Frequently asked questions about electric radiant floor heating. Here we answer some of the most common questions asked by our customers over the years. These are general questions, and we have considerably more detailed answers covered in the section dedicated to each specific floor warming product. Browse our site for specific product details, installation videos, and detailed instruction manuals.
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Yes! At least, we can attest to the safety of the systems we sell at Warm Your Floor since they have all passed more safety tests than any of our competitors’ products. Our systems have UL, ETL and CSA certifications, have passed the Robinson Floor Test (for durability), and have stood the test of time. All our thermostats have been safety certified by independent testing agencies, and all include built-in GFCI shock protection. And, unlike some of our competitors, our electric floor heating products have never had a safety recall. [return to top]
The heating wires are specially engineered and designed so they provide heat via the specific wire's electrical resistance. Special insulation is used to provide protection and durability to the heating wires. When the thermostat is turned on electricity is sent to the floor heating system, then the wires heat up and in turn, warm up the floor. This heat then radiates from the ground up throughout the room, heating objects and people within the heated area. That's exactly what you want from your system: a warm floor and a warm body. This way, energy is not wasted heating up air that then rises to the ceiling and is lost. [return to top]
Both voltages have the same heat output and energy usage; For example, a SunTouch or Nuheat Mat produces 12 Watt per Sq Ft at either voltage. At 120-volt, that is equal to 1 amp for every 10 sq ft, while 240-volt products equal 0.5 amps per every 10 sq ft. Most thermostats have a 15 amp limit which translates into one thermostat can run up to 150 square feet of 120 volt Mats and 300 square feet of 240-volt Mats. [return to top]
All of our indoor mat systems carry at least a 25-year manufacturer’s warranty and are backed by successful, reputable manufacturers that have been in the floor heating business for over 20 years. Because the brands we sell are made with superior wire construction and are encased in mortar during installation, our systems have a very long life expectancy! [return to top]
Not very much, and our programmable thermostats have Energy Saving features for the greatest efficiency. All of our mat systems operate at 12 watts per square foot, so 20 square feet requires only 240 watts, the same as a few light bulbs. Our uniform wire spacing optimizes the heat output and saves a lot of energy over a 15-watt system. A typical installation in a 60 square foot bathroom typically costs 10 to 20 cents per day depending on how much the electric company charges in your area. See our energy use calculator for specifics. [return to top]
Both 110/120 and 220/240 systems are available. Mats are 12 watts per square foot, which means you can control up to 150 square feet of floor warming at 120v, and twice that (300 square feet) for 240v, per circuit. Each circuit has a 15 amp maximum, and one thermostat control is required per 15 amp circuit. A dedicated circuit is recommended, but very small systems of 20 square feet only require approximately 2 amps, so you may be able to add onto an existing circuit; a licensed electrician will know the answer for your project. [return to top]
Yes, all of our systems are easy to install and safe to use. Some of our products are so easy to work with that even a weekend do-it-yourselfer can install them. Over 50% of electric radiant floor warming installations are done by first-time installers. Or your own contractor can easily manage installation with the help of the how-to videos in our Knowledge Center and the complete, step-by-step installation instructions included with every product. Either way, we are here to answer any questions or provide installation tips—both for you and your contractor. [return to top]
Virtually any floor covering can be heated by our systems. While tile and stone floors are the most commonly heated floors, you can also heat hardwood floors (glued or floated), laminates, vinyl or linoleum, bamboo, cork, even carpet. Concrete floors can also be heated by placing one system within the new concrete pour. Be sure to read the installation instructions for specifics of how to properly install floor heat for your particular application and floor covering, or call us toll-free and we’ll answer all your radiant floor heating questions! [return to top]
In most cases, the heat output of our products is sufficient to heat your floor relatively quickly, and our programmable thermostats are “smart,” which means they can help compensate for the start-up time and regulate your energy usage. However, if you are installing over a slab, you might consider installing cork insulation to help combat your floor's heat loss and lower the start-up time for your warm floor.
Concrete slab subfloors absorb part of the heat generated by the floor warming system so less heat is transferred to the flooring. Heat always moves toward colder surfaces, so it goes both up and down when the floor warming system is in direct contact with a slab. Adding a simple layer of cork between the slab and floor heating provides a "thermal break," slowing the flow of heat into the slab and allowing more heat transfer into the flooring itself. Installing insulation on top of the slab translates into faster response times and less energy used: a wise investment.
