underfloor pex install

BOB_22

I'm installing pex under floor with (c) plates. It will heat my second story bathroom. I plan to have constant heat through this zone. My question is how do I control the temp? The floor is tile over hardwood subfloor. I know on a mud job you install a censor in the floor. Do you do the same in this type of application? Also on the install of the plates, how close to the wall and how far apart from each other do the plates go? One last question. Is it recomended to first put silicone in the plates to prevent noise? Thanks for any and all advice.

don_9

No disrespect Bob..But it sound like you'll in over your head.If you are going to do all this work,you should get
with a professional first and see if he can put you on the right path.

From where I'm setting.I getting scare just wondering how high I would have to have my water temp,just to get thru
all that material.Then you top it off with not enough floor surface and might just be at floor warming at best.

Then again we're just guessing here.Shoot talk about walking in the lion den,wait till the wife see the end result.You're be in the doghouse for sure.Good Luck.

Ps.. I forgot to add,Dan got some great books that can put
you on the right path.

Don Walsh

Proceed carefully

My concern would be, how do you get enough heat into the floor to satisfy the load without overheating the capabilities of the hardwood floor? Too hot and the hard wood warps or cups or shrinks. With ceramic being installed over the hardwood, it is a potential recipe for disaster, especially if the hardwood begins to move and crack due to the heat.
Too much time and money will go into this project to be doing it twice, so on site consulting with a known pro in this field would be a very wise move before you start anything. Don't mean to sound so negative, but it is better to error to the side of caution, than to waste all that effort and money on a mis-engineered job.

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hr

A t stat

with both air sensing and a floor sensor would be nice. This would allow you to "watch" and regulate the temperature that wood sees to prevent overheating the assembly. I like the tekmar brand 500 series, also available as a Wirsbo item.

I suspect the bath already has a heat source, and you are looking to do some floor warming?

Of course you could, and should, do a heat loss calculation and design. This would spell out the amount of heat needed, the tube spacing, and the supply temperatures needed.

Most design programs will spit out a warning window if the room loss exceeds the floor output. Indicating additional heat may be needed above what the floor can comfortably produce.

As for plates, depends. If you use a good quality extruded plate you will not need silicone at the tube to plate connection, or at the plate to floor connection.

Generally 6-8" on center is a good spacing for bathrooms to minimize striping.

So you have a 3/4" subfloor, with 3/4" hardwood, then tile?

hot rod

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