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February 01, 2010 00:02 AM  BY WARMZONE
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Radiant Floor Heat vs. Baseboard Heating
The Battle
of the Home Heating Titans:
For years
baseboard heating has been the home heating system of
choice for many consumers. Relatively cheap and
easy to install, baseboard heating systems were
installed in new homes in the 70s, and without
knowing their other options, consumers have stuck with
it—until now.
Radiant
floor heating
is quickly trumping baseboard heating as the
titan of the home heating market. With its
superior heating capabilities and maintenance-free
logistics, radiant floor heating is persuading
consumers everywhere to make the switch from
baseboard heating to radiant heating.
By taking a
look at the pros and cons of each system,
you’ll quickly see that saying goodbye to
baseboard heating is one of the best
decisions you’ll make as a homeowner.
Weighing the
Differences
While both
baseboard heating systems and electric
radiant floor heating systems use similar
concepts, they are certainly not created equal.
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Radiant floor heating system installed
under hardwood floor.
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Baseboard heater installed on
hardwood floor.
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Efficiency: Baseboard heaters aren’t
exactly known for their efficiency. Heating a
whole room with a baseboard heater can take quite
a while, so you have to plan ahead if you want the room
to be warm when you’re home. Because they
take so long to heat up, baseboard heaters can
quickly rack up your electricity bill.
Because electric
heated floors heat the floor and the
objects around it, it takes half the time to heat
up a room. Radiant floor heating is 100 percent
effective, even at 50 percent capacity. Additionally,
100 percent of energy consumed by your radiant
heating system is used to heat the room.
Installation: Baseboard heaters are
relatively easy to install, but you have to waste a
large amount of wall space to do it. What’s
more, baseboard heaters are quite unsightly and
noisy, and they must be strategically placed as to not
conflict with furniture placement.
While under
floor heating systems require a
little more elbow grease to install, it’s not
difficult. Any motivated do-it-yourselfer can
install heated floors. Heat cable is also available,
pre-woven and spaced in mats to facilitate quick and
easy installation. And once installed, radiant
heated floors are out of sight, operate
silently, and require no wall space, so you don’t
have to worry about an unsightly heater sticking
out of your wall. After all, what’s a warm room
if it’s an ugly room?
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ComfortTile radiant floor heating cable
pre-spaced and woven into mat for easy
installation. |
Maintenance: Baseboard heaters use heat coils
that need to be frequently vacuumed. Dust on the coils
reduces the effectiveness and efficiency of the
heater, taxing your heating bill and reducing the
lifespan of the system in general. What’s more, a
dirty heater makes your house smell like burnt
dust—not the most pleasant smell in the
morning.
Radiant
heated floors require absolutely no
maintenance. It’s as simple as that.
There are no moving parts or coils to clean, and with
all the high-quality heat
cable and thermostat,
you can count on your floors to provide warmth for
years to come.
Safety: Consumers with baseboard heating
systems must take great care to keep furniture and other
objects away from the heater. This not only
interferes with design decisions, but also
presents a serious safety hazard. A home in Colorado was
destroyed after two suitcases leaning against a
baseboard heater ignited, causing $50,000 in
damages.
Radiant floor
heating is guaranteed to be safe. The heating cable used
is safely insulated and uses no high voltage, no
combustible gases, and doesn’t create any
hot surfaces. Warmzone radiant floor heating systems
also feature a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI).
The GFCI is a fast-acting circuit breaker designed
to shut off electric power in the event of a
ground-fault within as little as 1/40 of a second,
further ensuring safe operation. When it comes to
efficiency, effectiveness and safety,
electric radiant heated floors can't be
beat.
continued (Part II)
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Electric Heated Driveways vs. Hydronic Heating Systems
'Ride the Current' or 'Go With the Flow'?
