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Floor Heating
What is hydronic radiant floor
heating?
The
Warm Floors Hydronic Radiant Floor Heating System consists of
plastic tubing laid within the floor circulating warm
water to different zones, warming the
floor surface.
How
does a hydronic radiant floor heating system work?
With a
Warm Floors Hydronic Radiant Floor Heating System, warm water is circulated through
PEX tubing to each room or zone.
Once the water is passed to each zone, the water
cools and returns to the heat source, is reheated and
then re-circulated.
Separate temperatures can be controlled using a
multi-zone controller.
Water can transfer energy more compact and
efficiently than air. A ½” tube can transport
sufficient energy to heat an entire house. For details – please
see the
single zone controller.
How long has hydronic radiant floor
heating been used?
Hydronic heating has been applied
even during Roman times some 2500 years ago using clay
pipes. Only in recent times, since approximately
1975, has it been practical to install low cost
plastic tubing in the floor.
What type of equipment does a hydronic system
require?
1. A heat source.
2. A fluid
distribution (single or multiple zones).
3. A zone controller
with relay and thermostat.
Is
maintenance required with the
Warm Floors
Hydronic Radiant Floor Heating System?
Very, very little or no
maintenance is required.
What
does
CITO Products do?
CITO Products, Inc. is the
manufacturer of Radiant Floor components and
systems. CITO Product's objective is to
design and build a high performance, affordable, simple, maintainable,
and reliable Warm Floors
Hydronic Radiant Floor Heating Systems.
What
territory does
CITO Products ship to?
We have set no territorial
restriction in the application of
Warm Floors
Hydronic Radiant Floor Heating Systems. A chilly home in Florida is as
desirable as a
home in Canada to be in a comfortable
temperature range.
Can a hydronic radiant floor heating system be installed in
an existing house?
This needs to be evaluated on a
case by case basis. Typically - if the ceiling in
the basement is accessible – the
Q-Panels
can be installed for the floor
above
and a small supply and return lines can be
connected to the heat source.
What is the advantage to use
hydronic radiant floor heating with high
ceilings?
Warm Floors
Hydronic Radiant Floor Heating Systems are
very effective with high ceilings and windows. Its
inherent virtues have been very beneficial in this
type
of construction. Benefits like keeping the occupant
comfortable and the cooler ceiling reduces the
heating bill.
Why is
this a good heating system for someone with health
problems?
Because there are no heating
ducts with a Warm Floors
Hydronic Radiant Floor Heating System, there is reduced
air movement
and less
circulation of dust,
odors and allergens. Without drying out the air, the system keeps moisture out,
preventing mold and mildew development. There is no healthier or better
heating system available than a
Warm Floors Hydronic Radiant Floor
Heating System. It will provide the warmth and
comfort where the human body needs it.
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Q-Panels
What are
Q-Panels?
Q-Panels are aluminium
attachable
radiating panels that snap onto the PEX tubing and
then are stapled to the floor joist. The
Q-Panels
heat rapidly, promptly changing the
room temperature as needed. See the
Warm Floors
Suspended
Convection Floor with
Q-Panels.
How many
Q-Panels will be
needed?
This is determined by the
Heat Loss Calculation.
How far apart should the
Q-Panels and the tubing run?
At a distance determined by the
Heat Loss Calculation.
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Heat
Source
What is the best type of
heater that can be used with a
Warm Floors Hydronic Radiant Floor
Heating System?
Warm Floors Hydronic
Radiant Floor Heating System
may be used with any heat source, however the
best performance can be obtained with
the new high efficient high water heater where the
flame is inside the water tank.
The heat source should have
sealed combustion. Fresh air is drawn from the
outside thus, does not use the oxygen from within the
dwelling.
Natural gas is the most
convenient followed by LP gas.
Any heat source may be used with
Warm Floors
Hydronic Radiant Floor Heating Systems,
providing the temperature is limited to be within
the system specification.
A heater best suited should have
the following:
-
A stainless steel heat
exchanger for long life and high performance
-
A sealed combustion – to
avoid using the oxygen from within the dwelling
-
A high performance heat
exchanger
(the combustion heat inside the water tank)
-
A storage tank that provides
stability and low temperature operation
-
A variable BTU output to
compensate for a wide range of heating loads
-
A condensation drain line
Warm Floors has tested and evaluated
some of the heaters available. See the
Warm Floors
Product Catalog.pdf
Is there a
Warm Floors
Hydronic Radiant Floor Heating System that provides domestic hot
water?
Yes – see the
Warm Floors
Installation Manual.pdf
Is a mechanical room needed with a
Warm Floors
Hydronic Radiant Floor Heating System?
A mechanical room is a neat way
to separate the rest of the useful space, however
since the Warm Floors
is very compact and is wall mounted a separate room
is not needed.
Is a separate water
heater needed with a
Warm Floors Hydronic Radiant Floor
Heating System?
