Questions Concerning Home Heating

December 03, 2008 00:12 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

When replacing a home heating system, there are a lot of questions that people have in regards to new home heating systems.  Here is a questions that was recently asked.

Q: My 1,200 square foot home used to be heated by a furnace from 1949 that ran at 25,000 BTU. Recently I changed the system to a newer, 7,000 BTU system. I thought this newer heater would be more efficient, but I find that it takes much longer to heat the house than the older system did. Is there something wrong with my furnace or do I need one that has a higher BTU?

A: It’s a good idea to replace old heating systems with newer, more efficient models. These new models can work just as well or better than old systems, but they do work differently. Where old furnaces could be turned on and heat the house within a matter of minutes, new heating systems can take longer. If you want your home to be warm at a certain time, set the heat to go on about 45 minutes prior to that.

Another important factor is whether your home is “weather-tight.” Make sure all doors and windows are properly sealed. If not, you may be losing heat at the same rate your heating system is producing it. Check with a heating contractor who can tell you whether the new unit is sized correctly for your home’s square footage.


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

December 11, 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. 


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What's Your Plan This Winter

October 26, 2008 00:10 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

Winter weather is on the way. Start thinking about heating system solutions for the coming winter months or spend the season shivering and wishing you’d planned ahead. Leaving decisions like this to the last moment (for example, when your furnace up and dies in the middle of a brutal Nor’easter) causes unnecessary stress, expense, and, most obviously, a freezing cold house.

Whether you are building a new home from the ground up, preparing to replace your heating systems are using electricity instead of natural gas or heating oil. Not only does this cut down on heating costs, but it is also more efficient and eco-friendly as well. Radiant heating systems are quickly replacing traditional furnaces.

Heating Systems Tip: Choosing the best heating systems for a new home or to add supplemental heat to a cold spot in your home now takes a little homework. The radiant consultants and designers at Warmzone have been trained in all of the latest heating systems to properly assess your project and prescribe a system that will add value to your home within your budget.

 


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Non-Traditional Home Heating

December 20, 2008 00:12 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

Not traditionally used in heating homes, flat panel radiant heaters are used to heat objects via radiant heat transfer. These radiant heaters have traditionally been used in a variety of industries and applications, such as space heating, drying, curing, and water evaporation. More recently, these heating systems are also gaining popularity in home heating applications as well.

Radiant heaters use different types of emitter surfaces. Choices include: quartz, high-temperature glass, stainless steel, and ceramic tiles. These are all materials that are easily and efficiently used in home applications such as flooring, countertops, and towel racks. Because these items are easily turned into emitter surfaces for radiant heat, they can easily and beautifully be incorporated into home heating applications such as heated floors, walls, and towel racks.

To find out about radiant heaters for your home, check with the folks at warmzone.com. They have a complete product catalog of radiant heating solutions that can accommodate almost any application or budget.

Radiant Heaters Tip: radiant heaters a great way to efficiently heat a home, while maximizing your home’s beauty, but they are very cost effective and easy to install. 


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Hunting for a Heating Solution?

December 18, 2008 00:12 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

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.

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: 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.

 


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Perfect Climate for Comfort

December 21, 2008 00:12 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

In today’s volatile and topsy-turvy housing market, it’s not a bad idea to add value to your home in new and innovative ways.Don’t just think about renovating a bathroom, consider using radiant heaters to warm towel racks in the bathroom, or a heated floor.Can you think of anything cozier on a chilly winter morning than toasty toes when you step out of the shower?

Not only is radiant heating is one of the most comfortable ways to heat your home, but radiant heaters also offer a surprisingly wide diversity of applications. Radiant heaters can be used in a number of applications, including in tiled areas, hardwood flooring, carpeted areas, cement floors, basements, and garages.

Radiant heaters are a type of heater that warms objects instead of air. 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: The variety of high efficiency boilers or electric radiant floor systems makes radiant heat one of your most efficient ways to heat your home.


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Radiant Heating Delivers Comfortable and Efficient Heat

December 25, 2008 00:12 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

As demands for lower energy costs increase, 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.
In a nutshell, radiant heating is among the most efficient forms 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 radiant heater 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.

Radiant Heaters Tip:  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. 


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LX, TX Cable, Whats the Difference?

November 03, 2008 00:11 AM  BY  RILEY PETERSON

Danfoss offers a myriad of cables for all kinds of projects, but figuring out the differences can be pretty tricky. I won’t go into technical details here, rather go over some basic differences that will help you choose which cable to use for which project.

Danfoss LX Cable Interior Cable, best for tile, marble, and slate flooring A thin 3/16-inch diameter electric radiant heating cable made specifically for tile installations. Because of the thinness of the cable, it can go directly into the tile thin-set (thin-set must not be more than ¼” thick or else it will crack the tile).
Danfoss TX Cable Interior Cable, tile, marble, hardwood, slate A thicker ¼-inch diameter radiant heating cable, made to be installed directly into concrete slab. The thickness of the cable makes it more durable to withstand heavier concrete pours.
Danfoss GX Cable Outdoor Cable, concrete, asphalt, brick pavers A thick ¼-inch diameter radiant heating cable, made for use in outdoor driveway, walkway, and sidewalk snow melting. Heavy cable built to withstand concrete pours and hot asphalt.

All of the Danfoss products give you the option of choosing between individual cable in lengths (it comes on a roll) or in woven mats, which has the cable rows pre-spaced and makes installation much quicker and easier. The only difficulty with the radiant mats is that it works best with rectangular areas; however, the mat can be cut to accommodate corners and custom layouts. (Just don't cut the heat cable!) If you have a complicated, odd shaped area to heat, you may be better off with installing the individual heating cable.


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Problem Solved!

December 22, 2008 00:12 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

Are your eyes so tired from all the research you’ve been doing because you’re looking to warm your floors with radiant heaters? We know, it sometimes can be hard to narrow down what kind of radiant heaters to install. There are dozens of products available to purchase, and there are even more companies telling you that their product is the best.

For many homeowners, electric cable heating systems, often called line- or high-voltage systems, are gaining popularity and are ideal for heating smaller areas like bathrooms, kitchens, and sun rooms. These systems are comprised of a thermostat and a heating cable. These radiant heater systems are oftentimes less expensive, and give the ability to customize a layout that will heat every square inch of your floor.

Every available radiant heater 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 radiant heater 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.

Radiant Heaters Tip: When heating smaller areas, it is nearly impossible to beat the simplicity and price of an electric cable radiant heating system.


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Evict the Allergens

December 16, 2008 00:12 AM  BY  JEN BAKER

A lot of people out there might hear about allergies and asthma and assume that they're only warm-weather maladies–I sure did once upon a time. But the sad and uncomfortable truth is, they’re very often year-round! Allergies and asthma affect at least 60 million Americans in one way or another, generally making the sufferers rather miserable. 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.

It could come as a surprise to learn 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.

Allergy experts agree that another way to keep your home healthy is to eliminate the dust mites that live in your home. 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: Did you know that simply 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?

 


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