Hot Water Floor Heating System Design

The two systems are basically tied together.

Hot water floor heating system design. There are two types of radiant floor heating electric and water based systems. If you are new to radiant heat our design and construction manual is a must read this manual provides a wealth of general information about radiant heat. Watts has solutions for electric floor heating systems as well as hydronic hot water floor heating systems including for radiant heating systems using solar and. The heat generated from the hot water will then rise and warm the floor above.

It is also the least efficient. Most of the heat rises to the ceiling. Slab insulation methods calculating heat loss tubing options system options and much more all written in easy to understand language for the homeowner with pictures and diagrams. The open system heater to provide both floor heating and domestic hot water.

Both provide heating in a room from the floor up for consistent efficient warmth. Warm heat distributed with forced hot air systems is uneven. They both heat hot water this is true but their function is different. In a gravity system the circulation of water is due primarily to thermal and density differences between hot and cold water.

A gravity hot water heating system is the oldest and simplest system to heat homes. As water heats it expands displacing the cooler and less dense cooler water throughout the system. With radiant floor heating in concrete the heat is concentrated at the floor making you feel comfortable at a lower thermostat setting and will eventually rise to heat your entire house. There are three different ways to install hydronic radiant floor systems.

A line sized control valve can pass all the hot water. This is especially true when the valve is used to mix high temperature boiler water to a substantially lower temperature for a radiant floor heating system. Many people use these terms interchangeably but the reality is that they are very different. Warm water systems run hot water through pipes to create heat whereas electric underfloor heating heats wiring beneath the floor to generate heat.

In such systems the amount of hot water required in the mix is usually only of 15 to 20 of the flow rate in the distribution system. The same water that ends up in your hot shower or dishwasher for example has passed through the floor first. This is a very efficient system because one heat source is doing all the work. Hydronic system design manual dectra corporation march 2013 2 the garn unit all related heating equipment including pumps piping fan coils hot water baseboard radiant floor heating systems etc and all electrical equipment including power wiring controls control wiring back up.