Tile Heat- Main source of heat for bathroom?

[sw_ross]

Working on a remodel... The HO wants tile heat for main bathroom. The general heat source for most of the rooms in house is electric baseboard.

I'm trying to advise against only tile heat and to have the main source of heat be a Cadet style in-wall heater (240 volt ~ 1000-1500 watts). In that scenario I'd treat the tile heat as a secondary heat source.

I don't have a lot of experience with tile heat, but I mostly think of it as a "supplemental" heat source.
My issue with it is that it's expensive to buy, involved (expensive) to install, and prone to damage on install (had a tile installer damage the heat cable once and basically ruined the tile heat in one bathroom previously.

Also the tile heat is slow to warm up the tile, requiring it to be left on all the time to keep the tile warm, especially if the tile is installed over an un-insulated crawlspace (the house I'm talking about).

Please give me your thoughts about,
1) tile heat as the main heat source
2) pros and cons of tile heat
3) Cadet in-wall heat
4) brand of tile heat you've had good luck with

Thanks!

 

[charlie b]

Our master bathroom was remodeled a few years ago. At the time, the only heat source was built into the overhead light fixture. That was replaced with a fan/light combination, and the only heat source now is the file heat. We love it. It keeps the room warm in the winter, and does not use up very much energy doing so.

 

[sw_ross]

Thanks. Do you happen to know what the brand name of it?

and does it operate at 240 volt? Any idea of what the wattage rating is?

 

[Dennis Alwon]

The manufacturer that I used says the tile heat is not intended to heat the room. I guess it would depend on the situation if it would work.

I have used Danfoss and schluter (very nice system) and sun touch. There are the mats which cost more or the wire which takes much longer to install.

 

[Dennis Alwon]

Mostly the tile guys install it but they are not really allowed to-- I always check on them as it goes under my permit. The one company we use has been doing it forever so I trust them. Others I probably won't allow to do the work

 

[al hildenbrand]

I've worked with NuHeat, Warm Tiles (Easyheat) and Schluter systems.

They are available in 240 Volt setups. Class A GFCI protection is required, and can be in the thermostat.

The floor heat is usually in the 12 to 15 Watts per square foot range, and is placed only where people will put their feet, so you may have 200 to 400 Watts of heat.

Most systems don't sense air temp, rather a temp sensor is imbedded in the tile underlayment to ensure that the "touch temperature" is kept from getting "too hot." This creature comfort feature, by itself, is what makes it impractical for handling the heavier heating demands of deep winter.

With the overall Wattage so low, I usually tag the tile heat off the bath 20 A circuit (I like to wire a 20 A circuit per bath).

Plumbing inspectors in my area are real touchy about keeping the heat cable well away from the toilet wax ring.

Electrical inspectors in my area get mad if the heat cable is set in mud without a roughin inspection.

You might get by with tile heat as the only heat if the bath has no walls, floor or ceiling against an unheated area or against the outside. Otherwise, you have heat loss that has to be designed for the deep winter cold.

In my opinion, bathrooms benefit from a fan forced heat source that can readily heat the space for a bath or shower, but that sets back to energy saving after such use.

The heated tile system manufacturer voids any warranty if Megger and VOM measurements are not documented during and after installation.

 

[charlie b]

Thanks. Do you happen to know what the brand name of it? and does it operate at 240 volt? Any idea of what the wattage rating is?

I don't know the brand name. I wasn't at home when it was installed, and I don't know if the brand name appears on the wall-mounted controller. It is powered under the "everything in the same bathroom on same circuit that powers nothing outside the bathroom" rule. So I know it is 120V. The other outlets in the bathroom are a heated towel rack, one GFCI receptacle, one light above the sink, and the overhead fan/light fixture. That can give me an idea of the wattage, given that all outlets can operate at the same time without the breaker tripping. But I can't say for certain.

I would not expect the manufacturer to declare that this system can provide all necessary heating for the bathroom. But it does. Just ask the cats who love to sleep on the bathroom rug during the winter. :lol:

 

[Little Bill]

So I know it is 120V. The other outlets in the bathroom are a heated towel rack, one GFCI receptacle, one light above the sink, and the overhead fan/light fixture. That can give me an idea of the wattage, given that all outlets can operate at the same time without the breaker tripping. But I can't say for certain.
:lol:

I see that you probably don't need a curling iron so that's why you aren't tripping the breaker.

 

[Knuckle Dragger]

One GC I work with heat bathrooms and small kitchens in apartments all the time. No complaints yet.
The tile guy will typically installs the mat or grid lines and I snake or install the leads in the thermostat box. this makes the job go a lot smoother for the most part.