Frequently Asked Questions about Electric Radiant Heat

General Information

Why should I use low-voltage radiant heat?
Low-voltage radiant heat is a safe, reliable, efficient, and long-lasting solution to your floor warming, space heating, and snow melting needs. Many high-voltage systems, on the other hand, tend to have much shorter warranties (5 to 7-year average) and typically don't last as long. The high-voltage current can wear out the carbon-based heating element faster. FloorHeat's durable conductive polymer has an industry leading, 20-year warranty and the low-voltage current has almost no detrimental effect on it, plus, because it is self-regulating, the heating element will last longer.

Hydronic systems require large boilers that take up space, can break, and require costly maintenance. The boilers need to constantly operate to keep the fluid at the necessary temperature. The tubing used for hydronics requires disruptive floor buildup, and the concrete used to cover the tubing adds cost and structural weight to the building. If the tubes break, the liquid leaks. During the first year of operation, boilers require multiple maintenance visits to operate at the correct settings. The low-voltage systems only need to be adjusted once by the installer. The system will then self-diagnosis itself automatically every 30 minutes thereafter and is only on when it needs to be. The FloorHeat heating element adds no additional structural weight. With the low-voltage radiant heat systems, you can rest at ease knowing that your floors will be luxuriously warm!

How reliable is low-voltage radiant heat?
The radiant heat systems have no moving parts which makes them very reliable. Correctly installed, the systems require virtually no maintenance. There are no parts to lubricate or clean, and no filter to change-ever. In fact, the vast majority of the systems, including the ones installed over 20 years ago, have not needed a single maintenance call!

How big of an area can I heat with this type of radiant heat?
Each system is custom designed. There is no minimum and no maximum to the area the systems are capable of heating.

Is low-voltage safe?
Low-voltage electricity is the safest type of electricity. If you wanted, you could hook up the system, turn it on, and walk directly on top of the heating element and not receive a shock, even if you were soaking wet. All you would feel is nice soothing warmth produced by the radiant heat system.

Is there a fire hazard?
Correctly installed, these radiant heat systems present no fire hazard.

How big is the control unit and where does it go?
The control unit is the size of a small microwave and is hung conveniently on a wall in the garage, attic or crawlspace. The control unit houses the transformer and the 'brains' of the system.

How efficient is low-voltage radiant heat?
The system is between 97% and 100% efficient. Other types of radiant heating systems can be up to 40% less efficient.

How is the radiant heat created?
A step-down transformer sends a low-voltage current (between 8-30 Volts) through the FloorHeat. The resistance of the polymer heat element creates enough radiant heat to safely warm the floor surface and heat the room. Uncomfortable cold tile and hardwood are warmed to a pleasant temperature determined by you. The radiant heat created is evenly distributed throughout the room. There are no cold spots or loud fans blowing dust particles around the room.

How much energy do these radiant heat systems consume?
Energy consumption is affected by many variables such as system size, elevation, outside temperature and how well the home is insulated. We can determine how much it will cost per continuous hour to operate the system once we know about the variables.

How much will it cost me to melt 300 square feet of snow on my driveway during a typical storm?
In Colorado, for example, a typical storm would cost only $1.50 to melt. Each state has its own kilowatt rate which affects the cost.

How much will it cost me to floor warm my 110 square foot tile bathroom?
In Colorado, it would cost less than 2 cents per hour to operate the floor warming system!

Who installs your radiant heat systems?
A certified electrician runs the power to the transformer. Any skilled craftsman can install the system.

How do I find out the pricing of a radiant heat system for my home?
Warmzone will custom design a custom system according to your needs. Pricing for your system will depend on the amount of square feet you want to cover and what will be the finished floor surface. Contact us for more information (888.488.9276).

Who do I contact to purchase a radiant heat system?
Radiant heat systems can be purchased directly from Warmzone.

Are your products good for remodeling?
Our low-voltage radiant heat systems are excellent for remodeling projects. The systems are controlled by a single compact control unit that can be installed up to 100 feet away from the room being heated, if necessary. Using our systems to heat an additional room makes the designing of that room easy and slick. No ductwork is needed and there's no need to worry about weight load. The FloorHeat is installed directly under the finished floor surface and out of sight. You will never know the system is there, except when you turn it on and feel the luxurious warmth it produces.

