Radiant heating in a concrete slab. Let us show you how easy it can be to install radiant heat!
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- Опубликовано: 18 янв 2017
- Installing Pex tubing in a concrete slab is one of the easiest ways to install radiant heat. When installed in a concrete slab, radiant underfloor heating is very efficient and comfortable. Since the concrete slab radiant installation is fairly simple, many people fail to follow some simple yet very important steps thinking that it will work no matter what. To make sure you do the work right, please watch this video and read our manuals at: www.radiantec.com/installatio...
When you buy the tubing from Radiantec, we’ll provide you with a custom tubing layout. This layout is part of our free design assistance and many of our customers find it very helpful. Since concrete is a decent conductor for radiant heat, having an exact and perfect tubing arrangement isn’t necessary for most projects. You should try to use all of the tubing that was specified, space it out reasonably well, and make sure the tubing lengths are neither too short or too long. In areas with a lot of windows, the tubing can be spaced closer. In the middle of the room or in closets, space it further apart.
Here are some general rules of thumb for concrete slab radiant heating installations. These recommendations are general in nature. As with any building project, be certain to check with your code official before starting the work.
1) On top of the compacted earth or sand, install a vapor barrier.
2) Lay down at least 2″ of rigid foam insulation. Extruded or expanded polystyrene is the material of choice. Radiantec doesn’t recommend using radiant barriers or “bubble wrap” insulation for radiant floor heating.
3) Install the wire mesh or rebar for the concrete slab.
4) Attach the tubing to the wire mesh or rebar using plastic zip ties. If there is no steel, it is acceptable to staple the tubing directly to the insulation.
5) Connect the radiant tubing to a Radiantec slab manifold and pressure test.
Be sure to also read our Design and Construction Manual and to give us a call with any questions. We’re here to help make sure your radiant heating project is installed correctly and will provide many years of trouble-free operation. 
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in Europe we are putting 150 to 300 mm EPS under a radiant slab - way beyond code. The box, sleeve detail is nice.
nice calm voice, very clear and succinct.
Has there been much study of the concrete slab as a heat sink or 'battery' to store solar heat?
during the day the solar gain heats the water and powers the pump to circulate warm water thru the slab so that at night it gives off it's stored heat.
Excellent video.
I used Radiantec when I built my house in 2001. Great company with plenty of support if needed.
Hi Mr. Rickert, thanks for the feedback!
Great video
Awesome!
Great video. Thanks !
Would have been nice to see the finished product, with pump and heater attached. Also to get an understanding how to control flow and temperature. Should the system be on circulating hot water always? Seems expensive.
Hi Barron, we didn't include that part in this video because there are a lot of options for how to heat the water. If you want to visit our website and go to the installation manuals, you can see instructions for different options. www.radiantec.com/installation-manuals/
Our control of choice for concrete slabs or any high thermal mass application is a floor sensor. You either embed or surface mount a sensor to the slab and you bring the slab up to the temperature of your choice. We find that this control maintains a very comfortable and stable environment. What we know is that in a well insulated space, the floor needs to be 4-6 warmer than what you want the room to be. So, if you want it to be 70 degrees in the room, you would set the floor at around 75 degrees and then adjust to find that magic number. Once you know what floor temperature keeps you comfortable, rarely will you ever have to adjust the setting.
The system will circulate hot water around 120 plus or minus 10 degrees only when there is a demand for heat. This is actually one of the most efficient way to heat. I install in floor heat HVAC and refrigeration and a customer requested I research this product...FYI once you have in floor heat and it is configured correctly you will never go back. My furnace never turns on in the cold Wisconsin winter. Boiler hot water heat is a even heat. If you were concerned regarding the overall cost of in floor using a boiler, then simply use a correctly sized water heater. In the video they use less than $500 in materials, closer to $350 if you were to purchase it all yourself.
I'm curious if this is only recommended for heating or can it be plumbed to circulate hot or cold water for cooling in the summertime?
Hi Mr. Lee, some companies I've heard of are trying to run chilled water through the tubing for cooling. The issue we've had in doing this is trying to control the humidity level in the home. There were condensation issues with the floor temperature reaching the dew point.
Can you tell me what should be the water temp that needs to be run through this system ?
We typically recommend the water temperature to be about 110-120 degrees F. for a slab application.
Thanks for the reply.
2” of insulation under the slab may not be recommended in the South due to hot summers.
You may have to do a calculation of heat flows to determine this.
Wood in the slab will rot and weaken the slab.
Believe it or not, the actual earth temperature below the center of the slab is about the same temperature in a warm climate and a cold climate. The 2" recommendation is a tried and true proven recommendation for heated slabs in all locations. With that being said, it's always wise to check with your local building codes to get their take on insulation methods.
As for the wood in the slab, I assume you mean the plywood box? This tiny amount of wood will have no impact on the bearing load of the slab and will not cause the slab to fail. Also, the box can be disassembled after the pour if you have concerns. We do have wall mounted manifolds (that are also shown in the video) if this slab manifold is not appealing.
Radiantec slab on grade is the standard in the South.
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It would have been nice if the manifold had valves so it could be left in place for future use. Nice video though.
I'm not sure what you mean by this. If you go to the end of the video you'll see that the top part of the manifold is cut off and discarded (the pressure testing kit) and the rest of the manifold remains. You then connect a copper or pex supply and return line to it to supply the zone with warm water.