If you've
finally put down the shovel and decided to purchase a heated
driveway system, will you be going
hydronic or electric? If you're a newcomer to the
concept of driveway heating, hydronic and electric
are both popular, and extremely viable forms of
driveway heat, and Warmzone has the expertise, and
experience, to help determine which is best for
you. What these systems share in
common—four key components you should be familiar
with before purchasing a heated driveway system:
Of the components mentioned above, the
heating element and the control source distinguish
hydronic heated driveway systems from electric heated
driveway systems.
Hydronic Heated Driveway Systems: Going with the Flow
The heating
element for a hydronic snow melting system, as you
may have guessed, involves water. Specifically,
hydronic heated driveways use what is known as
closed-loop tubing to heat the surface of the driveway.
The tubing is generally made of a flexible (and quite
durable) polymer or synthetic rubber to circulate
a mixture of hot water and propylene glycol
(antifreeze). The fluid is warmed to temperatures
between 140 to 180 degrees F to deliver enough
heat for snow melting.
A water
heater or a boiler is the chief source of heat for a
hydronic driveway heating system, which can be
powered by any energy source that satisfies the
btu requirements, including natural gas, electricity,
oil, wood, or even solar collectors. A circulating
pump and supply and return manifolds, installed in
an easily accessible location, transfer the water
between the heat source and tubing.
Electric Heated Driveway Systems: Riding the Current
Unlike
hydronic systems, electric
heated driveway systems use hot wires to
heat paved surfaces. These wires are surrounded by
layers of insulation, copper grounding braid and a
protective outer layer of PVC or polyolefin to form a
flexible cable about ⅛ to ¼ inch in
diameter. What’s great about the heat
cables is the flexibility of the application.
Cable is available on spools as well as pre-spaced and
woven into mats, and can be customized (cut) to
suit virtually any type of layout, including
driveways, common walkways and sidewalks.
After being
triggered by the snow
sensor, the control
unit then powers the heat cable to warm the
driveway. To reduce the power demands (and
operating costs), you can install cables in just the
tire tracks of a driveway rather than the entire
area. Warmzone offers several options and provides
complete system
design services to ensure that you receive
the best system layout and products
for your project.
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December 13, 2008 00:12 AM  BY STACEY BARRUS
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Recently John Thiffault of Carriage Lane
Homes wasrecognized by the Canada Mortgage
and Housing Corporation for building homes that
maximize health and efficiency.So what is
it about Thiffault’s homes that set them apart
from other homes, and make them safer and more
efficient?Well, Radiant
Heaters are one way.
Health Benefits.
Radiant
heaters improve the air quality, which is important,
especially for anyone who suffers from either
dust allergies or asthma. The heated towel rails
provide ample heat alleviating a breeding ground for
germs to multiply not to mention the added
benefit of not having change filters or clean
heat ducts.
Health experts also claim that
radiant heaters can help in eliminating dust
mites that live in our homes, and since dust mites love
a warm moist environment, towel heaters aid in
maintaining a consistent room temperature and
keep it moisture free. Furthermore, mold and mildew are
also caused from excessive moisture especially in
bathrooms with insufficient
ventilation.By placing radiant heaters or a
radiant heat towel rack in the bathroom you can combat
the spread of germs for only pennies a day.
Efficiency. Radiant
heaters are the most efficient form of heat
available. Significantly less operating time is
required to maintain the desired warmth compared
to furnaces and other methods of heating keeping
operational costs to a minimum. High efficiency boilers
or electric radiant floor systems makes radiant
heat one of your most efficient ways to heat
your home. Coupled with a well insulated home these
systems can quickly warm your home and then shut down or
wait idle for long periods of time before being
called upon by the thermostat to operate.
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December 22, 2008 00:12 AM  BY STACEY BARRUS
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Are your eyes so tired from all the research
you’ve been doing because you’re
looking to warm your floors with radiant
heaters? We know, it sometimes can be hard to narrow
down what kind of radiant
heaters to install. There are dozens of products
available to purchase, and there are even more
companies telling you that their product is the
best.
For many homeowners, electric
cable heating systems, often called line- or
high-voltage systems, are gaining popularity and are
ideal for heating smaller areas like bathrooms,
kitchens, and sun rooms. These systems are
comprised of a thermostat and a heating cable. These radiant
heater systems are oftentimes less expensive, and
give the ability to customize a layout that will
heat every square inch of your floor.
