Radiant Heat for Custom Applications

January 13, 2010 00:01 AM  BY  AMY MORBY

Why Settle When you can Customize?

Finding a Radiant Heating Solution as Unique as You Are

As temperatures plummet and heat bills skyrocket, consumers everywhere are turning to radiant heating systems. As the most affordable and customizable option out there, radiant heating is quickly making a name for itself as a titan in the heating market.

So radiant heat is the latest and greatest, but what exactly is so great about it and what can it do for you? One word: customization.

When it comes to radiant heating, the possibilities are endless. No matter what you want or where you want it, Warmzone can design a radiant heating system completely customized for your lifestyle, and it’s as easy as 1,2,3.

Radiant heated driveway with brick pavers. 1. Choose

The first step of your radiant heating revolution is choosing the type of radiant heat you want.

There’s no limit to what radiant heating can do. Whether you’re looking to warm up your home or prevent snow and ice buildup on your property, there’s a radiant heating option that’s sure to fit your needs.

Indoor Radiant Heating
Turn any room into a cozy paradise with radiant floor heating. Radiant heating can go under virtually any surface, including tile, carpet, wood, etc. Put it in your bathroom, your kitchen, your living room—anywhere you need heat. Each room, or zone, can be controlled with its own thermostat. Given the flexibility and outstanding effectiveness of radiant heated floors, it is the most affordable way to keep your house perfectly warm without racking up the electricity bill.

Outdoor Radiant Heating
You can also enjoy the benefits of radiant heating outdoors. Radiant snow melting systems keep your property safe by preventing snow and ice buildup. You can choose one or all of the following options to make your life a little easier in the harsh winter months:

2. Design

Once you decide which radiant heating options are right for you, the Warmzone team will help you design a customized plan of action. We realize that your radiant heating system isn’t the same as the next customer’s, so we work diligently with you to come up with a radiant heating system tailor made to your needs.

CAD of radiant heated floor system.Once we assess your project’s requirements, our team will design a custom CAD drawing of your radiant heating system telling you exactly what you get, where you’ll get it, and how much it will cost you. We’ll keep you involved in every step of the process to make sure that your custom radiant heating system exceeds your expectations.

When we’ve got your customized radiant heating system designed, we’ll make sure you have everything you need for a quick and easy installation. If you’re not comfortable doing it yourself, we’ve got a list of contractors ready to bring your radiant heating plans to fruition.

3. Enjoy

Because we help you with the planning and design process, you’re only job is to sit back, relax, and enjoy your custom radiant heating solution. Let your heated floors warm your home evenly and efficiently. Sit back and watch from the warmth of your living room as your radiant heated driveway does the shoveling for you. And sleep in peace knowing that your gutters and pipes are safe from nasty and potentially devastating snow and ice buildup.

Why settle for an out of the box heating solution? Let us help you customize a radiant heating system that meets your needs, fits your budget, and keeps you and your family warm and safe. 


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Adding a Heating Source to Your Home is Easier than You Think

December 11, 2008 00:12 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

Have you ever gone on a ski vacation for the weekend and stayed at a little ski lodge? A lot of the times, they’ll have a huge fireplace in the main room with smaller bedrooms up in the loft area or second-story. But the problem is that when you’re in the main room with the roaring fire, you’re often overwhelmed by the heat and retreat to the bedroom, where it’s far chillier. You see, many vacation or weekend homes weren’t built with air conditioning ducts with which to deliver the heat to the different rooms of the house. However, there is a solution to adding heating to homes that have not been built for traditional forced air systems: radiant heaters.

As opposed to warm air systems (such as a forced air unit heaters), radiant heaters deliver the source of heat to the floor level, not the ceiling. Radiant heaters or radiant energy is the oldest form of heating used to provide comfort and is the basis for all heating systems.

Additionally, radiant heaters also offer more comfort than forced air heating by heating the atmosphere from the ground up. Since heat rises, the heat will be more evenly distributed, providing a much more comfortable atmosphere.

Radiant Heaters Tip: Radiant energy is totally pure radiation and is absorbed by an object without physical contact with the heat source or by heating the surrounding air, as is the case with convective, forced air systems. 


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Which Radiant Heating System Should You Choose?

December 28, 2008 00:12 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

If you are looking to warm your floors with radiant heaters and are trying to research what kind of radiant heaters to install you might find yourself scratching your head at this point. There are dozens of products available to purchase, and there are even more companies telling you that their product is the best.