[return to top]We have been selling electric radiant floor heating since , and in all our time working with this technology, we have found that no single manufacturer offers a complete solution for every project. We've researched a number of radiant floor heating products available on the market and have chosen to carry only the highest quality products from the top manufacturers. There are cheaper radiant heat floor warming products on the market, but we won’t sell them.
We’ve researched, tested and installed all of the products we carry, and we're confident that they are the best products for the money. We're passionate about adding warmth to your home, from the ground up. Making sure you can get the right product for your specific application is one of the ways we can assure your complete satisfaction with your new warm floor. [return to top]
Absolutely. Warm Your Floor has the largest inventory of floor warming products in the US, in stock and ready for immediate delivery. That means your project won't meet costly delays waiting for product to arrive. Send us your room layout, and we'll recommend, design and quote a floor warming system specifically for you. [return to top]
No. Never. This will alter the properties of the wire, causing it to heat incorrectly and possibly lowering the lifespan of the product. You may cut the mesh on the SunTouch mats, but never the heating element. You may also shorten the cold lead but DO NOT shorten the heating wire. If you cut the wire by mistake, we do have special wire repair kits that can be used to restore your mat to proper working order. [return to top]
No. All mats and cables "home run" back to the thermostat. The mats cannot be connected end to end. We have mats in over 70 sizes and many length and width combinations to cover rooms of any shape or size. [return to top]
Question:
Is it possible to have electric floor heating as the main source of heating for the whole house?
Answer:
Of course. Electric floor heating is a completely standard way of economically and ecologically heating buildings. We will be happy to provide a price quotation for your project. We only need:
Question:
Which heating system should be chosen with regard to the floor covering?
Answer:
Ecofloor heating cables/mats laid in self-levelling material or glue under floor tiling and glued floor coverings (PVC, vinyl…). For glued floor coverings, the thickness of the layer should equal at least triple the diameter of the cable used (approx. 18 mm). In the case of floating floors, we recommend the installation of Ecofilm heating foils directly under the floor covering. Heating foils cannot be installed under floating floors in bathrooms. AL-MAT heating mats can be installed under floating floors in bathrooms.
Question:
I found a confirmation from the producer on your web pages that floating floors can be combined with ECOFILM heating foils without a loss of warranty. However, the installation firm doesn't want to provide me with any warranty if I use electric floor heating and they claim that I can use a warm water system only.
Answer:
Heating foils actually work with very low temperatures – approx. 23–27 °C – and the changes in the floor temperature occur over a period of tens of minutes. Therefore, a floating floor operates practically under the same conditions as if it were laid on a concrete floor with warm water floor heating. Heating foils have already been tested by several manufacturers, who confirmed that when ECOFILM foils with a wattage of up to 80 W/m² are used and they are controlled with a thermostat with a floor probe, there is no reason for a loss of warranty. Unfortunately, this information is slow to spread around installation firms – this correspondence which took place between a customer, FENIX and a representative of EGGER can be used as an example.
Question:
What are the lifespans of Ecofilm and Ecofloor?
Answer:
The lifespan of both products depends on the operating hours, the method of laying, and the regulation system. If the heating and regulation systems are designed correctly, the minimum lifespan is 30 to 50 years. The upper limit of the lifespan depends on the operating hours of the heating system. In the case of poor installation or design, the lifespan is shortened significantly. Generally speaking, the above mentioned products have a lifespan which equals that of the construction element housing them. The company provides a 10 year warranty for Ecofilm and Ecofloor products if installation instructions are adhered to completely.
Question:
Is it possible to install Ecoflex convectors, Ecosun panels and Ecofilm foils on flammable bases?
Answer:
Ecoflex – can be installed on a flammable base as the structure of the attachment meets the conditions for installation on a flammable base. Ecosun – NT panels can be installed on flammable bases if a mounting cross is used which meets the conditions for installation on such bases. Ecofilm – it isn't advisable to install Ecofilm directly on a flammable base as the structure of the foil doesn't fulfil the safety conditions for installation directly on flammable bases.
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Question:
Why is ceiling radiant heating approximately 20 % more economical that convection heating?
Answer:
Radiation is a process during which warmth from a heat source (e.g. a radiant panel) spreads across the room in the form of infrared rays. When the infrared rays reach another solid body, they change into heat energy and the mass of the body is heated intensively. It is basically similar to solar radiation. This form of heating is economical mainly thanks to the following three points:
Question:
Can thermal insulation in the floor be replaced with aluminium foil?
Answer:
No, it can't. On the contrary, aluminium would conduct heat well. Shiny objects such as aluminium foil can be used for the reflection of infrared rays which propagate only in gases (e.g. the air).
