Learn About the Options

November 29, 2008 00:11 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

With the current housing market being so unpredictable, we’re seeing an increasing number of homeowners are opting to stay put in their homes, rather than buy a new home. They find that one way to make their current home a better fit for them is to remodel the kitchen or bathroom, or upgrade the home’s heating systems. While there isn’t a single heating system out there that is an ideal fit for every project, there is an ideal system for every project. Warmzone.com can provide you with the heating systems you desire, as well as consult with you on which systems would be the best fit for your project.

Hydronic under floor heating systems are some of the most popular forms of radiant heat. In the most recent hydronic heating systems, PEX radiant tubing has been installed in a concrete mass called Gypsum Concrete or “Gypcrete.” This method of heating system installation works very well in most applications, but there have been developments in the installation process of hydronic under floor heating that make it easier to install for certain situations. This new development is known as a low-mass or modular board underlayment system. Rather than embedding the hot water tubing in concrete, the PEX tubing is laid in the grooves of pre-cut wood panels. This new method is ideal for remodeling and most new construction projects.

Heating System Tip: The hydronic under-floor heating system was first used by the Romans; there have obviously been significant developments since that time.

 


  Radiant Heat Information  

AddThis Feed Button






Treat Yourself to a Warm Home

December 27, 2008 00:12 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

When the first day of winter arrived over the weekend, it brought along cold weather and the potential for incredibly high heating bills. Installing radiant heaters in a home under construction or in an existing home is proven to cut heating costs. It works by putting water lines in the home’s concrete floors or under existing floors and running hot water through them.

Radiant heaters help to keep the whole house at a more constant temperature. In this way, our regular heaters don’t have to do as much to keep things warm and toasty during the winter. It might take a little effort, but being more environmentally friendly doesn’t have to involve major renovations. Many people waste a lot of energy by not sealing cracks, doors and windows. Checking to make sure a home’s insulation is in good shape and replacing it if it’s not is another good way to stop energy waste.

Switching to radiant heaters will not only help save energy, and lower heating costs, but you’ll soon find that it really adds to your family’s comfort as well. That is because it put the heat at our feet, which are generally cold, and offers cooler air near head level, where we are generally a little warmer.

Radiant Heaters Tip: If you are looking for a great way to save energy and maximize comfort in your home at the same time, then radiant heaters may be the perfect solution for you.


  Radiant Heat Information  

AddThis Feed Button






Bring the "Fancy" to Your Own Home

December 12, 2008 00:12 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

If you’ve ever stayed in a fancy hotel and felt the warm tile beneath your feet you’ve probably wondered how they heat the tile.Well, it’s actually pretty simple using radiant heaters. Radiant heaters are economical, and easy to install.This is how they work.

When a radiant heat system is switched on, energy is forced through a conductive material to create resistance or heat. Majority of the time an electronic line-voltage system is used. This system uses a special thermostat that has an integrated GFCI breaker for safety.

Dry radiant floor systems allow even heating throughout the entire floor. The heat radiates from the floor and warms objects near the floor as opposed to forced hot air that tends to rise to the ceiling. Radiant heaters heat while reducing dust, draft, and noise problems associated with forced air systems. They can be more aesthetically pleasing than other forms of heating because there are no heat registers or radiators to obstruct interior designs. Manufacturers claim radiant floor heating saves 20 to 40 percent on monthly heating bills as compared to the other heating appliances.

Mostly the radiant heat panels are attracted to the sub floor using approximately 10 screws per panel. Manufacturer recommendations include screwing and fastening adhesive when installing the panel. An electrometric bonding material is placed in the grooves prior to tube installation. The tube is pressed into the groove flush with the surface of the panel. Though the installation does not take much time, you may want to consult the professionals at warmzone.com if you’re considering installing your own radiant heating system.


  Radiant Heat Information  

AddThis Feed Button






Radiant Heating Can Improve the Air Quality of Your Home

December 24, 2008 00:12 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

What a pain! If you or anyone in your family has asthma or dust allergies, you know all too well how miserable these ailments can make a person. Many allergy and asthma experts will advise certain changes in housekeeping habits to help alleviate allergy- or asthma-causing conditions in your home. In addition, you might consider changing your heat source to radiant heaters.

At first glance, you might not think that radiant heaters could be such a simple solution to helping keep your home healthy. In reality, radiant heaters improve the air quality, which is important, especially for anyone who suffers from either dust allergies or asthma. Not having to change air filters or clean heating ducts should also cut down dramatically on dust or other allergens in your home’s air.