A
Warm Floors may be configured to provide
the domestic hot water from a single heat source.
Does the entire house need to
be heated?
Depending on the house design, it
could have a single zone or a multi zone system. A
Warm Floors single zone system consists
of loop shut off valves
that can be used to shut down or reduce the heating
of an unused area. In a multi zone system the design
consists up to 8 zones to
control every zone individually. The choice depends
on the application and control requirements.
What is the difference between
a "boiler" and a “hot water heater”?
A boiler was used when steam was the preferred way to heat homes and larger
buildings. This was when coal was cheap and the heater design and manufacturing was at its
infancy. Plastic did not exist on
the market so, the material of choice was cast
iron and steel.
With the introduction of plastic,
it is now possible to heat areas with lower
temperatures thus making a boiler obsolete.
At lower temperatures any
"heat maker" will perform more efficient thus making
a "Water Heater" ideal for floor heating.
Is
the Warm Floors
boiler safe?
A boiler works under pressure and
high temperatures, therefore, it is not recommended in a home.
We have no need to “boil” anything. A
Warm Floors Hydronic Radiant Floor
Heating System works very
efficiently at low temperatures (typically 88-140° F).
It would be inefficient to heat the fluid to a high
temperature just to be reduced to a lower
temperature, such as the case of a "Boiler
Installation."
Are solar panels
available with a
Warm Floors Hydronic Radiant Floor
Heating System?
A solar heat source may be used
as a supplement heat source. The success of this
type of installation depends on many factors. We
recommend that you work with your local solar
expert.
Are geothermal systems
available with a
Warm Floors
Hydronic Radiant Floor Heating
System?
The
Warm Floors can very successfully work
with heat pumps and we recommend that you work with
your local geothermal expert.
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Installation
Where
can a contractor be found to install a
Warm Floors
Hydronic Radiant
Floor Heating System properly?
With the information in the
Warm Floors
Installation Manual, any qualified
heating contractor or technical person will be able
to install a system successfully. All major components of a
Warm Floors
Hydronic Radiant Floor Heating System are pre-assembled
by CITO Products, Inc. and are ready to be connected.
How
many Q-Panels are needed?
This is determined by the
heat loss calculation.
Can
a
Warm Floors
Hydronic Radiant Floor Heating System be installed just in the bathroom?
Yes – however in a small area it
may be more economical to install an electric
system. A
Warm Floors Hydronic Radiant Floor
Heating System is economical
when the whole house is heated from a single heat
source.
How much electricity does the
Warm Floors
Hydronic Radiant Floor Heating System require?
In a
Warm Floors installation, a 20 amp
breaker is the most that is needed to provide the
electric current to run. To run this system on an intermitted basis,
the actual current is
less than 5 amp from a 120 V outlet.
What are the structural
requirements on an upper floor?
The upper floor tubing is
installed in the ceiling below. The
suspended
convection floor is recommended. This installation is
simple and cost effective.
Q-Panels are
attached onto the PEX tubing and then stapled to the floor joist.
Tubing
What kind of tubing
is recommended in a
Warm Floors Hydronic Radiant Floor
Heating System?
Warm Floors
recommends using a high quality PEX (Polyethylene)
tubing that is designed specifically for hydronic floor heating.
It is
strong, flexible, light weight, and freeze
resistant. PEX tubing is long-lasting and is not affected by
aggressive concrete additives or water conditions. The typical home uses ½” ID
(5/8”OD) tubing and a commercial installation uses ¾”ID (7/8”OD) tubing.
How much
tubing will be needed?
This will be determined
by the heat loss calculation form.
How
far apart should the tube spacing
be?
This will be determined
by the heat loss calculation form.
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Cost
Compared to other systems,
is a
Warm Floors
Hydronic Radiant Floor Heating System cost effective?
Absolutely,
Warm Floors Hydronic Radiant Floor
Heating Systems were designed to be cost
competitive with conventional systems.
Can I have a quality
hydronic radiant
floor heating system at an affordable cost?
Yes you can. With a proper design and installed system, all experimental and
mystery costs can be eliminated.
How much does
the Warm Floors
Hydronic Radiant Floor Heating System
cost?
The cost may range widely since
the installation is depending on many factors,
including the installation of domestic hot water.
How much will the
Warm Floors
Hydronic Radiant Floor Heating System cost to operate?
Compared to conventional hot air, radiators or baseboard heating the
Warm Floors Hydronic Radiant Floor Heating System will always reduce the heating costs due to its inherent properly applied physics, providing the heat where you need it and not at the ceiling or out the chimney. A 30% - 40% reduction in costs can be expected.
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Planning
How can I get a proposal?
By completing our Quote Request form.
A heat loss calculation and planning assistance will be provided to assure a successful installation.
Is there a charge for a proposal?
