How to control supplemental heat with radiant floor

Steve Garson_2

I have a master bedroom heated with radiant floor heat. The north wall is very high, since there is a cathedral ceiling. Supplemental heat in the form of a baseboard radiator on the wall was installed for those very cold days, which are rare, controlled by a second thermostat.

What I don't understand is how to properly control the baseboard. If the baseboard is heating, the radiant thermostat shuts off which makes the floor go cold. Can someone suggest the proper way to control this arrangement?

Thanks

brucewo1b

Use a two stage tstat

and when the temp dropps two degrees cooler it then pulls in the supplimental heat

T Towne

Steve

I am sure there are better ways but here is the simple "cold days manual intervention option". I would just turn down the water temps for the floor a touch and set the floor t-stat to 75 and the Baseboard t-stat to 70 or what ever your choice may be (as long as there is a suitable difference between the two). That way the floor heat always stays on and the baseboard takes over if the floor can't keep up. The zone difference between the two t-stat settings keeps the floor from turning off.

Tom

Bob Bona_3

2 stage

stat..tekmar 512 w/ slab sensor to maintain floor temp

Bob Forand

2 Stage T-Stat

The best solution is one that is already given. A 2 Stage thermostat. The zone should already be set up on its own pump. Connect to W2 on the thermostat and whenever the floor cannot keep up it will call on W2. When satisfied W2 will drop out.