Steps
- Determine what type of fuel you have (gas, oil, or wood heat outdoor boiler). You may also want to consider a solar thermal system to augment the fuel. Solar thermal can provide 70 to 80 percent of the hot water needed for a radiant floor system and reduce your fuel costs.
- Decide if you are installing new or retrofitting an existing house.
- If installing new, do you want it in the slab of concrete? If not go to step 4.
- If retro fitting in an existing home, you can put Pex tubing below the floor (if accessible) and insulate under the tubing. Or, you can lay grooved plywood such as warmboard, that accepts the tubing, then put your flooring on top of that.
- After you decide, figure out how many separate zones you want to have (searately temperature setback zones, such as Bedrooms and living spaces).
- After you decide what fuel, what type, above or below floor, and number of zones it is easy to search the internet with these steps.
Tips
- If you have wood on your property, it is almost free to use an outdoor boiler to heat your radiant flooring or place a coil inside your existing furnace. Use the warm water from the wood boiler to circulate heat through your home. Use a 2-stage thermostat to first use the fan or pump without the "Fuel" funace from coming on. This will use the fan or pump "Only" to blow or pump heat into your home without using the Gas, Oil or Electric heater. This saves almost all heating costs.
Warnings
- If using wood heat, make sure you check your back-up fuel heater to make sure it operates in case you are out of town and your wood heat boiler is not fed wood for days.
- Check with your buildings and code department on exhaust gas particulate composition.
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