Hi,
Has anyone installed electric radiant heat in their floors? We are about to remodel and I would like to tile the main living spaces with slate tile. I’m concerned about the tile feeling cold.so I would love to add infloor heat. We can’t use hydronic radiant heat since that would raise the floor height. The electrc wires add barley anything to the floor ht.
I am wondering how often the heat has to be turned on to keep the floors comfortable.and what kind of costs do you seem to be paying. This would be suplimental heat, not the primary heat source.
Thanks for any info ASAP…demo is SUPPOSED to begin next week.
ljg
Replies
I haven't done this yet, but am planning on doing it later. What I have read is that you don't have an on/off switch, but you can attach a digital thermostat so you can have it go on in the morning and evenings, but off while you are away at work.
what is the main heat source now ??
i dont think you would be making a mistake radiant heat is very good and thermosaticly controlled look in the back of fine homebuiolding for some of the radiant electric sites on the web
I'll do that. thanks
Oh sorry...the main heat source is forced air. The cost of electricity is too high to switch, so I just wanted to use the electric radiant to warm up the tiles in the morning. I am in the process of adding energy efficient windows and also replacing a VERY inefficient wood burning fireplace to gas (with a fan). Can you tell heat is a big deal to me!!! :-) I have lived in this house for 10 years and I am ALWAYS freezing.
I Love the look of the slate tile for my remodel but FEAR the cold!!!
I will look for resources in the back of FHB...thanks
If you've been using the fireplace for heat, that may be one of the reasons why your house is cold. Fireplaces that do not have an intake for outside air built directly into them are sucking all of your warmed air right out of the house. A fireplace-sized fire needs more than 20,000 cubic feet of air an hour, and it's taking the air you've heated to make your house comfortable. When you do your conversion, make sure the firplace has an intake vent and also a glass door between the fire and the room. You get to look at it, but you don't have to feed it all the air you've heated in your house.
I absolutely love fires and at our last house (rented) we burned 1-1/2 to 2 cords of wood a year. The house was drafty and cold and in the winter I lived by the fireplace. Now we have a house with no fireplace and my husband wants to install one. I've been doing the research-- If I'd known then what I know now, I'd have used the fire a lot less and I'd have installed a glass front, landlord be damm'd.
we have to talk further but i dont have the tim e right now sorry
i have went the whole yard on heat LOL
Great,
I am very curious. I have consided skipping the radiant, since it will only be to warm the tiles essentially in the morning...but...as we are now living in 1/2 the house while the remodel transpires...we have set up our temp kitchenin our tile entry way. I went out to make coffee this morning...bare foot...the slate tile of the entry was freezing...so I think adding some coils in the main circulation areas would be wise.
Did you use electric???
I have electric radiant heat, although I rarely use it. I heat mostly with a woodstove. It is nice to have the warm floors, however, it is very slow to heat up. I think it would be expensive for you to use it just to heat up the tiles in the morning. Perhaps it would be more cost effective to put down some strategically placed scatter rugs? Wear slippers? :-)
AnnL; MotherHen/Hobby Farmer
We have it installed in our new master bath (NuHeat) but have experienced some problems - we're in the process of working it out with NuHeat.
It's under a tile floor over a concrete slab foundation. It's there to suplement forced hot air, because forced air alone won't heat up the slab at all.
The company has been really good in the customer service area however - so when it's working I'll let you know.