Every available radiant heater
cable system is equally effective, so when
determining which system to purchase, you should look at
the warranty of the product, along with the ease
of installation. Some cables must be embedded in
a separate layer of concrete or mortar, whereas
other systems can simply be installed in the thinset.
Most radiant
heater cable systems can only be installed under
tile. However, on others, if the cable is
embedded in mortar or concrete, any flooring can
be installed on top of the concrete.
Radiant Heaters Tip:
When heating smaller areas, it is nearly
impossible to beat the simplicity and price of an
electric cable radiant
heating system.
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February 01, 2010 00:02 AM  BY WARMZONE
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Of Water and Wires: Hydronic Heated Driveways vs.
Electric Heated Driveways
'Ride the Current' or 'Go With the Flow'?
If
you’ve finally put down the shovel and decided to
purchase a heated
driveway system, will you be going
hydronic or electric? If you’re a newcomer to the
concept of driveway heating, hydronic and electric
are both popular, and extremely viable forms of
driveway heat, and Warmzone has the expertise, and
experience, to help determine which is best for
you. What these systems share in
common—four key components you should be familiar
with before purchasing a heated driveway system:
Of the components mentioned above, the
heating element and the control source distinguish
hydronic heated driveway systems from electric
heated driveway systems.
Hydronic Heated Driveway Systems: Going with the Flow
The heating
element for a hydronic snowmelt system, as you may have
guessed, involves water. Specifically, hydronic heated
driveways use what is known as closed-loop tubing
to heat the surface of the driveway. The tubing is
generally made of a flexible (and quite durable) polymer
or synthetic rubber to circulate a mixture of hot
water and propylene glycol (antifreeze). The fluid
is warmed to temperatures between 140 to 180
degrees F to deliver enough heat for snow melting.
A water
heater or a boiler is the chief source of heat for a
hydronic driveway heating system, which can be
powered by any energy source that satisfies the
btu requirements, including natural gas, electricity,
oil, wood, or even solar collectors. A circulating
pump and supply and return manifolds, installed in
an easily accessible location, transfer the water
between the heat source and tubing.
Electric Heated Driveway Systems: Riding the Current
Unlike
hydronic systems, electric
heated driveway systems use hot wires to
heat paved surfaces. These wires are surrounded by
layers of insulation, copper grounding braid and a
protective outer layer of PVC or polyolefin to
form a flexible cable about ⅛ to ¼ inch in
diameter. What’s great about the heat
cables is the flexibility of the application.
Cable is available on spools as well as pre-spaced and
woven into mats, and can be customized (cut) to
suit virtually any type of layout, including
odd-shaped driveways, common walkways and sidewalks,
etc.
After being
triggered by the snow
sensor, the control
unit then powers the heat cable to warm the
driveway. To reduce the power demands (and operating
costs), you can install cables in just the tire
tracks of a driveway rather than the entire area.
Warmzone provides complete system
design services to ensure that you receive
the best system layout and products
for your project.
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Do You Have Warm Air, but Cold Toes?
Heating
from the Ground Up, Just Makes Sense
If
you’re like most folks, the first thing
you reach for as you get out of bed in the
winter are your slippers. Then you check the
thermostat to see if the room is really as
cold as it feels. The problem isn’t in
your furnace, and it isn’t your circulation;
it’s your floors. The simple fact is
heat rises.
Heated
floors, however, allow heat to start where
it’s most needed and then radiate up through
the room. With radiant heated floors, the
first thing to get warm are those cold toes,
followed by the rest of the room. If you have
small children or pets, they spend a lot more
time close to the floor than you do. They’ll
feel the difference of a heated floor right away.
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Radiant floor heating cable, pre-spaced
and woven into an
easy-to-install mat.