So which product is the best? Should you install a hydronic heating system that pumps hot water through your floors, an electric cable heating system, or a low-voltage screen system? The answer lies in the type of project you are doing. Not every system is ideal for every project, but there is an ideal system for every project.

Hydronic Heating Systems   

Hydronic floor heating is the oldest and most popular type of radiant floor heating. These systems are comprised of a boiler or hot water heater, pumps, manifolds, PEX tubing, thermostat, and either gypcrete (a concrete-like material) or wood panels. Hydronic heating is the most complex of all radiant heat systems. These systems require trained professionals to design and perform the installation. Your best economies of scale are achieved for hydronic systems in large areas or entire homes because of their expensive components and operational costs.  Hydronic systems can be installed under any type of flooring. Most hydronic systems require hot water tubing to be installed in a 2-4″ bed of light concrete and are best installed during the initial construction because of its weight load demands and adjustments to floor height. Recent low-mass products have been developed to avoid these challenges by fitting the tubing into pre-cut wood panels, making hydronic systems more convenient and possible for most major remodeling projects.

 If you want to heat smaller areas like a bathroom or kitchen, a hydronic floor heating system may not be the best value for your project. The complexity and cost of installing the system, along with the long-term maintenance and up-keep required, is not worth the small amount you will save in operational costs.

Electric Cable Heating

Electric cable heating systems, often called line- or high-voltage systems, are gaining popularity and are ideal for heating smaller areas (10-300 square feet) like bathrooms, kitchens, and sun rooms. These systems are comprised of a thermostat and a heating cable. On some systems, the cable will be shipped to you as a large spool of cable. These systems are oftentimes less expensive, and give you the ability to space the cable how you want and customize a layout that will heat every square inch of your floor. Other systems have the cable attached to a plastic mesh or tape to create a mat to maintain its proper spacing.

Every available cable system is equally effective, so when determining which system to purchase, you should look at the warranty of the product, along with the ease of installation. Some cables must be embedded in a separate layer of concrete or mortar, whereas other systems can simply be installed in the thinset. Most cable systems can only be installed under tile. However, on others, if the cable is embedded in mortar or concrete, any flooring can be installed on top of the concrete. When heating smaller areas, it is nearly impossible to beat the simplicity and price of an electric cable heating system.


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January 2010 HotNews Newsletter

January 06, 2010 00:01 AM  BY  WARMZONE


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Evict the Allergens

December 16, 2008 00:12 AM  BY  JEN BAKER

A lot of people out there might hear about allergies and asthma and assume that they're only warm-weather maladies–I sure did once upon a time. But the sad and uncomfortable truth is, they’re very often year-round! Allergies and asthma affect at least 60 million Americans in one way or another, generally making the sufferers rather miserable. Many allergy and asthma experts will advise certain changes in housekeeping habits to help alleviate allergy- or asthma-causing conditions in your home. In addition, you might consider changing your heat source to radiant heaters.

It could come as a surprise to learn that radiant heaters could be such a simple solution to helping keep your home healthy. In reality, radiant heaters improve the air quality, which is important, especially for anyone who suffers from either dust allergies or asthma. Not having to change air filters or clean heating ducts should also cut down dramatically on dust or other allergens in your home’s air.

Allergy experts agree that another way to keep your home healthy is to eliminate the dust mites that live in your home. Since dust mites love a warm moist environment, towel heaters and other radiant heater systems aid in maintaining a consistent room temperature and keep it moisture-free…and dust mite-free, too. Furthermore, mold and mildew are also caused from excessive moisture especially in bathrooms with insufficient ventilation.

Radiant Heater Tip: Did you know that simply by placing radiant heaters or a radiant heat towel rack in the bathroom you can combat the spread of germs for only pennies a day?

 


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Staying Warm...and Green!

December 25, 2008 00:12 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

For anyone who is looking for a great way to save energy, and maximize comfort, then radiant heaters may be the ideal solution. Installing radiant heaters in a home under construction or in an existing home is proven to cut heating costs. It works by putting water lines in the home’s concrete floors or under existing floors and running hot water through them. Radiant heaters help to keep the whole house at a more constant temperature. In this way, our regular heaters don’t have to do as much to keep things warm and toasty during the winter.

You’ll find that switching to Radiant heaters will not only help save energy and lower heating costs, but it will certainly add to comfort as well. That is because it put the heat at our feet, which are generally cold, and offers cooler air near head level, where we are generally a little warmer.

