Undertile Heating systems

[hammersley]

Planning on adding tile to my upstairs bathroom - was considering an under tile heating system... ... ?????



sort'a like this... .



WarmlyYours: Electric Radiant Floor Warming, Floor heating, Tile, Stone, Carpet and Laminate





1. Can you turn them on for a few minutes - or does it take at least an hour to heat up?????



2. Do they have a programmable thermostat - such that you could have the thing come on at say 5:00 AM?????

 

[ScottDunn]

Merry Christmas!



I, too, am in the process of an upstairs bath remodel. Last week I bought a system similar to what you are looking at. It's made by Thermosoft Corp. in Illinois.



You will probably need to have the system on for awhile to warm the floor... . depending on the flooring material. The programmable thermostat shown on the website you posted above is nice. Energystar rated! Program it for the time of day and duration and forget it. Don't let the cost of the thermostat bother you. It will pay for itself in a year or so. Also, the system that I got only draws 0. 75 amps.



I hope some of this helps.

 

[p-Bar]

Scott . 75 amps = 90 watts sounds like it should heat up fairly fast. I am a custom cabinetmaker ans was installing a bathroom pullman cabinet and remember cutting out for wire in toekick for one. I will ask the owner what she thinks of it. Otherwise never seen one .

 

[gregdoerfler]

I have wires a few sets, they work really nice the ones we use is called warmtiles. you have to be really careful when installing the tile not to damage the wires. the ones we install have a programable thermo yes you have to have them on for about 10 mins to notice it working.

 

[Alphacowboy]

hammersley, I install these quite often. Here in MN, tile gets COLD in the winter!



A couple things:

-These heating kits will not warm up a floor quickly. There is alot ot heat up, not only the tile, but also the mortar, and the floor underneath it. They cant take upto 48 hours to get to the set temp depending on circumstances. Usually, if you have it set for the ambiant room tempurature or just slightly higher, it should be the most cost effective.



-They also require a dedicated 20amp 110v or 220v circuit. I would recommend a 220 circuit, and this is because it is more efficiant. Make sure you have room in the panel and access to run the wire between the thermostat and the panel.



-As far as install, they are pretty self explanitory. But the main things you need to make sure of are these.

--DO NOT cross any of the wires, this will damage it.

--Make sure if this is a "permit pulling job" that you check with your local codes, some require that the heating wires are inspected before the flooring is poured/installed.

--The heating wire can not pass under cabinets or permenate fixtures.



-Get a programmable thermostat, it may cost more, but it will save you in the end. no reason to heat the floor at your desired temp while your at work.



-As far as covering the mat or heating wires, that is up to you. Some installers just install the sub flooring, then the wires, then tile. Others, use the wires, plastic meshing, self-level product, then tile. Personally, I like the later, gives you a flat floor to work with, and you dont have to worry about cutting the wires while installing the flooring.



Good luck on your install, and if you have any other questions, I will try to answer them the best I can, as quickly as I can!



-Matt

 

[Alphacowboy]

I forgot this as well, DO NOT USE the heating kit until your tile/sub floor has been installed for a Minimum of 24 days! If you use it before this, you risk damage to the mortar. It must cure out before you apply heat to it, or it can become brittle and crack.

 

[hammersley]

Matt and all

Thanks for the great info... ... ... ... I have seen the really fancy water systems with heat that are poured when a floor is initially put in..... that looks really neat but not for a retrofit... ... . especially on a 2nd floor..... I wonder how long these things last - I mean it is essentially a permanent installation - that if it fails well it would be a nightmare to find and fix... ... ... . any comments on life expectancy?????

 

[Alphacowboy]

you have a PM