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The other
thing you’ll notice or won’t notice
with radiant
heated floor systems, is the constant
white noise of the furnace. A heated floor
silently goes about it’s job of heating the
room without a lot of noisy commotion from
burners lighting up and fans blasting autumn dust
throughout the house.
Do
yourself and your toes a favor and look into how
easy and affordable it can be to install
heated floors this year. You’ll love the way
you feel, and you’ll love not having to
hunt around for your slippers.
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Radiant Heat for Custom Applications
Finding a
Radiant Heating Solution as Unique as You Are
As
temperatures plummet and heat bills skyrocket, consumers
everywhere are turning to radiant heating systems.
As the most affordable and customizable option out
there, radiant heating is quickly making a name
for itself as a titan in the heating market.
So
radiant heating
is the latest and greatest, but what exactly
is so great about it and what can it do for you? One
word: customization.
When it comes
to radiant heating, the possibilities are endless.
Warmzone can design
a radiant heating system completely
customized for your home and lifestyle, and it's as
easy as one, two, three!
Choose
The first
step of your radiant heating revolution is choosing the
type of radiant heat you want.
Indoor Radiant Heating
Radiant heating can be installed under just
about any surface, including tile, carpet,
wood, etc. Put it in your bathroom, your kitchen,
your living room—anywhere you need heat. Each
room, or zone, can be controlled with its own thermostat.
giving you great flexibility along with
outstanding efficiency. Radiant
floor heating is an affordable way to keep
your house perfectly warm without racking up the
electricity bill.
Outdoor Radiant Heating
You can also
enjoy the benefits of radiant heating outdoors. Exterior
snow melting systems keep your property safe by
preventing pesky snow and ice buildup. There
are several outdoor radiant
heating products and options, including
heated driveways, sidewalks, roof heating, pipe tracing,
and portable
heating mats; all of which will make your
life a little easier in the harsh winter months.
Design
We realize
that your radiant heating system isn't the same as the
next customer's, so we'll work with you to come up
with a radiant heating system tailor-made to your
needs.
Once we assess your project's requirements,
our team will design a custom CAD drawing of your radiant heating
system telling you exactly what you get, where
you'll get it, and how much it will cost you.
Enjoy
With radiant
heating, your only job is to sit back, relax, and enjoy
your custom radiant heating solution. Let your heated
floors warm your home evenly and efficiently.
Sit back and watch from the warmth of your living room
as your radiant heated driveway does the shoveling
for you. And sleep in peace knowing that your
gutters and pipes are safe from nasty and
potentially devastating snow and ice buildup.
Why settle
for an out of the box heating solution? Let us help you
customize a radiant heating system that meets your
needs, fits your budget, and keeps you and your
family warm and safe.
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December 25, 2008 00:12 AM  BY STACEY BARRUS
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For anyone who is looking for a great way to
save energy, and maximize comfort, then radiant
heaters may be the ideal solution. Installing radiant
heaters in a home under construction or in an
existing home is proven to cut heating costs. It
works by putting water lines in the
home’s concrete floors or under existing floors
and running hot water through them. Radiant
heaters help to keep the whole house at a more
constant temperature. In this way, our regular heaters
don’t have to do as much to keep things
warm and toasty during the winter.
You’ll find that
switching to Radiant
heaters will not only help save energy and lower
heating costs, but it will certainly add to
comfort as well. That is because it put the heat
at our feet, which are generally cold, and offers cooler
air near head level, where we are generally a
little warmer.
Many times, what first springs
to mind when people think of eco-friendly energy
and heating is solar power. While solar panels are
expensive, there are other eco-friendly ways to cut your
power bill. In fact, energy savings can be found
right beneath your feet:
radiant
heaters.
Radiant Heaters Tip: It is reported that
many people waste a lot of energy by not sealing
cracks, doors and windows; checking to make sure a
home’s insulation is in good shape and replacing it
if it’s not is another good way to stop energy
waste.
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December 24, 2008 00:12 AM  BY STACEY BARRUS
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You may not know that radiant
heaters for your home or business come in a variety
of forms – all efficient and providing
reliable, cozy warmth. Today we’re going to
discuss one form of radiant heaters: hydronic floor
heating.
