Radiant Under Floor Installation: "Tricks of the Trade"
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Until somebody comes up with
a better hot water delivery
system, radiant heat tubing will
be a major component of all
radiant under floor installations.
Pex tubing isn't hard to work
with, but there are tricks of the
trade you can employ to make
the job go faster and still end
up with a first class install.
One thing I've noticed about
under floor installations lately is
the absence of aluminum heat
transfer plates.
a better hot water delivery
system, radiant heat tubing will
be a major component of all
radiant under floor installations.
Pex tubing isn't hard to work
with, but there are tricks of the
trade you can employ to make
the job go faster and still end
up with a first class install.
One thing I've noticed about
under floor installations lately is
the absence of aluminum heat
transfer plates.
Another option is Pex or Wisbro clips which attach to the subfloor and allow the tubing
to hang an inch or two below the subfloor.
A third device for tubing support are slide brackets pictured above. These allow for
quick install and, like other fasteners, reduce noise by allowing effortless expansion
and contraction of the polystyrene piping.
Here are some of the "tricks of the trade" that will help the work go easier.
1. Run the tubing when the joists are as unobstructed as possible, before the other
trades do their work and before cross bridging is installed. Work from below whenever
possible. Push and pull at the same time. If you pull too hard on the pipe without
pushing, you will get a kink. Have someone feed the tubing to you. Work with the
tubing at room temperature. Tie a rope around the coil to keep it together.
2. Don't try to work with a length of tubing that is unnecessarily long. Anything longer
than 200 ft. will become more difficult as the tubing must pass through more holes. If
the work becomes too difficult because there are too many holes and joists, cut the
tubing and start again. Couple the tubing ends together later.
3. Tape the open end of the pipe to keep out sawdust and dirt.
4. Each tubing has a minimum bending diameter and if you try to make a sharper
bend, you are likely to get kinks. Smaller diameter tubes can make sharper turns but
they put out less heat and have higher costs. In general, work with the largest tube
you can.
5. The more workers, the easier the work will proceed. It is ideal to have one person
at each point where the tubing turns. For do it yourself projects, it is a good excuse
for a party.
6. Consider skipping every other joist space, and then, at the end of the building, turn
around and come back through the joists that you missed. The advantages are that
the turns will be wider and that there is no need to run a return pipe.
to hang an inch or two below the subfloor.
A third device for tubing support are slide brackets pictured above. These allow for
quick install and, like other fasteners, reduce noise by allowing effortless expansion
and contraction of the polystyrene piping.
Here are some of the "tricks of the trade" that will help the work go easier.
1. Run the tubing when the joists are as unobstructed as possible, before the other
trades do their work and before cross bridging is installed. Work from below whenever
possible. Push and pull at the same time. If you pull too hard on the pipe without
pushing, you will get a kink. Have someone feed the tubing to you. Work with the
tubing at room temperature. Tie a rope around the coil to keep it together.
2. Don't try to work with a length of tubing that is unnecessarily long. Anything longer
than 200 ft. will become more difficult as the tubing must pass through more holes. If
the work becomes too difficult because there are too many holes and joists, cut the
tubing and start again. Couple the tubing ends together later.
3. Tape the open end of the pipe to keep out sawdust and dirt.
4. Each tubing has a minimum bending diameter and if you try to make a sharper
bend, you are likely to get kinks. Smaller diameter tubes can make sharper turns but
they put out less heat and have higher costs. In general, work with the largest tube
you can.
5. The more workers, the easier the work will proceed. It is ideal to have one person
at each point where the tubing turns. For do it yourself projects, it is a good excuse
for a party.
6. Consider skipping every other joist space, and then, at the end of the building, turn
around and come back through the joists that you missed. The advantages are that
the turns will be wider and that there is no need to run a return pipe.
Alternative-Heating-Info.com
| Heat transfer plates Click to enlarge |
Aluminum transfer plates, as the photo on the left illustrates,
hold the tubing in place and transfer the heat radiated from
the tubing to the subfloor. But transfer plates are expensive.
A 900 square foot parallel run like you see here would cost
around $1,600 just for the plates. So it's not surprising if a
radiant system designer chooses to forego the plates in
favor of less expensive foil barriers.
hold the tubing in place and transfer the heat radiated from
the tubing to the subfloor. But transfer plates are expensive.
A 900 square foot parallel run like you see here would cost
around $1,600 just for the plates. So it's not surprising if a
radiant system designer chooses to forego the plates in
favor of less expensive foil barriers.
The foil barriers used to insulate hydronic tubing have
the same properties as a radiant attic barrier, which
means 97% of the radiant heat is reflected upward
creating a heated air space while only 3% is emitted, or
allowed to escape from the joist cavity.
The cost to insulate the same 900 sq. ft. using a foil
barrier would be around $400, or 75% less than transfer
plates.
If you use a radiant barrier instead of transfer plates to
conduct the heat upwards you'll need an alternate
method to secure the radiant tubing in place.
The quickest method is using a Mangone staple gun with
"stand off" staples to secure the tubing to the side of
each joist.
the same properties as a radiant attic barrier, which
means 97% of the radiant heat is reflected upward
creating a heated air space while only 3% is emitted, or
allowed to escape from the joist cavity.
The cost to insulate the same 900 sq. ft. using a foil
barrier would be around $400, or 75% less than transfer
plates.
If you use a radiant barrier instead of transfer plates to
conduct the heat upwards you'll need an alternate
method to secure the radiant tubing in place.
The quickest method is using a Mangone staple gun with
"stand off" staples to secure the tubing to the side of
each joist.
| Foil barrier insulation |
| Slide brackets |
