So uh... Anyone reading this who does installation work in other people's homes (cable, telecomm installs, security etc)?
This right here is why you always check with the homeowner before you drill between floors. One of the techs at my job punctured one of these floors. That's a shitty conversation to have with a customer.
PSA to people curious about this type of heating system, since there appears to be a lot of misinformation in all the comments. I'll try to address them individually:
-This is a radiant floor heating system. There are lots of different technical terms, but that's what I used when studying it in school.
-It is significantly more expensive upfront, but incredibly efficient. Expensive because you need a ton of pipe, which takes time(labor) to put in and special means of insulating(special concrete, pipe casing, brackets, etc.).
-It is efficient because it is literally using your floor as the heating medium. Basically, you are heating the core of your home and that heat is held by the floor and all objects in direct contact with it. When doors or windows are opened, little heat is actually lost. That is the opposite of other systems such as forced hot air; the most inefficient means of heating next to modern fireplaces/wood burning stoves. That is because you are only heating the air in a given space. That's why your floors, walls and other objects remain cold. When doors or windows open, that warm air is forced outside.
-This system is absolutely capable of heating entire homes and that really isn't uncommon
-It's also not uncommon to only have a mud room or foyer with radiant heat. It all depends on engineering and preference.
-Most commonly, boilers are used as the heat source(natural gas, propane or oil). Otherwise an even more expensive means would be a water source heat pump commonly used with a geothermal loop(a water loop buried in the ground; an even more complicated topic I won't get into here).
-This type of system can also be installed in finished homes with an unfinished basement/cellar. It won't be as efficient as a slab type install, but still very effective. There are special brackets and insulation that can be installed to the underside of the subflooring.
-Radiant heat does take a very long time to recover. Heating an entire structure takes time. Sometimes adding an outdoor reset will help. This just means the loop temp in the pipes is decreased as the outside air increases. It's best to not turn it off completely until summer, or when you know for sure you won't need heat for an extended period of time
-For homes, the rooms are typically zoned with their own loop connected to the main and controlled by zone valves and/or individual zone pumps. This allows for better comfort control and prevents some rooms from getting too hot.
Please note that the efficiency claims are based on a proper installation. I've seen some pretty hacked up installs with incorrect piping layout and/or poor insulation. I will check back later if I see any other conflicting info.
Source: 8 years of HVAC with 3 years of schooling specific to HVAC. I don't know it all, but I've seen a lot.
Yiotiv on May 24th, 2019 at 11:38 UTC »
How do you lay them so evenly?
And why in this pattern? Why not zig-zag the whole way?
saltoftree on May 24th, 2019 at 12:36 UTC »
So uh... Anyone reading this who does installation work in other people's homes (cable, telecomm installs, security etc)?
This right here is why you always check with the homeowner before you drill between floors. One of the techs at my job punctured one of these floors. That's a shitty conversation to have with a customer.
LEV3LER on May 24th, 2019 at 15:49 UTC »
PSA to people curious about this type of heating system, since there appears to be a lot of misinformation in all the comments. I'll try to address them individually:
-This is a radiant floor heating system. There are lots of different technical terms, but that's what I used when studying it in school.
-It is significantly more expensive upfront, but incredibly efficient. Expensive because you need a ton of pipe, which takes time(labor) to put in and special means of insulating(special concrete, pipe casing, brackets, etc.).
-It is efficient because it is literally using your floor as the heating medium. Basically, you are heating the core of your home and that heat is held by the floor and all objects in direct contact with it. When doors or windows are opened, little heat is actually lost. That is the opposite of other systems such as forced hot air; the most inefficient means of heating next to modern fireplaces/wood burning stoves. That is because you are only heating the air in a given space. That's why your floors, walls and other objects remain cold. When doors or windows open, that warm air is forced outside.
-This system is absolutely capable of heating entire homes and that really isn't uncommon
-It's also not uncommon to only have a mud room or foyer with radiant heat. It all depends on engineering and preference.
-Most commonly, boilers are used as the heat source(natural gas, propane or oil). Otherwise an even more expensive means would be a water source heat pump commonly used with a geothermal loop(a water loop buried in the ground; an even more complicated topic I won't get into here).
-This type of system can also be installed in finished homes with an unfinished basement/cellar. It won't be as efficient as a slab type install, but still very effective. There are special brackets and insulation that can be installed to the underside of the subflooring.
Thanks u/MiaHavero for the following:
-Radiant heat does take a very long time to recover. Heating an entire structure takes time. Sometimes adding an outdoor reset will help. This just means the loop temp in the pipes is decreased as the outside air increases. It's best to not turn it off completely until summer, or when you know for sure you won't need heat for an extended period of time
-For homes, the rooms are typically zoned with their own loop connected to the main and controlled by zone valves and/or individual zone pumps. This allows for better comfort control and prevents some rooms from getting too hot.
Please note that the efficiency claims are based on a proper installation. I've seen some pretty hacked up installs with incorrect piping layout and/or poor insulation. I will check back later if I see any other conflicting info.
Source: 8 years of HVAC with 3 years of schooling specific to HVAC. I don't know it all, but I've seen a lot.