Many times, what first springs to mind when people think of eco-friendly energy and heating is solar power. While solar panels are expensive, there are other eco-friendly ways to cut your power bill. In fact, energy savings can be found right beneath your feet: radiant heaters.

Radiant Heaters Tip: It is reported that many people waste a lot of energy by not sealing cracks, doors and windows; checking to make sure a home’s insulation is in good shape and replacing it if it’s not is another good way to stop energy waste.


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Radiant Heating Systems

November 20, 2007 00:11 AM  BY  WARMZONE

Heating systems for homes and businesses are faced with an increasing number of options to consider for their primary and secondary heating. While fire places and coal burning stoves become less popular, other alternative heating methods are quickly becoming more common. Traditional furnaces as a primary heating system are now being challenged from radiant baseboards, radiant floor heating systems and even radiant ceiling heaters. Many of these new heating systems are using electricity instead of natural gas or heating oil.

Space heaters are also becoming a less expensive option to upgrading a poorly insulated home or to add supplemental heat to cold areas. Thermostone heaters and heated towel warmers from Climastar mount to a wall and are a couple of heating systems that have been commonly used in Europe for decades are now gaining acceptance in the United States. Many interior designers are adopting these electric heating systems as fashionable accessories to bathrooms, basements and home offices.

A common challenge to traditional heating systems is the inability to zone your home for specific areas of the home without heating the entire home. Electric radiant heating systems can be easily designed to be independently controlled by zone which enables a home owner to increase the temperature for defined areas of the home during occupancy and conversely allows a particular zone to remain off during down times. This strategy not only saves the home owner money, it gives you complete control to efficiently warm you most used living spaces without comprising cost.

Choosing the best heating system for a new home or to add supplemental heat to a cold spot in your home now takes a little homework. The radiant consultants and designers at Warmzone have been trained in all of the latest heating systems to properly assess your project and prescribe a system that will add value to your home inside of your budget. Contact us by phone or email to learn more about your home heating goals and we will sell you a heating system that works for you.

 

About Warmzone
Warmzone provides consumers with energy-efficient, radiant heating solutions for homes and businesses. Based in Salt Lake City, Utah, Warmzone's electricians and radiant heat experts will help you determine the best radiant heating solution, ranging from electric heated floors to large commercial snow and ice melt projects. Send us a plan or drawings and we'll be happy to provide you with a FREE estimate and options for your roof heating and ice melting project.


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Added Value with Radiant Heaters

December 11, 2008 00:12 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

In today’s housing market, it’s not a bad idea to add value to your home in new and innovative ways.For example, don’t just think about renovating a bathroom, consider using radiant heaters to warm towel racks in the bathroom, or a heated floor.Can you think of anything cozier on a chilly winter morning than toasty toes when you step out of the shower?

Not only is radiant heating is one of the most comfortable ways to heat your home, but radiant heaters also offer a surprisingly wide diversity of applications. Radiant heaters can be used in a number of applications, including in tiled areas, hardwood flooring, carpeted areas, cement floors, basements, and garages. You see, radiant heaters are a type of heater that warms objects instead of air. Radiant heat uses objects, such as the floor, to heat a home. The air in the room is warmed when it comes into contact with the warmed objects. Heat loss is reduced and the radiant heat remains in the lower part of the room, warmer near feet level and slightly less so at head level, creating the perfect climate for comfort.

Radiant Heaters Tip: whether you’re building a new home or updating your current home, you owe it to yourself to check out the comfort that radiant heat has to offer.


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Now Appearing in a Home Near You

December 21, 2008 00:12 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

Innovations in home heating are here and ready to keep your home comfortably heated!Flat panel radiant heaters are used to heat objects via radiant heat transfer. These radiant heaters have traditionally been used in a variety of industries and applications. Some of these applications include space heating, drying, curing, and water evaporation. More recently, these heating systems are also gaining popularity in home heating applications as well.

Radiant heaters use different types of emitter surfaces. Choices include: quartz, high-temperature glass, stainless steel, and ceramic tiles. These are all materials that are easily and efficiently used in home applications such as flooring, countertops, and towel racks. Because these items are easily turned into emitter surfaces for radiant heat, they can easily and beautifully be incorporated into home heating applications such as heated floors, walls, and towel racks.

To find out about radiant heaters for your home, check with the folks at warmzone.com. They have a complete product catalog of radiant heating solutions that can accommodate almost any application or budget.

Radiant Heaters Tip: Not only are radiant heaters a great way to efficiently heat a home, while maximizing your home’s beauty, but they are very cost effective and easy to install.

