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






The Joys of Radiant Heat

April 01, 2010 00:04 AM  BY  BENSON RICKS

Radiant Snow Melting and Floor Heating Systems Rock Our World

Radiant heated drivewayIt’s not something you might think of every day but radiant snow melting systems are certainly something you’ll wish you had at certain times of the year. Automated snow melting systems have proven critical in many parts of the country – for both commercial and residential applications. How much easier can it get than to pull into a snowless driveway after a full day of snow fall? Or better yet, how about waking up to a snow covered landscape and a clear driveway?

From heated driveways and roof ice melting systems to cozy heated floors, radiant heating has provided new levels of convenience, comfort and safety in the last few years. And not only do you have a choice nowadays to install these conveniences when building a home or commercial project, but existing driveways and floors can be retrofitted with electric radiant heating systems. The technology and products have advanced to the point where radiant heat offers reliable, fully automated, maintenance-free performance. You owe it to yourself to explore the many snow melting and floor heating options.


  Radiant Heat Information  

AddThis Feed Button






Radiant Heaters Offer Reliability and Comfort Year Round

December 24, 2008 00:12 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

You may not know that radiant heaters for your home or business come in a variety of forms – all efficient and providing reliable, cozy warmth. Today we’re going to discuss one form of radiant heaters: hydronic floor heating.

Quite a name, isn’t it? 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.

For heating smaller areas such as 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, might not be worth the small amount you will save in operational costs.

Radiant Heaters Tip: Many recent developments have made hydronic systems more convenient and possible radiant heater solutions for major home remodeling projects.


  Radiant Heat Information  

AddThis Feed Button






Added Value with Radiant Heaters

December 11, 2008 00:12 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

In today’s housing market, it’s not a bad idea to add value to your home in new and innovative ways.For example, 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. You see, 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: 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.


  Radiant Heat Information  

AddThis Feed Button






Hydronic Radiant Heating

December 19, 2008 00:12 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

Hydronic under floor heating are the most popular form of radiant heaters. This is mainly because these radiant heaters have been around the longest. This form of heating was first used by the Romans, but there have been significant developments since. In the most recent hydronic systems, PEX radiant tubing has been installed in a concrete mass called Gypsum Concrete or “Gypcrete.” This method works very well in most applications, but there have been developments in the installation process of hydronic under floor radiant heaters 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.

If you’d like to know more about both types of hydronic heating systems, contact the expert staff at warmzone.com.  They can help match your individual project with the best system at the best price. There isn’t a single system out there that is an ideal fit for every project, but there is an ideal system for every project. Also, because of the relationship that warmzone.com has with the manufacturers, they can guarantee the lowest price on the highest quality systems available.


  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 Systems

November 20, 2007 00:11 AM  BY  WARMZONE

Heating systems for homes and businesses are faced with an increasing number of options to consider for their primary and secondary heating. While fire places and coal burning stoves become less popular, other alternative heating methods are quickly becoming more common. Traditional furnaces as a primary heating system are now being challenged from radiant baseboards, radiant floor heating systems and even radiant ceiling heaters. Many of these new heating systems are using electricity instead of natural gas or heating oil.

Space heaters are also becoming a less expensive option to upgrading a poorly insulated home or to add supplemental heat to cold areas. Thermostone heaters and heated towel warmers from Climastar mount to a wall and are a couple of heating systems that have been commonly used in Europe for decades are now gaining acceptance in the United States. Many interior designers are adopting these electric heating systems as fashionable accessories to bathrooms, basements and home offices.

A common challenge to traditional heating systems is the inability to zone your home for specific areas of the home without heating the entire home. Electric radiant heating systems can be easily designed to be independently controlled by zone which enables a home owner to increase the temperature for defined areas of the home during occupancy and conversely allows a particular zone to remain off during down times. This strategy not only saves the home owner money, it gives you complete control to efficiently warm you most used living spaces without comprising cost.

Choosing the best heating system 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 inside of your budget. Contact us by phone or email to learn more about your home heating goals and we will sell you a heating system that works for you.

 

About Warmzone
Warmzone provides consumers with energy-efficient, radiant heating solutions for homes and businesses. Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, Warmzone's electricians and radiant heat experts will help you determine the best radiant heating solution, ranging from electric heated floors to large commercial snow and ice melt projects. Send us a plan or drawings and we'll be happy to provide you with a FREE estimate and options for your roof heating and ice melting project.


  Radiant Heat Information  

AddThis Feed Button






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. 


  Radiant Heat Information  

AddThis Feed Button






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. 


  Radiant Heat Information  

AddThis Feed Button






Radiant Heaters Provide Optimal Heating Solutions for Small Spaces

December 23, 2008 00:12 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

For homeowners or renovators, it’s worth taking a look at several kinds of radiant heaters for residences or businesses. Today we’ll discuss the electric cable heating system kind of radiant heaters.

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. On some radiant heater 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 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 cable systems can only be installed under tile; 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 with a radiant heater, it is nearly impossible to beat the simplicity and price of an electric cable heating system. 


  Radiant Heat Information  

AddThis Feed Button