This is proabably a dumb question, but here it goes..

Tony_30

If the mini shunt were used could you sense return water or floor temp. in order to only provide enough heat to worm the floor? If so would this help to keep the space from over heating with the original heating system still intact?
Just thinking out load
Tony B.

Buckeye

this is probably a dumb question, but here it goes...

I had a new boiler installed last year. I have redone the house now and we have ceramic tile in the 1st floor bath and kitchen, it is freezing in the winter. Can I tap into the existing boiler lines and run pex under the floors in those rooms using the same water that is circulating through the radiators? Would that work for a radiant type heating under the floors in just those 2 rooms or no way that would work at all?

ALH_4

Sure!

Absolutely you can do that. I recommend using Thermofin-C extruded aluminum heat transfer plates beneath the subfloor if you have access. You can run radiator temperature water through the floor, but the thermostat might turn it on and off more often because of the higher floor temperature heating up the room more quickly.

Obviously you will have to fish thermostat wires up the walls if those are not separate zones already, and will have to add zone valves or zone pumps for those new zones. You might use 2-stage thermostats if you wish to keep your existing emitters as the second stage.

Make sure your boiler is protected from low return water temperatures if you have a conventional non-condensing boiler.

hr

Sure, maybe, possibly

That is a good application for the UltraFin product that was mentioned here a few threads back.

I'd treat it as a separate zone, but if properly piped it could be included with a radiator or baseboard zone.

I've seen bare HW baseboard element used in that application also. Several of those jobs have come across this list. It was one method used back in the 50 and 60's before the pex revolution.

Uponor has offered a suspended tube method for many years also. Basically bare pex tube suspended under the floor with a proper insulation layer below it. They have design info available for their method.

hot rod

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Mike T., Swampeast MO

Not dumb at all! To keep things as inexpensive (and efficient) as possible however, you must pay VERY careful attention to the existing supply temperature and nature of the existing emitters. More than anything, this will determine the most suitable heat transfer method to get heat into the floors.

ScottMP

As I like to say

There are no dumb questions, only dumb answers.

This certainly can be done. Just pay attention to the facts brought up in the other posts.

Scott

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Ted_9

Roth

A Roth Mini Shunt could work here. The only thing is that it's max temp is 115 degrees. So if your installing staple up, it may just warm the floor.

Alan R. Mercurio_3

If I may toss my 2 cents in. I would confirm the current heating system can handle the new additional load. Also you guys would know better but wouldn’t this also be an application that may require a mixing valve for the radiant?

Your friend in the industry,
Alan R. Mercurio

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Ted_9

The mini shunt would be fine here, but this also would be a good job for a Taco I series and a circ using closely spaced tees from the baseboard loop.

Ted_9

Mini shunt

I've only installed one of these so far. It uses a non electric thermostatic heat to sense temp and has an air temp sensor using capillary tubing. So it doesn't really have boiler protection.

Glenn Sossin would be better qualified to answer questions regarding the Mini shunt.

ALH_4

Temps

If the radiant zones are a relatively small portion of the system, I see no reason to go to the expense and additional complication to provide a lower temperature. Hopefully this system is on outdoor reset already, but if not, a Tekmar 260 would make a nice addition.

Joe Mattiello

I agree with Ted; the Taco I-series valve will deliver specific set-point temperature, or you may concider using the outdoor reset version for greater comfort level. See attached literature for additional information.

John R. Hall

I'll bookmark this

Could be a future article in The News -- thanks!

Ted_9

Radiant

Really what I'm thinking here is that 115 degrees to heat a floor that has how many layers of wood sub flooring and then tile, may not heat enough to heat the room. Especially if it's a small bathroom.

Buckeye

All I really want to do is heat the floor, not the rooms. I have radiators in each of the rooms that keep them warm enough. Its just that the tile floor is like walking out into the snow.

Ted_9

Well...

then Buck eye I recommend you keep the radiator in the room and at the radiant as the floor warming.