Eliminating dust mites that live in your home would also go a long way towards helping keep your home healthy. Since dust mites love a warm moist environment, towel heaters and other radiant heater systems aid in maintaining a consistent room temperature and keep it moisture-free…and dust mite-free, too.  Furthermore, mold and mildew are also caused from excessive moisture especially in bathrooms with insufficient ventilation.

Radiant Heater Tip: By placing radiant heaters or a radiant heat towel rack in the bathroom you can combat the spread of germs for only pennies a day. 


  Radiant Heat Information  

AddThis Feed Button






Common Issue for Vacation Homes

December 13, 2008 00:12 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

Have you ever gone on a ski vacation for the weekend and stayed at a little ski lodge?A lot of the times, they’ll have a huge fireplace in the main room with smaller bedrooms up in the loft area or second-story.But the problem is that when you’re in the main room with the roaring fire, you’re often overwhelmed by the heat and retreat to the bedroom, where it’s far chillier.You see, many vacation or weekend homes weren’t built with air conditioning ducts with which to deliver the heat to the different rooms of the house. However, there is a solution to adding heating to homes that have not been built for traditional forced air systems: radiant heaters.

As opposed to warm air systems (such as a forced air unit heaters), radiant heaters deliver the source of heat to the floor level, not the ceiling. Radiant heaters or radiant energy is the oldest form of heating used to provide comfort and is the basis for all heating systems.

Additionally, radiant heaters also offer more comfort than forced air heating by heating the atmosphere from the ground up. Since heat rises, the heat will be more evenly distributed, providing a much more comfortable atmosphere.

Radiant Heaters Tip: Radiant energy is totally pure radiation and is absorbed by an object without physical contact with the heat source or by heating the surrounding air, as is the case with convective, forced air systems.


  Radiant Heat Information  

AddThis Feed Button






Adding a Heating Source to Your Home is Easier than You Think

October 10, 2008 00:10 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

Have you ever gone on a ski vacation for the weekend and stayed at a little ski lodge? A lot of the times, they’ll have a huge fireplace in the main room with smaller bedrooms up in the loft area or second-story. But the problem is that when you’re in the main room with the roaring fire, you’re often overwhelmed by the heat and retreat to the bedroom, where it’s far chillier. You see, many vacation or weekend homes weren’t built with air conditioning ducts with which to deliver the heat to the different rooms of the house. However, there is a solution to adding heating to homes that have not been built for traditional forced air systems: radiant heaters.

As opposed to warm air systems (such as a forced air unit heaters), radiant heaters deliver the source of heat to the floor level, not the ceiling. Radiant heaters or radiant energy is the oldest form of heating used to provide comfort and is the basis for all heating systems.

Additionally, radiant heaters also offer more comfort than forced air heating by heating the atmosphere from the ground up. Since heat rises, the heat will be more evenly distributed, providing a much more comfortable atmosphere.

Radiant Heaters Tip: Radiant energy is totally pure radiation and is absorbed by an object without physical contact with the heat source or by heating the surrounding air, as is the case with convective, forced air systems.


  Radiant Heat Information  

AddThis Feed Button






Which Radiant Heating System Should You Choose?

December 28, 2008 00:12 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

If you are looking to warm your floors with radiant heaters and are trying to research what kind of radiant heaters to install you might find yourself scratching your head at this point. There are dozens of products available to purchase, and there are even more companies telling you that their product is the best.

So which product is the best? Should you install a hydronic heating system that pumps hot water through your floors, an electric cable heating system, or a low-voltage screen system? The answer lies in the type of project you are doing. Not every system is ideal for every project, but there is an ideal system for every project.

Hydronic Heating Systems   

Hydronic floor heating is the oldest and most popular type of radiant floor heating. These systems are comprised of a boiler or hot water heater, pumps, manifolds, PEX tubing, thermostat, and either gypcrete (a concrete-like material) or wood panels. Hydronic heating is the most complex of all radiant heat systems. These systems require trained professionals to design and perform the installation. Your best economies of scale are achieved for hydronic systems in large areas or entire homes because of their expensive components and operational costs.  Hydronic systems can be installed under any type of flooring. Most hydronic systems require hot water tubing to be installed in a 2-4″ bed of light concrete and are best installed during the initial construction because of its weight load demands and adjustments to floor height. Recent low-mass products have been developed to avoid these challenges by fitting the tubing into pre-cut wood panels, making hydronic systems more convenient and possible for most major remodeling projects.

 If you want to heat smaller areas like a bathroom or kitchen, a hydronic floor heating system may not be the best value for your project. The complexity and cost of installing the system, along with the long-term maintenance and up-keep required, is not worth the small amount you will save in operational costs.

