Suspended Radiant

John Felciano

We won't do suspended radiant.All our under the floor jobs are done with extruded track.

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Jamie_6

Huh!

I am curious about how all you guys like using suspended radiant and how you go about maintaining the 2" air gap.

Thanks,

Jamie

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Troy_3

Thermo-fin

I'm with John 100% We spend our time adding plates to others jobs to make them work. Don't be fooled. Do it right the first time.

Alan(CaliforniaRadiant)Forbes

Suspended tube

We did a few jobs before the plates became popular and I believe there are still applications where suspended tube works well.

To answer your question, we use fasteners made by Specialty Products to secure the tubing; specifically "single nail clamps" (also called snails), "pipe insulators" and "suspension clamps".

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chuck shaw

heat transfer plates

are my personal method of choice. However if you are designed properly for a suspended system it will work. Plates allow you to run at a lower water temperature, or get more BTU/sqft out of the same temp you would run suspended at.

Use a pex clip, or another device to give you uniform spacing off the bottom of the floor.

After I have finished and before the insulation team comes in I usuall will mount a few joist hangers, at the proper distance to keep the reccomended air gap.

Chuck

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BobbyG

I have had good luck with Sioux Chief Touchdown Clamps to maintain the gap. In particular I like these clamps because they don't hold the pex tight. The expansion of pex (as much as 10 inches per 100 foot- if memory serves me right) can move freely with these hangers. (I have heard of major noise issues when fastening them tight)

To avoid any expansion problems use constant circulation with injection with outdoor reset.

Staple-up will work well in my area of maximum of 25 btu's a square foot.

hot_rod

I use suspended

on some of my bathroom radiant retro fits. It works well with exisiting HW baseboard tie ins. Not a lot of sense mixing down a 180 boiler zone for 50 square feet, or so, of bathroom. One tube per space at 160-180 temperatures does a nice bathroom floor warming.

I have also done some small electric, and gas water heaters, bath retrofits with suspended. Crunch the numbers on the load.

Wirsbo design manual shows about 12-15 btus/ square foot output with 8" oc, 130 supply and R1 floor covering. Rarely does a typical bath need even 15 BTUs per square foot. Not a bad installation, really. Beats grinding a couple thousand subfloor and wonderboard nails, to secure plates

To be honest the joist bay method provides a nice constant temperature spread, no striping what so ever. Use at least R-19 under thes systems. Even beats staple up for even-ness My IR pics prove this.

These are some of the applications where I feel the urge to go suspended

i am a fan of transfer plates, and for new home, entire radiant, I think you would be hard pressed to beat plates and a condensing boiler to heat the space with to lowest possible supply temperatures. Again, if the load numbers are kind to ya.

"What's in your wallet"


hot rod

John Felciano

Hot Rod

Makes some good points.It really depends on the load needed.If it were just for floor warming I would consider it,although in that case I may tend to go with the thin flashing type plates.

The other thing on the load is the climate where you live.If your designing on a 0* or a 25*

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radiant

installation

If it is new construction I have no idea why anyone would install radiant under the subfloor when you have the option to be on top. Better heat transfer, quicker response, lower water temps.............etc.... If it is existing conditions and you must be under the floor- HEAT TRANSFER PLATES ALWAYS.