Infloor heat for ceramic tile

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IrishRugger

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Have any of you gus done much infloor heat in ceramic tile floors if so what product brand did you use? Did you use mats or the wire? Did you use the digital T-stats that they recommend? Did you feel compelled to charge it out at a higher labor rate? Do you feel that this is a good system for heating a floor? I have done a few small bathrooms and I did not have as much fun doing it as the people in the Easy Heat brochures looked like they were having. My wife is out at a Swim Team Meeting so somebody talk to me please.
 
IrishRugger said:
Have any of you gus done much infloor heat in ceramic tile floors if so what product brand did you use? Did you use mats or the wire? Did you use the digital T-stats that they recommend? Did you feel compelled to charge it out at a higher labor rate? Do you feel that this is a good system for heating a floor? I have done a few small bathrooms and I did not have as much fun doing it as the people in the Easy Heat brochures looked like they were having. My wife is out at a Swim Team Meeting so somebody talk to me please.
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I use mats from suntouch. Suntouch

I always use their products. The digital stats come with it.

 
I've done ez-heat, & nu-heat... each have pros and cons, ez-heat is labor intensive, but somewhat less expansive and easily configurable, Nuheat comes in pre-cut mats, easy to install but expensive, you can get custom mats but they cost more money... so you have to decide what you want...

FWIW, I like ez-heat, I think it goes down with no probs and no cold spots... its not easy for everyone since there is a learning curve to the product...
 
i have used warm tiles (easy heat).used the cables.the digital t stat gives you better controls(can program it to come on when you want it to).
like stickboy said its labor intensive.as far as fun if you dont like to crawl around on your hands and knees running a little wire back and forth then no fun;)
home owners seem to like them
 
if you do the hand-laid wiring, take a ohm reading when you are done, and make sure the tile guy sees the result. If there is then a problem with the buttering layer changing the reading to OL, it is not yours.

And tell them to be careful of course. They say the wire is more durable these days, but I haven't tried dropping a piece of tile on edge onto it.
 
danickstr said:
if you do the hand-laid wiring, take a ohm reading when you are done, and make sure the tile guy sees the result. If there is then a problem with the buttering layer changing the reading to OL, it is not yours.
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Good advice....you beat me to the draw, it's just what I do.

If the owner's around, I show them as well.

Most don't understand what I'm showing them, but I tell them that the meter should do the exact same thing (show continuity) after the tile is installed.

It might save you a big headache.

steve
 
STEP Warmfloor

STEP Warmfloor

I have installed these self regulating low voltage mats in a den and in 2 bathrooms. The materials are pretty expensive, but the self regulating aspect of the material is pretty neat.
You can install it for supplemental heating or primary heating.
Obviously, if it is primary heating, you more of it under the floor. So the spacing is tighter.
http://www.warmfloor.com/
 
I've only ever put in the EZ Heat "Warm Tiles" product. It's a tough install, but I feel it's the best you can buy, since you're heating the whole floor and not just a spot like most mat systems. You can do the cable spacing to heat the whole room, or just the tiles. You put down the actual cable, in a zig-zag pattern, just like doing electric radiant heat in the ceiling in the old days. The thermostat for the system is nice too, since it has GFCI protection built in.
 
I too have used the cable one. Its a pain in the butt but you can get a better custom fit. If you only have a small square or rectangle to heat than the mat can be ok. But definetly make sure you use a programable thermostat. . It's only draw back is that if the floor is really cold or in a particualrly cold area and/or on a slab it can really take a while for the floor to heat up. And make sure the tile guy understands about not nicking the wire and to be carefull working over it.
 
tonyou812 said:
And make sure the tile guy understands about not nicking the wire and to be carefull working over it.
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Most of these floor heating systems have a squawk-box type thing that will start hollering if the cable is nicked. I'm not sure what the point is, because by that time it's too late, and there is no repair method for the hot lead. I guess it would save the tile guy from actually laying the tile too.

DetectoEnsemble.jpg
 
Low voltage mats dont need a GFI.
I guess that little tingling feeling is supposed to be good for you!
These STEP warmfloor self regulating mats are variable resistors.
You can put your fastners right through the mat. Just don't hit the cables that are embeded in the edges. It is only 1/8" thick. For a small bathroom you really only need an on/off switch. But if the customer really wants a thermostat, you install a controller that is high/med/low/off. It cycles the power to the mats on/off.
 
mdshunk said:
Most of these floor heating systems have a squawk-box type thing that will start hollering if the cable is nicked. I'm not sure what the point is, because by that time it's too late, and there is no repair method for the hot lead. ....
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Actually, that's not quite the whole story. There are repair kits available to fix those leads, and we have successfully repaired the element on a recent job where the trowel cut into the wire causing the loud mouth squawk box to holler.

IT took a bit of patience and some soldering and heat shrink to complete the repair, but well worth the effort considering the alternative. ;)
 
jjhoward said:
Low voltage mats dont need a GFI.
I guess that little tingling feeling is supposed to be good for you!
These STEP warmfloor self regulating mats are variable resistors.
You can put your fastners right through the mat. Just don't hit the cables that are embeded in the edges. It is only 1/8" thick. For a small bathroom you really only need an on/off switch. But if the customer really wants a thermostat, you install a controller that is high/med/low/off. It cycles the power to the mats on/off.
Click to expand...


Had a horrible experience with this product. The product itself is a great idea, and works well when installed properly. However, the install took forever due to the fact that we had to router channels in the floor for the feed wires. The product rep came out to the job and barely spoke english, which just aggrevated me more. He said, "yourd put in good!" I think that meant that he approved of the install. My customer wasn't thrilled about the install price.
 
I've used www.thermosoft.com. Flat, thin mats, with a nice nylon webbing that was very easy to staple in place.

Would definitely use thermostat, not the on/off. Why? Because it takes about 20 minutes after turning on the grid to feel the heat.

Used them on 2 installs. First one was just with a switch because homeowner was cheap. After tile installed, got call back that system was not working. Did ohm reading, then hooked up ammeter. Then educated homeowner that I2R shows it was working. Ended up replacing switch with timer so they can turn on floor first thing when they get up and the floor is warm by the time dog is let out and coffee is made.

Second one definitely got a thermostat

If I would have known how much time I was going to spend on call back would have paid for tstat out of my pocket
 
With the STEP warmfloor, you flip the switch on when it gets cold (like October) and you leave it on till spring.
The mats are self regulating, that is if the floor is not cold, it does not draw any power. For a small bathroom a switch is fine.
For a large room, the programmable TSTAT are recommended.
 
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