We do not charge for a ballpark proposal.
Is design service offered?
Yes, we offer design service for 12¢ a square foot typically.
Can partial payments be made?
We do not finance projects. Typically a project is initiated with a 50% down payment and the balance is due prior to shipping. FOB Watertown, WI.
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Ventilation
What type of ventilation is available with the Warm Floors Hydronic Radiant Floor Heating System?
The inherent leakage (infiltration) will account for a small amount of air exchange typically, 1/8 of the volume per hour on a well built home. If an additional ventilation is desired, an air to air heat recovery exchanger may be installed. This air exchanger is part of the heat loss calculation.
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Air Conditioning
Can the floor be cooled with cold water?
No. According to basic law of physics, cold air is heavier than warm air resulting cold floors and warm room temperatures, therefore cool air must be delivered from the ceiling to reduce the humidity. It's impossible to accomplish both with a single system and expect good performance.
Does the Warm Floors
Hydronic Radiant Floor Heating System work together with air conditioning?
An air conditioning system may be controlled by the same thermostat, however, the function is to remove the excess moisture and cool the dwelling from above.
Since a typical heating system is designed to raise the temperature up to 100° F (20° below 0 to 80° above) and cool from 100° to 70° there is no way heating and cooling can efficiently work for both. There are numerous suppliers that provide small duct high velocity cooling systems that will do the cooling efficiently.
The Unico System,
Space Pak,
Hi-Velocity Systems, or
ECR Technologies, Inc.
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Concerns
What if a tube breaks in the floor?
With many miles of tubing installed in the past 25 years, not a single break has accrued. Should an accidental damage accrue, such as driving a nail into the tubing, this can easily be repaired with a coupling. The tubing will withstand an excess of 100 PSI at 180° F and is used in a typical installation at less than 10 PSI and less than 160° F.
What can be done to prevent the tubing from freezing in the event of a power outage?
If the dwelling is unattended in the winter for extended time periods, a glycol solution may be added or a stand by generator may be installed to provide electricity for the other appliances.
Does the Warm Floors Hydronic Radiant Floor Heating system create undesirable noise?
The circulation fluid flows at low velocity which makes it virtually noiseless in every part of the house.
The tubing suspended in the floor will expand and contract within the Q-Panel and performs without being noticed.
The heat source combustion fan is typically located in a separate room and will not be noticeable from anywhere in the house.
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Construction
What construction method is best for floor heating?
The best heat transfer, performance and stability is achieved with concrete and tile construction. Lower operating temperatures make it practical for solar and earth coupled heat pumps. However, a wood frame construction with plywood floors and carpeted floors can be efficiently heated with
Q-Panels.
Ground Slab construction with perimeter insulation.
Ground Slab in basement with ground insulation.
Suspended concrete floor
with mesh and concrete topping.
Wooden Joists with plywood decking and 2” lightweight concrete
Wooden Joists with plywood decking and carpet
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Floor
Coverings
What kind of flooring can be used with a Warm Floors
Hydronic Radiant Floor Heating System?
Any floor may be used with a Warm Floors Hydronic Radiant Floor Heating System, however the performance will greatly vary with the building material.
Tile
is an excellent choice since the dense material provides a great heat conductor and retains the energy for extended time periods.
See
www.tileusa.com
Concrete
is an excellent – low cost choice and can be applied in many decorative colours and patterns.
See
www.decorativeconcreteinstitute.com
Carpet
is a good insulator and can be used efficiently in the center of the room with tile on the perimeter. This is a great way to achieve both objectives: a comfortable and efficient system.
See
www.carpet-rug.com
Hardwood flooring
pre-finished hardwood floors are a good choice however the flooring is preferred from strips, not planks. The wood should have a low moisture content when installed.
See
www.hardwoodcouncil.com
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Insulation
Do
Warm Floors
Hydronic Radiant Floor Heating Systems require insulation specifications?
A well insulated dwelling with good insulation provides temperature stability and lower operating costs, no matter what kind of heating system is used.
What insulation is needed on a slab on grade construction?
A slab on grade construction must be insulated to minimize the heat migration into the perimeter soil, unless you want to have the earliest tulips in the neighbourhood.
Water
Treatment
Water treatment for the
Warm Floors
Hydronic Radiant Floor Heating Systems:
All floor heating systems are never contentiously heated. The water must be treated for algaecide or fungicide to avoid bacteria growth, regardless of type of heat source used.
For a dwelling that is continuously occupied
A
Warm Floors
Hydronic Radiant Floor Heating Systemmay use a water treatment that will protect the system from any fungicide/algaecide.
For
details please see the
Installation Manual.
Water
Frost protection
A Warm Floors
Hydronic Radiant Floor Heating System may use frost solution that will protect the system from freezing. A mixture up to 50% providing protection as low as -20° F without any significant viscosity changes.
For details please see the
Installation Manual.
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