Quite a name, isn’t it?
Hydronic floor heating is the oldest and most
popular type of radiant floor heating. These systems are
comprised of a boiler or hot water heater,
pumps, manifolds, PEX tubing, thermostat, and
either gypcrete (a concrete-like material) or wood
panels. Hydronic heating is the most complex of
all radiant
heat systems. These systems require trained
professionals to design and perform the
installation. Your best economies of scale are achieved
for hydronic systems in large areas or entire homes
because of their expensive components and
operational costs. Hydronic systems can be
installed under any type of flooring. Most hydronic
systems require hot water tubing to be installed
in a 2-4″ bed of light concrete and are
best installed during the initial construction because
of its weight load demands and adjustments to
floor height.
For heating smaller areas such
as a bathroom or kitchen, a hydronic floor
heating system may not be the best value for your
project. The complexity and cost of installing
the system, along with the long-term maintenance
and up-keep required, might not be worth the small
amount you will save in operational costs.
Radiant Heaters Tip: Many recent
developments have made hydronic systems more
convenient and possible radiant
heater solutions for major home remodeling projects.
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December 21, 2008 00:12 AM  BY STACEY BARRUS
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Innovations in home heating are here and ready
to keep your home comfortably heated!Flat
panel radiant
heaters are used to heat objects via radiant heat
transfer. These radiant heaters have
traditionally been used in a variety of industries
and applications. Some of these applications include
space heating, drying, curing, and water
evaporation. More recently, these heating
systems are also gaining popularity in home heating
applications as well.
Radiant
heaters use different types of emitter surfaces.
Choices include: quartz, high-temperature glass,
stainless steel, and ceramic tiles. These are
all materials that are easily and efficiently used in
home applications such as flooring, countertops,
and towel racks. Because these items are easily
turned into emitter surfaces for radiant heat,
they can easily and beautifully be incorporated into
home heating applications such as heated floors,
walls, and towel racks.
To find out about radiant
heaters for your home, check with the folks at
warmzone.com. They have a complete product catalog of
radiant heating solutions that can accommodate
almost any application or budget.
Radiant Heaters Tip:
Not only are radiant
heaters a great way to efficiently heat a home,
while maximizing your home’s beauty, but
they are very cost effective and easy to
install.
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December 14, 2008 00:12 AM  BY STACEY BARRUS
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If you’re
in the market for a new home heating solution, you may be
wondering what kinds of home heating choices are there? A
majority of homeowners are probably most familiar with
forced air unit heaters and might not realize that
there are other options for heating a home – other
options that are more efficient and even more comfortable.
One such option are radiant
heaters, which, as opposed to warm air systems, delivers
the source of heat to the floor level, not the ceiling.
Radiant
heaters or radiant energy is the oldest form of heating
used to provide comfort and is the basis for all
heating systems. Radiant energy is totally pure
radiation and is absorbed by an object without physical
contact with the heat source or by heating the surrounding
air, as is the case with convective, forced air
systems. Believe it or not, under-the-floor heaters
were first used by the Romans. While under floor
heating was initially reserved for the rich, it eventually
became increasingly commonplace in public buildings
and villas. This form of radiant heating was used
particularly in the colder regions of the Roman
Empire. The Roman system was based on hypocausts, comprising
ducts that underlay the floor (itself built on raised
brick piles) and flues that were built into walls. Hot
air or steam from fires circulated up through this
system, warming the floor and walls, with heat passing into
the rooms. Radiant Heaters Tip: Health
experts agree that radiant heaters can help in
eliminating dust mites that live in our homes, and since
dust mites love a warm moist environment, towel
heaters aid in maintaining a consistent room
temperature and keep it moisture free.
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January 13, 2010 00:01 AM  BY AMY MORBY
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Why Settle When
you can Customize?
Finding a Radiant Heating Solution as Unique as You Are
As temperatures
plummet and heat bills skyrocket, consumers everywhere
are turning to radiant heating systems. As the most
affordable and customizable option out there, radiant
heating is quickly making a name for itself as a titan
in the heating market.
