed on the surface of a concrete floor and encased in an additional thin layer of concrete or thinset. In 1973 it has a concrete slab foundation with radiant heat water runs thru copper tubing within slab.

From what i ve read the usual approach is. Home products hydronic systems concrete. Embedding your radiant heating system into a concrete slab is one of the most cost effective ways to install it and most energy efficient being that concrete is a great thermal mass. The most cost effective system for medium to larger homes is hydronic since the amount of power it would take to heat a whole home with electric would be substantial.

Though installing a radiant floor heating system can run up to 50 percent more than for example conventional forced air heat it saves 30 percent in energy costs eventually paying for itself. While it was done as a new house was being built in my last house i poured a concrete floor on top of a wood framed floor system and could have put radiant heat in that as well. This is the best choice for new construction and areas receiving new slabs. Existing floor is 2 1 4 x 3 4 oak strip hardwood floor.

This system does not move the air with blowers and thereby reduces dust and. Check out our video how to install radiant floor heat tubing in a slab on grade and read this page for a. 14 years later still in good shape and seems to keep house warm and comfortable. From a radiant heating perspective it doesn t matter if the slab is actually at grade or is poured several feet below grade as part of a full foundation.

There s two basic types of concrete floor heating hydronic and electric. I m building an addition that partly includes an extension for an existing room off one side of my house here in connecticut. We wanted a wood floor and spent a lot of time talking to flooring experts. Existing slab foam for insulation vapor barrier subfloor with radiant tubing paths finish floor.

A slab on grade is defined as any concrete slab poured over excavated soil. The heat from the radiant heated floor rises to heat all surfaces in a room or home. Addition floor will be slab above grade with poly and rigid foam underneath the slab. We were told the only way to go was a wood engineered floor glued down.

The system works via pex pipe a small pump a water heater and a thermostat. Some look like wire fencing that you roll out over the floor. Due to it s density and low conductivity concrete retains heat very well. How does radiant heat work.

Need to marry the existing oak floor conventional wood subfloor structure to new concrete slab using new oak strip flooring.