Radiant Heating in a slab

Bob Sweet

If you live in New Mexico, you absolutely need under slab insulation. Not sure what part of NM you've got in mind but under slab insul. is a neccessity. Unless you've got money to burn.

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John_123

Insulating a slab for Radiant heat

I recently purchased a radiant heating package from Pexsupply.com and I was wondering if I should use some type of insulation to lay down first before my contractor installs the tubing. My contractor says I don't need to insulate the slab but I read it may help with heat loss. Does anyone have any suggestions on how and if I should insulate the tubing?

Unknown

the contractor

Fire that contractor, hopefully u'll find a heating pros that will work with you and your mail order stuff...

Weezbo

you need to get on the Good Foot.

insulate everything everywhere *~/:)

go back to the GC and say you are into doing your work right. 'if he doesnt want to put insulation in his homes and build a home that looks great and cost a fortune to live in ' you are out of there . and look it isnt that you are being a hassle today you just dont want your name on the work.there is plenty of work in the area right now. winter is at the door and beginning to knock. dont start out wrong correct it here and now. then you can continue straight. it is the same thing as pouring a footing or slab and not using atape measure and level to keep things straight and level and square and plumb. he wants to do the work ...let go and let God.

Ron Meints

Good point

That is a good reason why items need to be purchased through a licensed contractor.

Unknown

2" of rigid foam, underneath and on vertical edges. Accept no substitutes!

cruizer

Heat Loss Calculation

And have a proper heat loss calculation done BY A PROFESSIONAL!!! You already bought the product, and because it is not installed yet, you still have alot of room to save grace! You alreay bought the tube,a d all PEX tube is virtually the same. It's the heat loss and install that count. If you got a heat loss from the online place you bought your tube from, DON'T trust it. Hire a REAL professional to do it right.

If youlre gonna spent the money for comfortable heat, make sure you get comfortable heat. HIRE A RADIANT PROFESSIONAL!!!

Unknown

well, if he actually had a heat loss done, I see no reason not to trust it. But, the chances a real room by room heat loss was done is just about zero.

[Deleted User]

Is your plumber going to be paying your gas bills???

If yes, then don't insulate.

If no, then insulate.

He obviously has little to no interest in your best interest, and you obviously don't care if he succeeds in business or not...:-)

JMHO

ME

Jed_2

So, John

Congratulations!!! You havwe discovered and invested in one of the many on-line heating supply houses offering DIY home owners like yourself the opportunity to "save a few bucks". I went to Pexsupply's web site, I did not see ANY reference to a heat loss. Yes, they did give some guidelines to how much tubing neede for a particular spacing. But, how do YOU know what the spacing needs to be? You bought a "package". Great! How did you SIZE the package? Do you have a heat loss for your building? What is your Design Temp? What is your required SWT, based on the R values of your building envelope, slab backloss (there will be some, ya know). Do you live in Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada? If so, maybe you don't need slab insulation. This "Contractor" you refer to; is he your building contractor or your heating contractor? If he is your building contractor, they all think they know all about this radiant stuff. "Yaaah, you don't need to insulate that slab, HEAT RISES, YA KNOW". Well, you just might be aiding and abetting the energy conservation efforts in China!

Jed

ALH_4

Agreed

2" of extruded polystyrene foam is excellent. In my mind it's more about the thermal break, but what provides a thermal break as well as extruded foam? Thinner foam tends to have the practical issue of breaking easily when installing the mesh and tubing.

-Andrew

Ted_9

truth

You cant make this stuff up.

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Jed_2

I stand corrected(NM)

S Ebels

Simply put for those reading with limited understanding

Any, all, every, 100% of radiant slab heating systems Must, shall be, will always be, mandatorily, positively, absolutely, without doubt ..........

INSULATED!!

I'm serious, why are you even putting in a radiant floor if you're not going to do it right? If you want to save some dough, send the tube back and put in a wood stove.

Steve M_2

As the saying goes..

> Any, all, every, 100% of radiant slab heating

> systems Must, shall be, will always be,

> mandatorily, positively, absolutely, without

> doubt ..........

>

> INSULATED!!

>

> I'm serious,

> why are you even putting in a radiant floor if

> you're not going to do it right? If you want to

> save some dough, send the tube back and put in a

> wood stove.

Steve M_2

As the saying goes..

Insulation doesn't cost, it pays....