joist trak vs. quick trak

Jamie_6

I prefer Quick Trak before joist Trak any day! Primarily because of the ease of instillation and the fact that you can get tubing where ever you need it!

Also, you don't have to worry about plumbing pipes, electrical high hats, and all of the other trades do not have the excuse of stating they did not know there was tubing beneath the floor.


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radmix

joist trak vs. quick trak

I have read on earlier posts that joist trak outperformes quick trak acording to uponors own heat loss calcs. do you get more btu per sq.f or is it more responsive.

Paul Pollets

It depends...

upon the heatloss and the thickness of the subfloors. My calcs always show QuickTrak to be more responsive and take lower water temps.

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stephen_4

If you want to use a radiant panel that truly performs and has the greatest output at lowest water temps try the Raupanel from Rehau.

Jim Prisby

Field View - QT verses JT

If you truly compare the numbers in the CDAM you’ll see that Joist Trak requires lower water temperature by a narrow margin. This is only based on being properly installed, heating through a 3/4” plywood subfloor, and being properly controlled. Real world systems will show, and others have pointed out, that Quik Trak can be installed every where you can walk and is easier to deal with, as pointed out by Jamie. Can Joist Trak get installed every where? Based on my experience, Quik Trak gets the nod for requiring lower temperature if you compare the “as built”.

Something else to note. The Quik Trak System uses Return Traks which are used when changing the tubing direction in your layout. These panels also have the aluminum plate on the bottom, to provide an even temperature across all the panels in the system.

I recently had a contractor ask me, “Why would anybody want to fight to do it from below, if they have the chance to put it on top?”

Unknown

Depends on the state of the joist cavity, for sure, and the floorplan as well which wins on a labor rate.

If you have overly thick subfloors, that too can play a part. Of course, 3/4" subfloors are standard, and 1-1/8" only adds about a .2 to the R-value.. not a big deal. I guess my experience contradicts yours Jim, I have only rarely come into cases where quik trak would win the performance battle.

In many cases, joist trak can and will outperform quik trak, for significantly less in material costs. Naturally each project may vary on how the labor consideration comes into play and shakes out. Most experienced installers I am aware of have no problem with joist installs and do them quite quickly and easily without all the carpentry and silicon. A hole saw

Quik trak works, but frankly if you're going to drop the money on a prefab panel, Raupanel works much better at a *similar* though higher price point, and Warmboard also works much better and is even easier to install if you're in early in the project.

Uponor and Viega both offer MANY very excellent products, but this is, IMHO, not one of them. The price/performance ratio just isn't there compared with comparable products on the market.

radmix

Thank you for your responses. I have installed several of both systems, most with Tekmar controls. It's always easier to work down than up but I would not want to sell a job just because it takes me less time to install, compromising the quality of product being installed (the plywood of Quicktrak seems of poor quality.) Also, price of quick trak over joist trak. Will the homeowner see a payback that is noticeable enough with what I figure is only a small difference in delivery temp. on design days.

Unknown

I misspoke in my previous post. it was a ten degree difference between the two. There is a smaller differential as load shrinks between ALL distribution methods, not just between these two.

that is still a 25% difference in output at an equivalent water temperature; would that possibly make a difference, get rid of supplemental, give you the "wiggle" you need to be less conservative elsewhere?

Are you using a condensing heat source?

and again, whether it's even easier or not depends on the individual project. I have a few contractor clients who actually prefer joist installs. Nearly no risk of tubing damage, and they have the procedure for the install down to the science.. as long as it's not a very clutterred joist space.

but again, if you're going to drop the money on a prefab product to speed up your install, which certainly makes sense at least some of the time, I'd drop it on one that will do the job with a VERY significant drop in water temperature; Warmboard or Raupanel, depending on where in the construction process you are. Either one would blow both JT and QT out of the water.

hr

pros and cons

I like to have the tube under the floor just in case someone nails it. It happens fairly often with nail down hardwood.

Also with the plates below the floor you can use any 1/2" pex and run 300- 350 foot loops, with a basic low head circ.

I'm not a fan of small diameter tube that requires short loops and a 140W circ to drive it. Takes me back to those ugly days of solaroll and twintran

I'd say in some remodel applications the QT would be ideal, I just could never see a whole, new house application. Add up the cost difference including tube, fittings, silicone, high head circs, extra manifold ports, etc and the plates below may come in cheaper with very little performance difference.

hot rod

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Ted_9

Real world

My real world experience is the Quick trak is a cost effective and generally better at heating. The labor should always be less than Joist Trak and I'm getting away with lower water temps. We have become extremely efficient with out Quick Trak installs. And we found ways to make Quick Trak installs less physically demanding.

Massachusetts

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Unknown

are all of your jobs improperly insulated in the joist bays, or 2" thick subfloors?

If not, I buy your labor arguement, different strokes for different folks, but you are not getting away with lower water temps, quite simply.

Contractor

In joists installations definately use about 10-25* higher water temperature than above subfloor like nrt said the big diff being the floor covering above. and alot of the time may require 160-170 degree water tempertaure for a high heat loss room with carpet. i steer people clear of joists applications if they love carpet and also if they have hardwood with a wife that loves big heavy area rugs. i have done many installations of both and the panels are for the most part quicker. i rarely go to a job that the joists arent filled with god knows what. also makes it very hard to effectively zone the rooms above. as for btu output, it doesnt really matter what does more if your looking at an application that only requires 20-25 btus like most residential houses do. both will effectively get it done, just one will use a higher water temp than the other.