Radiant Heat in Bathroom

Mark Hunt

Did your wax ring actually melt?

John Barba covered this during a class I took in Apple valley. He called a wax ring manufacturer and asked them the temperature at which their rings would melt. I don't remember the exact temp(Lucky I even remember being in Apple Valley) but it was high enough that I can't see how a floor could get that hot.

I was in a home a couple years ago (slab on grade) to look at a "troubled" radiant system. The other contractors working thee had to put cardboard over the floor because it was too hot to work on. I shot it with my IR gun and the surface temp was 120 degrees! The wax ring on the toilet was holding up fine as far as I could tell. No water gushing from under the toilet when it was flushed.

FWIW.

Mark H

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Jim_109

Raditant Heat in Bathroom

How far away from bathroom fixtures should the PEX tubing be laid under the tile floor? I am especially concerned about melting the wax ring under the toilet.

Not including the tub, the tile floor is only 25 square feet.

Any additional suggestions are most appreciated!!!!

GW

what's the temp?

I stay about 6 or 8 inches. Unless you're blasting some hot stuff through there, you should be fine. I like to get the tube right where the 10 piggies go when utilizing the toilet's usages.

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Brad White_159

Wax Rings and Radiant Floors...

Oh Lordy...
It really does depend on how warm a temperature you think you need, but at 25 SF you or someone will be tempted to crank it up for effect now and again.

Have you considered replacing the wax gasket with a waxless gastket?

I have Stadler Climate Panel in my bathroom and kept it about a foot away, maybe less. One minor incident during initial start up (the temperature got away from me) but no problems since and it has been since 1999. And yes, I do have a beeswax gasket. I would have used waxless had I known about them.

brucewo1b

But having a warm

Tub floor isn't a bad thing, the Mrs will lovr you for it.

mikea23

WAX

Wax seals melt at 155 deg unless you want to cook your feet you should never be that high in tempiture. In my home I have a coupling under the toilet next to the wax seal and no problems for 7 years. (my helper hit the pipe with a screw I figured if I must have a coupling at least I can get to it)
Mike

Brad White_159

Yup.

Not melted so much as the ring got soft enough that the water seal let loose. I replace the WC with two wax rings (so there!! said I).

Very disappointing in that I kept a fair distance, I thought. The floor water temperature had gone up to at least 150. Not sure of what the floor temperature was but it was obviously less.

The WC had been in place for a month or two so it was not "initial failure". Again, softening, not out and out melting. When I lifted the bowl to re-seal it, there was a good spread with the top edge still somewhat squared.

I will offer that I was taught as common practice to pour a bucket of hot water into the bowl when first setting the Porcelain Bus, in order to seal the ring. Maybe folklore but a nice ritual.