Question:
How can ceiling radiant heating warm the whole room when warmth always rises to the ceiling?
Answer:
Warmth doesn't stay by the ceiling, only warm air does. This phenomenon is known when radiators and convection heaters are used. These heaters have a significantly higher temperature than the air temperature. The air is warmed up by this heating element through contact with it, and increases its volume while its bulk density decreases. Colder air with higher bulk density pushes this warm air upwards and this means that the greatest warmth is by the ceiling where it isn't needed at all. Ceiling radiant heating radiates infrared rays from a source (in our case, it is from the ceiling towards the floor); these rays change into warmth when they fall on solid or liquid substances. Often, people stand on a stool under the source of heat and claim that it is warmer near the ceiling. For an easier understanding of heat radiation, a comparison with a ray of light is better. A ray of light propagates in the same way as an infrared ray, via electromagnetic wave motion; both of them are reflected from shiny objects and are absorbed by dark objects. We perceive light via vision, and warmth through the surface of our bodies and thus also though our hands. Both light and infrared rays propagate in a perpendicular manner from their source. Let's conduct an experiment with a spot bulb and ECOSUN S. The thickest luminous flux points downwards or in the direction in which the bulb is pointing (both the panel and the bulb will be installed in such a way that the flux will aim downwards). Radiant panels behave in the same way too. Thanks to the microscopic unevenness of the silicating surface, the thickest part of heat radiation aims downwards in a conical shape. Both light and infrared rays are partially reflected, of course, and therefore we see a low amount of light outside the illuminated part – it is the same with infrared radiation: a proportion of the rays are reflected and warm up the walls, etc. If you look at a bulb from a distance of 0.1 m, your eyes will start hurting immediately and you will stop seeing. It is similar with a radiant panel. If you place your palm at a distance of 0.1 m from the radiant panel, you will feel an unpleasant burning sensation. However, if you look at a bulb or an ECOSUN S panel from a distance of five metres, you will see an acceptable amount of light and feel pleasant warmth from the ECOSUN panel. The density of light and infrared radiation decreases with the distance from the source but the illuminated, radiated surface increases (we do not need to be worried – energy isn't lost). The Sun is a natural source of light as well as infrared rays. Infrared rays pass through the universe, where the temperature is under freezing point, and they pass through the Earth’s atmosphere and air, but they change into warmth when they reach solid or liquid substances and the air subsequently warms up from these.
Question:
How to regulate the temperature in the floor when a hot-air fireplace is used occasionally?
Answer:
If you only have a room thermostat (possibly with a sensor in the floor which limits the hygienic limit of the floor temperature, 28 °C), it will switch off the floor heating when the room is heated with a supplementary heater, e.g. with a hot-air fireplace as in this case, and the floor will cool down. This mode is economical but it may not be comfortable. If you only have a probe in the floor, the floor will be constantly warm when the fireplace is used. This may be comfortable but it certainly cannot be called economical. There is no clear answer to this issue and it depends on each customer individually. Some people like to be more economical, while others are happy to pay for comfort whatever it may cost.
Question:
Do you know why suppliers of floating floors don't recommend electric heating but prefer warm-heating systems?
Answer:
Some manufacturers of floating floors assume that electric heating overheats the floor and that it can cause deformation of the floor after some time. If warm-water heating is used, the temperature of incoming water usually ranges between 40 to 50 °C; however, the recommended floor temperature is only 28 °C. In the case of electric heating (Ecofilm F foil), the floor temperature is limited by a floor probe and it doesn't exceed the set temperature. This shows that there is more danger of the floor overheating in the case of a warm-water system. Another argument presented by manufacturers is that the temperature build-up of electric heating is too fast and, again, deformation may occur. The temperature build-up really is faster in the case of electric heating, but it isn't so fast that it could damage the floor. A faster change in temperature occurs, for example, when the sun shines on the floor through an attic window, when the temperature may rise up to 50 °C within a few minutes. If you wish to use electric heating under floating floors, we recommend the use of floors produced by Egger and Alloc who have issued a declaration that their products can be used with our Ecofilm heating floors.
Question:
How long does defogging a mirror with MHF heating foil take?
Answer:
It is recommended that MHF heating foils be connected to the lighting circuit, causing the mirror to start warming up immediately after the light has been switched on. As a result, the mirror doesn't fog up. If you switch on the foil by itself, the effect of the foil will be apparent almost immediately, within one minute, I expect.