Does your product only work on floors or it can also be run through the wall?
The heating element is usually only used in the floor for heating, but we can splice the element to cold lead and run it through the wall to heat two rooms divided by a wall. FloorHeat can actually be installed in a wall and covered to produce more heat for the room, if needed. This is not a very common application, but has been done to produce more heat for rooms with vaulted ceilings and substantial heat loss.

Can a single system be used to heat two different rooms on separate floors?
Our largest FloorHeat system (zone) will cover approximately 700 sq. ft. Every zone has its own control unit, heating element, and thermostat. You can jumper from one room to another (even if they're on different floors) on any system. We can produce enough heat with our systems to heat your entire home, or simply provide a supplemental heat and warm your floors.

How much do your systems cost?
Costs vary greatly depending on the size of the area being heated. The systems can be as low as $5.50 / sq.ft. when heating areas around 475 sq. ft., and over $10 / sq. ft. when heating smaller areas under 200 sq. ft.

Is there anything that monitors the system to assure its working properly?
The circuitry in the Control Unit constantly monitors the system to assure its working properly. 100% of the heating element is uniformly heated. If there is any trouble with the system, it automatically turn itself off.

How hot do your systems heat the floors?
On average people will set the floor to be around 70 degrees, but depending on how the system is designed, it is possible to heat the floors to over 100 degrees.

Can your systems be powered by solar energy?
As long as you can supply enough power to the system, it can run off any electrical source. Here is a breakdown of the power requirements for different sized systems:

� FloorHeat systems heating a 21 to 300 sq. ft. area require a 240 V. 20 amp breaker
� FloorHeat systems heating a 300 to 740 sq. ft. area require a 240 V. 30 amp breaker

Are there any advantages as to which type of floor your system works best with or it works the same with all?
Some floor surfaces will heat up a little quicker than others, but once the floor surface is up to temperature, the system has equal effectiveness. Our systems can heat any floor surface to a temperature that will be desirable.

Does your product have the capability of operating by itself and turn on automatically when it is snowing?
Yes, you can either activate the snow melting systems with a manual or automatic device. The automatic device detects moisture in the air, as well as the temperature to activate the system.

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FloorHeat

What is FloorHeat?
FloorHeat is a thin, flexible, yet very durable polymer heating element. It is used to provide radiant floor heat for all types floor surfaces, and comes in rolls (9 and 12-inches wide), and can be cut to the desired length and field-wired on site.
The element is self-regulating which means that when the ambient temperature rises, the electrical resistance increases and the consumption of electricity decreases. For this reason, the element cannot overheat.

Does it require any floor buildup?
No, because it is "paper thin" no floor buildup or construction alteration is required. This is not the case with other types of radiant heat systems.

Does FloorHeat use a thermostat? How is it activated?
Each system uses an attractive programmable thermostat. The thermostat can be programmed to measure floor temperature, air temperature, or it can be set to be on at desired times.

How is FloorHeat secured to the floor?
The heating elements are secured to the subfloor with adhesive, staples, or pegs, making installation quick and easy.

What kind of floor can I put over FloorHeat?
Virtually any floor surface can be installed directly over the heating element, including tile, slate, marble, hardwood and carpet.

How does FloorHeat and radiant heat affect hardwood flooring?
FloorHeat, and the heat produced by it, have no effect on hardwood, or any other type of flooring, other than providing comfortable warmth.

What if I want to heat my existing floor, can I still use your floor warming system?
Yes, if you have access to underneath the existing floor, we can install our system in the floor joists.

How long is the warranty?
FloorHeat comes with an outstanding, comprehensive 20-year manufacturer's warranty.

How long has FloorHeat been in use?
The self-regulating polymer technology used by FloorHeat was developed in 1981 and first used to provide heated seats for automobiles Since then, thousands of FloorHeat systems have been sold worldwide (for over 25 years) and are still working perfectly.

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