 


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Buying from Warmzone Makes Sense

August 07, 2007 00:08 AM  BY  WARMZONE

Upon hearing the words, “What can Brown do for You? ®” an immediate vision comes to mind of a large, brown delivery truck with the name UPS emblazoned on each side. United Parcel Service has done an incredible job to bring their name to the forefront in the package-delivery market.  The same might be said regarding “The Golden Arches ®,” McDonald’s famous advertising ploy.  Most highly-successful businesses are easily recognized by a catchy slogan or an eye-catching symbol.

We at Warmzone want to be known in the radiant heat arena as the company that will do everything possible to “just make sense” of what might be a confusing array of possibilities for consumers who are seeking information on alternative heating sources.

Why are such vast numbers seeking an alternative radiant heating source ?

Questar Gas Company, included the following message with January’s fuel bill mailing:  “As you have seen, natural gas bills this winter are significantly higher than last year.  Even with all the news about higher natural gas prices, reality doesn’t set in until your bill is opened.”  Unless customers have been oblivious to drastic increases in fuel costs over the past two months, this was somewhat of an understatement.  More than just reality has set in upon consumers!  Caught somewhere in the middle of paying a huge fuel bill and taking a sick child to see a doctor, people are taking a stand against such increases. 

President Bush has encouraged our nation to look for alternative sources as we have become “addicted to oil.” In his state of the union address on January 31, 2006 he announced the Advanced Energy Initiative, a 22% increase in clean-energy research at the Department of Energy, “to push for breakthroughs in two vital areas. To change how we power our homes and offices, we will invest more in zero-emission coal-fired plants, revolutionary solar and wind technologies, and clean, safe nuclear energy.”  Quoting once more from the Questar message: “As you can see, prices on the open market are volatile and have increased to record highs this year both nationally and locally.” 

Volatile, skyrocketing, record high fuel costs provide reasons aplenty for so many people to turn to Warmzone.com for guidance in finding the best-possible radiant heat system for their needs.  Consumers are finding themselves backed into a corner and are looking for an efficient, comfortable alternative.  That just makes sense!

With our commitment to researching the best options for radiant heat and assessing each job individually, our research and design team is prepared to design each project with the ideal system to meet the needs of our customers at the best available prices.

Warmzone is a different kind of company.  Unlike a manufacturer, we do not favor one system over another.  We acknowledge the fact that there are dozens of brands and types of radiant systems that offer unique qualities, but no one system is the answer for every project.  We take great interest in your project goals, requirements and budget and then provide you with a quote for the best system available to complete your project.  We may suggest using an electric, hydronic or a combination of these technologies.  There are clear advantages and disadvantages to each system and technology.  We will explain why we prefer one system over another for your particular project.  At Warmzone.com, you can expect simple, honest explanations for our suggestions to you. 

Customer service is at the top of our priority list.  As with “Brown” or the “Golden Arches,” we would be nothing without you, the consumer.  We are committed to helping people install the latest in innovative radiant heat systems by providing:
            1.  High quality materials
            2.  Installation packages that simplify the work.
            3.  Design assistance
            4.  Installation advice and support.
            5.  The latest ideas in energy efficiency and alternative energy.
We are not satisfied until you are satisfied.  That, of course, makes perfect sense!

Radiant heat systems are constantly evolving – which can be a challenge when it comes to deciding which is the best system for your project.  You can be assured that Warmzone will consider every system and then offer you the best technology for your project.

Most of the systems we design and sell can easily be installed by any plumbing and heating professional or general contractor.  But if you cannot find either professional in your area, our products can be installed by any reasonably-competent handyman.  Custom design and engineering packages are also available to assure that you are getting off on the right foot with your heating investment. These plans take the guess work out of the installation and become a road map for your system for future reference or to pass on to the next home owner.  

We welcome your inquiries and are prepared to help you with your radiant heat decisions.   Warmzone is the only company matching individual heating projects to solutions that make sense among the wide variety of available choices.  We’re not “brown,” nor are we “gold,” but we are leading out to assure customers make the right choice in the ever-increasing radiant heating market. 

Visit us online at www.warmzone.com or speak with one of our representatives by calling us directly at 1.888.488.WARM

© 2006 Warmzone Media.  “What Can Brown Do for You?” is a registered trademark of United Parcel Service of America, Inc. “The Golden Arches” is a registered trademark of McDonald's Corporation. Additional copyrights and trademarks are held by their respective owners.


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