Question:
When Ecofilm foils are installed in drywall ceilings, doesn't only the plasterboard heat up intensively? As it was written: “After the rays reach another solid body, the infrared heating changes into heat energy and the matter of the body is warmed up intensively.” Plasterboard is also a solid body.
Answer:
In the case of Ecofilm C ceiling foils, intensive warming of the plasterboard really does takes place. The infrared radiation penetrates all objects which are warmer than their surroundings. Thus, when the heating foil is warm, it gives off the warmth to the plasterboard, which heats up and starts giving off energy in the form of infrared radiation.
Question:
I would like to install Ecofilm C into vertical structures under plasterboard. I would use a metal structure made of I profiles onto which plasterboard slabs are screwed. Before installing them I would attach the heating foils to the I profiles by the non-active edges of the foils; the foils thus would have screws going through their non-active edges, and they would be held primarily by screws to the plasterboard.
Answer:
From our point of view, this installation procedure is fine. However, the ČSN EN -2-96 standard probits the installation of Ecofilm C foils in vertical structures; installation is only possible from a height of 2.3 m, which I think is unnecessary. I would therefore recommend installation in the ceiling or bevels whose inclination is less than 45 ° from the vertical.
Question:
I would like to install floor heating in a caravan. At present, the floor is composed of a wooden grate with insulation, plywood and linoleum on top. I'm thinking about putting heating foil onto the linoleum and a floating floor above it. With regards to heat losses in the caravan, I’m considering a wattage of 200W /m². I would like to ask for your opinion and possibly any other technical solution.
Answer:
I definitely wouldn't recommend the installation of such a wattage under a floating floor, as the floor would get deformed. I recommend the use of heating foil with a wattage of 80 W/m², and I would use it as supplementary heating e.g. to accompany a convection heater. If the linoleum is undamaged (without any protrusions and cracks), you can leave it on the floor and put impact insulation onto it - Climopor 3 (or even better, Extrupor 6), lay the heating foil, cover it with vapour barrier foil and cover that with laminate floating floor.
Question:
Where is the borderline as to which part of installation must be carried out by a qualified person (a qualified electrician) and what can be done by oneself in the case of EcofilmSet – so that the warranty isn't limited? Is a residual current device necessary in the case of installation under a laminate floor in a “standard” environment (i.e. non-humid – according to the relevant ČSN standard)?
Answer:
In the case of EcofilmSet foils, a qualified person should carry out the connection to the mains itself, take measurements and confirm the warranty certificate. However, it questionable whether this person would be willing to connect something which he/she didn't see being laid. My advice is to consult the electrician who will connect the foils. Heating foils must be connected via a residual current device even in standard environments.
Question:
Why isn't it possible to heat the floor under a floating floor with a wattage higher than 80 W/m² when warm-water heating up to 160 W/² can be used? Does the foil or the floor get damaged?
Answer:
If you use a higher wattage, you will have to increase the temperature of the floor so that it can be transferred to the room. According to manufacturers, the temperature of a floor mustn't exceed 28 °C because otherwise it could get damaged. In order to achieve this temperature, 80 W/m² is a sufficient wattage. Another reason why we do not recommend higher wattages is that floor deformation might occur due to the high rate of temperature increase.
Question:
What type of floor heating foil would you recommend for use in a bathroom (zones 2 and 3, TNC electric installation) on existing floor tiling so that the height including the new tiling laid onto the heating foil is as low as possible? The composition of the current floor is, from the top: floor tiling, concrete (approx. 20 cm thick), clinker layer, and a stone vault in the corridor under the bathroom which isn't heated – only maintained at a non-freezing temperature by warmth loss form the lower rooms connected to the corridor. Is it necessary to lay insulation under the heating? Is there a difference between installation in a bathroom and in the adjacent corridor and WC? What wattage per m² should I use? At present, ECOFLEX ZCT 500 W is used in the bathroom and it is sufficient for heating; only heating of the cold floor is needed. There is one ECOSUN in the corridor – 300 W, I think.
Answer:
Heating foils cannot be used under floor tiling – they are intended for use under floating floors and their structure does not comply with the requirements of the standard for placement in humid areas. I would recommend that you use LDTS (160 W/m²) or LD (160 W/m²) heating mats in combination with F-board insulating slabs. If no thermal insulation is used, there will be large heat loss into the base and the warming of the floor will take a very long time. With F-board slabs the floor will warm up within 30 minutes, without them I would estimate 1.5 to 2.5 hours.
Question:
Can a vapour barrier foil with AL layer be used if the Ecofilm ceiling heating foil is 15 cm away from the vapour barrier foil?
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