As more and more people in the U.S. look for cheaper and more environmentally-friendly alternatives to heat their home, electric radiant floor warming has become a popular option! In 2011 47%, and as of May 2012, about 54% of an average household’s energy costs are reportedly devoted to heating and cooling. Whether you’re trying to be more environmentally conscious or just reduce heating costs, clean energy alternatives are quickly becoming a great way to go green and save green.
More than half of all American households use natural gas to heat their home. Although widely considered the cleanest fossil fuel, it is still a greenhouse gas and a huge contributor to carbon emissions. In fact, the burning of natural gas now represents over 20% of the greenhouse gases that contribute to global warming.
Radiators, another heating option still widely used, are often quite costly due to the amount of time they take to heat up and cool down. This means it takes more energy, and ultimately costs more to heat a room less efficiently. Other considerations include their reliance on water (another environmental impact) and the fact that they don’t heat a room evenly, with all of the heat coming from a single location.
Underfloor heating, with its large surface distribution throughout a room, can reduce energy costs from 20-40%. Rapid heat distribution and easy temperature regulation mean that floor warming-based thermostats can typically be set 2-4 degrees lower than furnace or radiator thermostats. They’re also much more efficient with 100% of electricity converted to actual heat!
Another popular, eco-friendly alternative these days is solar power heating. While this certainly reduces environmental impact, their efficiency depends on the amount of solar radiation received by the surface area, as well as surface reflectance. Surface emissivity (i.e.: the ability to create energy by radiation), ambient temperature, and thermal convection from wind can also effect the performance of a solar power-based heating system.
If you’re ready to reduce your carbon footprint, lower your energy bills, and have a more evenly heated home, then electric radiant floor warming is your best option. All floor warming systems sold by Warm Your Floor have very low Electromagnetic radiation and carry a very long expected lifespan.
Can I install hardwood parque (1'x1') flooring over these mats? If so, I will need to know placement of
electrical boxes,number of circuits to run, voltage required and guage wire to be used. I am wiring my addition and will need this info. My electrician informed me of your web site. I appreciate any help you can give me.
Sincerely,
Kent Seeman
Posted on February 7, 2013 at 8:16 am
Hello Kent,
Thank you for your question and interest in Electric Radiant Floor heating mats
Yes, you can install a wood parquet floor over the SunTouch mats. The mats simply need to be covered with a thin layer of mortar (self leveling mortar is ideal) so the heating elements are completed embedded in this new layer to protect them and evenly distribute the heat. Then you simply glue the parquet squares to this new layer once it is cured (typical installation method for parquet). This is the best method for all type of engineered wood or laminate floors that are normally glued down or floated.
You can see complete installation instructions – especially pages 13 & 14 for wood flooring - here http://www.warmyourfloor.com/media/SunTouch-Tape-Mat-D12-Installation-Manual-Current-WYF.pdf
We suggest keeping the floor temperature below 80 degrees (most people set their thermostat temperature at 70-74 degrees F in living areas, a little higher in bathrooms) and you can verify that this is an acceptable installation with the flooring manufacturer as well.
Warm Your Floor also offers free design services and no obligation quotes, if you would like to forward your room measurements in a sketch, we would be glad to suggest the best options.
We can certainly make recommendations on specific details once we have more information about your project and you can find more details in the installation manual by clicking the above link.
A 240v circuit of 20 amps will allow installation of up to 300 Sq Feet of heated area, which is 15 amps actual load, (a 120v circuit up to 150 SF). The power lead on the mats are 14 AWG; local and National electric code determine wire gauges for your installation, typically a 20 amp 240v circuit (loaded to 15 amps) would require 12 AWG wire, but your electrician is a professional with those exact answers for your area.
We recommend 120v systems for installation of 150 SF or less, and 240v for larger areas. Each thermostat or relay can handle up to 15 amps.
Sincerely,
Warm Your Floor
Posted on February 7, 2013 at 9:27 am