So
radiant heat
is the latest and greatest, but what exactly is
so great about it and what can it do for you? One
word: customization.
When it comes to
radiant heating, the possibilities are endless. No
matter what you want or where you want it, Warmzone can design
a radiant heating system completely customized
for your lifestyle, and it’s as easy as 1,2,3.
1. Choose
The first step of
your radiant heating revolution is choosing the type of
radiant heat you want.
There’s no
limit to what radiant heating can do. Whether you’re
looking to warm up your home or prevent snow and ice
buildup on your property, there’s a radiant
heating option that’s sure to fit your needs.
Indoor Radiant Heating
Turn any room into a cozy paradise with radiant
floor heating. Radiant heating can go under
virtually any surface, including tile, carpet, wood, etc.
Put it in your bathroom, your kitchen, your living
room—anywhere you need heat. Each room, or
zone, can be controlled with its own thermostat.
Given the flexibility and outstanding effectiveness of
radiant
heated floors, it is the most affordable way
to keep your house perfectly warm without racking up the
electricity bill.
Outdoor Radiant Heating
You can also enjoy the benefits of radiant heating
outdoors. Radiant
snow melting systems keep your property safe
by preventing snow and ice buildup. You can choose one or
all of the following options to make your life a
little easier in the harsh winter months:
2. Design
Once you decide
which radiant heating options are right for you, the
Warmzone team will help you design a customized plan of
action. We realize that your radiant heating system
isn’t the same as the next customer’s,
so we work diligently with you to come up with a radiant
heating system tailor made to your needs.
Once
we assess your project’s requirements, our team
will design a custom
CAD drawing of your radiant heating system
telling you exactly what you get, where you’ll get
it, and how much it will cost you. We’ll keep
you involved in every step of the process to make sure
that your custom radiant heating system exceeds your
expectations.
When we’ve
got your customized radiant heating system designed,
we’ll make sure you have everything you need
for a quick and easy installation. If you’re
not comfortable doing it yourself, we’ve got a list
of contractors ready to bring your radiant heating
plans to fruition.
3. Enjoy
Because we help
you with the planning and design process, you’re only
job is to sit back, relax, and enjoy your custom
radiant heating solution. Let your heated
floors warm your home evenly and efficiently. Sit
back and watch from the warmth of your living room as
your radiant heated driveway does the shoveling for you. And
sleep in peace knowing that your gutters and pipes are
safe from nasty and potentially devastating snow and
ice buildup.
Why settle for an
out of the box heating solution? Let us help you
customize a radiant heating system that meets your needs,
fits your budget, and keeps you and your family warm
and safe.
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December 11, 2008 00:12 AM  BY STACEY BARRUS
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Have you ever
gone on a ski vacation for the weekend and stayed at a
little ski lodge? A lot of the times, they’ll have a
huge fireplace in the main room with smaller bedrooms
up in the loft area or second-story. But the problem
is that when you’re in the main room with the roaring
fire, you’re often overwhelmed by the heat and
retreat to the bedroom, where it’s far
chillier. You see, many vacation or weekend homes
weren’t built with air conditioning ducts with
which to deliver the heat to the different rooms of
the house. However, there is a solution to adding
heating to homes that have not been built for traditional
forced air systems: radiant heaters.
As opposed to warm air systems (such as a forced
air unit heaters), radiant heaters deliver the source
of heat to the floor level, not the ceiling. Radiant
heaters or radiant energy is the oldest form of heating
used to provide comfort and is the basis for all
heating systems.
Additionally, radiant heaters also offer more
comfort than forced air heating by heating the
atmosphere from the ground up. Since heat rises, the
heat will be more evenly distributed, providing a much more
comfortable atmosphere.
Radiant Heaters Tip: Radiant energy is
totally pure radiation and is absorbed by an object
without physical contact with the heat source or by
heating the surrounding air, as is the case with
convective, forced air systems.
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