Solar Radiant Floor Heating

 

Radiant floor heating is an excellent  way of spreading heat over a large area.  Since the temperature of stored hot water from a solar heating system is often low a large surface area is required to supply the same amount of heat as a fuel oil base board heating system. As you know hot air rises. This is how a warm floor heats  a house. 


Cross linked polyethylene or PEX  tubing is cemented to an existing floor. The cement acts a conductive medium used to transfer and disperse the heat. Some radiant systems use the concrete floor as a storage medium. Although these direct floor heating systems work, the household temperature swings may be intolerable so a heat storage vault should be used to regulate temperature swings.. 

1. Design an experiment that uses radiant floor heating system?
2. Why are copper pipes no longer used to transfer heat to cement floors?
3. How can a slab foundation be used to minimize heat loss?

Post your answers to these questions on the  RADIANT FLOOR forum of the Bulletin Board