Electric Cable Heating

Electric cable heating systems, often called line- or high-voltage systems, are gaining popularity and are ideal for heating smaller areas (10-300 square feet) like bathrooms, kitchens, and sun rooms. These systems are comprised of a thermostat and a heating cable. On some systems, the cable will be shipped to you as a large spool of cable. These systems are oftentimes less expensive, and give you the ability to space the cable how you want and customize a layout that will heat every square inch of your floor. Other systems have the cable attached to a plastic mesh or tape to create a mat to maintain its proper spacing.

Every available cable system is equally effective, so when determining which system to purchase, you should look at the warranty of the product, along with the ease of installation. Some cables must be embedded in a separate layer of concrete or mortar, whereas other systems can simply be installed in the thinset. Most cable systems can only be installed under tile. However, on others, if the cable is embedded in mortar or concrete, any flooring can be installed on top of the concrete. When heating smaller areas, it is nearly impossible to beat the simplicity and price of an electric cable heating system.


  Radiant Heat Information  

AddThis Feed Button






Treat Yourself to Heat

December 27, 2008 00:12 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

Time to treat yourself! Whether you’re building a new home, or updating your current home, you owe it to yourself to check out the comfort that radiant heat has to offer. Now is the perfect time to look into your heating options. Radiant heaters can be used in a number of applications, including some that might surprise you!Among those spots that can use radiant heaters are tiled areas, hardwood flooring, carpeted areas, and even cement floors.

Not only is radiant heating is one of the most comfortable ways to heat your home, but radiant heaters also offer a diversity of applications. We’d be willing to bet that after that first winter with the radiant heaters in place, you may find yourself wondering how you ever got along without them in the past.

What’s interesting here is that, rather than warming the air, radiant heaters are a type of heater that warms objects. Radiant heat uses objects, such as the floor, to heat a home. The air in the room is warmed when it comes into contact with the warmed objects. Heat loss is reduced and the radiant heat remains in the lower part of the room, warmer near feet level and slightly less so at head level, creating the perfect climate for comfort.

Radiant Heaters Tip: Are you looking for efficient, comfortable heat for your home? We think that radiant heating could be just the solution you’ve been looking for.

 


  Radiant Heat Information  

AddThis Feed Button






Straight Shooting About Heat

December 26, 2008 00:12 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

We couldn’t say it any plainer than this: radiant heaters are the most efficient form of heat available in today’s market. Significantly less operating time is required to attain and maintain the desired warmth compared to furnaces and other, traditional methods of heating, which keeps operational costs to a minimum.

High efficiency boilers or electric radiant floor systems makes radiant heat one of your most efficient ways to heat your home. Combined with a well- insulated home these systems can quickly warm your home and then shut down or wait idle for long periods of time before being called upon by the thermostat to operate.

More than ever before, homebuilders, househunters, and home renovators alike are looking for energy-efficient heating options for houses. We say they need look no further than radiant heaters for their ideal home heating solution.

Radiant Heaters Tip: Being more environmentally friendly doesn’t have to involve major renovations. Many peoples’ homes waste a lot of energy by not sealing cracks, doors and windows. Checking to make sure a home’s insulation is in good shape and replacing it if it’s not is another good surefire way to stop, prevent, and reverse energy waste.

 


  Radiant Heat Information  

AddThis Feed Button






Efficient, Environmentally-Friendly Heating for Your Home

December 15, 2008 00:12 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

Yes, it might take a little effort, but being more environmentally friendly doesn’t have to involve major renovations. Many people waste a lot of energy by not sealing cracks, doors and windows. Checking to make sure a home’s insulation is in good shape and replacing it if it’s not is another good surefire way to stop, prevent, and reverse energy waste.

Quite simply put, radiant heaters are the most efficient form of heat available in today’s market. Significantly less operating time is required to attain and maintain the desired warmth compared to furnaces and other, traditional methods of heating, which keeps operational costs to a minimum.

High efficiency boilers or electric radiant floor systems makes radiant heat one of your most efficient ways to heat your home. Combined with a well-insulated home these systems can quickly warm your home and then shut down or wait idle for long periods of time before being called upon by the thermostat to operate. Don’t waste expensive heating fuel another day.

Radiant Heaters Tip: More than ever before, homebuilders, househunters, and home renovators alike are looking for energy-efficient heating options for houses. We say they need look no further than radiant heaters for their ideal home heating solution.


  Radiant Heat Information  

AddThis Feed Button