Reply to Heated floors

Forum Index » Home Improvement, Design, and Decorating

Reply to "Heated floors"

Subject:

Emoticons





More smilies

Text Color: Font: Close Marks

[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]This is possible, the technology is called "radiant floor heat."  Most commonly it's done with tubing that connects to radiator heat, but it can be done with electric mats that go under pretty much any kind of flooring.

People don't usually do the electric version over large areas because it costs a lot to operate, typically about three times as much as other kinds of heating.

[b]In a basement, if the floor wasn't insulated below when it was installed you'll be sending a lot of heat into the ground[/b], which is even less efficient. [/quote]

No. Heat rises, which is why radiant floor heating works in the first place. OP wouldn't be losing heat below if it's not insulated, though colder outside air may be seeping in. But also take into account that the ground temp underneath a basement floor would be warmer than surface air temps in winter. [/quote]

[b]Hot air/liquid and such rise due to lower density. Heat in a solid will conduct in all directions. So if you're heating a thick basement slab with cold soil around it then you're losing heat that way[/b].

Also, ground temp in the winter will be colder than the indoor temperature.

If you have a few inches of height to spare you can put in an inch of foam board with some plywood on top, then the heating mat plus flooring. The foam will reduce your heat loss through the slab.[/quote]

You can add a bit of insulating foam, but you're not heating a thick basement slab either way - that's not how the electric radiant floor heating works. The electric mats sit on top of the subfloor, and you are heating the flooring above it, which will in turn heat the air above that. Not much heat is lost through the slab either way, and it won't dramatically effect the temperature or efficiency. A little bit, sure, but the effect won't be noticeable.[/quote]

Heat doesn't go where you send it, it goes where it wants to go. And it wants to flow from warm to cold. So long as the floor is warmer than the ground under the house, heat will flow toward it. How much flows will be determined  by the level of insulation. If all you have is concrete between the heating element and the soil underneath, you'll be sending as much heat down as up.

"A little bit, sure, but the effect won't be noticeable."

It depends what you mean by "noticeable."  Will the floor  be colder? Not at all. Will your energy bills be higher? Absolutely. Will you notice? Depends on what kind of person you are. [/quote]

Options

	Disable HTML in this message
	Disable BB Code in this message
	Disable smilies in this message

Review message

Search Recent Topics Hottest Topics