How To Install Radiant Electric In Floor Heating

Because my mat sat up 1 8 inch above my wood subfloor i decided to install strips of 3 8 inch thick by 2 inch wide pieces of plywood on the two long walls of my small room.

How to install radiant electric in floor heating.

This in floor heating system consists of one thin continuous cable heating element woven into a mat that you install under the tile. This final surface that protects the radiant heat mat must be flat so your finished floor is easy to install. With the right temperature setting it is difficult to even detect that the radiant heat is operating. You simply trowel the thin set mortar over the heating mat then.

Electric radiant floor systems offer a discreet way of heating a floor. Electric and hydronic. Examples of radiant floor heat dedicated circuits. Electric circuit requirements for a electric radiant floor heat system.

Radiant heating works well with ceramic tile and vinyl but not with wood floors. Radiant floor heating comes from tubes running underneath the surface of the floor. Electric radiant heat mats with wall mounted thermostats are easy to install under new tile floors and provide comfortable invisible heat at a reasonable cost. The systems can help reduce overall heating costs your hvac or space heaters do not have to operate as hard to heat up the room.

There are two basic types. They work well as supplemental heat in bathrooms kitchens and entryways. Controlled by their own thermostat these electric floor heating systems don t replace your main heating unit they augment it. These heated floors are a project best done when overhauling or changing the floor covering of an existing room or when adding a new room.

Although electric radiant heat is a popular choice for small projects retiling a bathroom say hydronic or water based radiant provides the ultimate in efficiency for bigger projects or an extensive remodel. The amount of electric power or circuit watts which will be required will depend on the size of the area that will be covered with the radiant floor heat mat. In residential systems two types of radiant heating are used. 120 volt 20 amp 220 volt 15 amps.

Its success with carpeted floors depends on the length of the weave thick carpets or those with thick pads won t work well as heat generated by the system will stay trapped in the floor. Installing underfloor electric radiant heat. If you re installing radiant floor heat in an existing room you ll need a dedicated 15 to 20 amp gfci protected circuit to power the system and an excuse to lay a new tile floor.