What's Your Plan This Winter

October 26, 2008 00:10 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

Winter weather is on the way. Start thinking about heating system solutions for the coming winter months or spend the season shivering and wishing you’d planned ahead. Leaving decisions like this to the last moment (for example, when your furnace up and dies in the middle of a brutal Nor’easter) causes unnecessary stress, expense, and, most obviously, a freezing cold house.

Whether you are building a new home from the ground up, preparing to replace your heating systems are using electricity instead of natural gas or heating oil. Not only does this cut down on heating costs, but it is also more efficient and eco-friendly as well. Radiant heating systems are quickly replacing traditional furnaces.

Heating Systems Tip: Choosing the best heating systems 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 within your budget.

 


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Radiant Heaters Provide Optimal Heating Solutions for Small Spaces

December 23, 2008 00:12 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

For homeowners or renovators, it’s worth taking a look at several kinds of radiant heaters for residences or businesses. Today we’ll discuss the electric cable heating system kind of radiant heaters.

Electric cable heating systems, often called line- or high-voltage systems, are gaining popularity and are ideal for heating smaller areas like bathrooms, kitchens, and sun rooms. These systems are comprised of a thermostat and a heating cable. On some radiant heater 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 radiant heater 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; on others, if the cable is embedded in mortar or concrete, any flooring can be installed on top of the concrete.

Radiant Heaters Tip: When heating smaller areas with a radiant heater, it is nearly impossible to beat the simplicity and price of an electric cable heating system. 


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Hunting for a Heating Solution?

December 18, 2008 00:12 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

Quite simply put, radiant heaters are the most efficient form of heat available in today’s market. Significantly less operating time is required to attain and maintain the desired warmth compared to furnaces and other, traditional methods of heating, which keeps operational costs to a minimum.

High efficiency boilers or electric radiant floor systems makes radiant heat one of your most efficient ways to heat your home. Combined with a well-insulated home these systems can quickly warm your home and then shut down or wait idle for long periods of time before being called upon by the thermostat to operate.

More than ever before, homebuilders, househunters, and home renovators alike are looking for energy-efficient heating options for houses. We say they need look no further than radiant heaters for their ideal home heating solution.

Radiant Heaters Tip: It might take a little effort, but being more environmentally friendly doesn’t have to involve major renovations. 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 surefire way to stop, prevent, and reverse energy waste.

 


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Common Issue for Vacation Homes

December 13, 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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Too Hot. Too Cold. No, We're Just Right!

September 20, 2007 00:09 AM  BY  WARMZONE

With a name like Warmzone, we have an unspoken obligation to live up to the task of matching our customers to the best available system of warmth and comfort.  We strive everyday to ensure that our products and our knowledgeable, dedicated staff will leave memories of service that is second to none, and products that will provide years of enjoyment.

A brief history of Warmzone allows consumers to understand why Warmzone was created. Warmzone realized the growth in the radiant heat industry was causing problems for consumer and contractors due to the abundance of technical information and product choices. Making the right choice for a radiant heat system is crucial and carries serious implications to its cost and effectiveness.  Serving as an intermediary between manufacturers, contractors and consumers, Warmzone’s role is to match individual needs of a project to a heating system that makes the most sense.  We strive to match our customer’s needs with the finest radiant heating systems available.  Warmzone.com offers non-biased, individualized solutions that factor the installation, durability, performance and operational investment as the key criteria for our customers.

There are several variables that Warmzone considers when looking at a project.  Some of these variables include:  square footage, the type of floor covering, the amount of heat needed for a given area, whether that heat will be the supplemental or primary source, how well insulated that environment is, and if it is a major remodel or completely new construction.
           
Based on this criterion, we can then discuss the benefits of a radiant heating system and which technology would be most appropriate for a consumer in terms of effectiveness, efficiency, operational costs and overall upkeep and maintenance.

Because radiant heat is relatively new in the United States, there is a continuing need to educate consumers about a wide variety of radiant solutions.  In the interest of avoiding confusion and finding the best possible application, Warmzone has done most of the homework for our prospective customers.  Our professional consultants learn the details regarding your heating goals and then propose a system that can be easily installed and will fit your budget.  Warmzone continues to strive toward being viewed as the premier radiant provider.  “We want customers to feel confident in this market and receive honest information and pricing regarding the best available products,” says Brandon Weaver, Vice President of Sales.

With so many options in the radiant industry, Warmzone.com is helping contractors and consumers with the pros and cons of each system.  Representatives of Warmzone suggest the best possible system for any project.  We are not tied to any one manufacturer and will provide the very best in pricing and information available.  Warmzone has a very direct relationship with select manufacturers thus eliminating the ‘one size fits all’ sales pitch normally received by homeowners. Using various forms of technology, Warmzone’s focus is to provide customers with the most pertinent information in record time. We know this is the key to establishing trust and long term partnerships.

As heating costs skyrocket, radiant heating continues to come to the forefront.  We at Warmzone excel in providing options that are affordable, convenient and specifically tailored to the needs of individual consumers.  As we match products with needs, we continually strive to provide our customers with “warm, pleasurable” heating experiences.  After all, feeling warm IS a wonderful thing!

We would welcome the opportunity to serve your needs. Visit us at www.warmzone.com, or call us directly at 1-888-488-WARM.       


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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Radiant Heating Delivers Comfortable and Efficient Heat

December 25, 2008 00:12 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

As demands for lower energy costs increase, homebuilders, househunters, and home renovators alike are looking for energy-efficient heating options for houses.  We say they need look no further than radiant heaters for their ideal home heating solution.
In a nutshell, radiant heating is among the most efficient forms of heat available in today’s market. Significantly less operating time is required to attain and maintain the desired warmth compared to furnaces and other, traditional methods of heating, which keeps operational costs to a minimum.

High efficiency boilers or electric radiant floor systems makes radiant heat one of your most efficient ways to heat your home. Combined with a well-insulated home, these radiant heater systems can quickly warm your home and then shut down or wait idle for long periods of time before being called upon by the thermostat to operate.

Radiant Heaters Tip:  Being more environmentally friendly doesn’t have to involve major renovations. 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 surefire way to stop, prevent, and reverse energy waste. 


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Learn About the Options

November 29, 2008 00:11 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

With the current housing market being so unpredictable, we’re seeing an increasing number of homeowners are opting to stay put in their homes, rather than buy a new home. They find that one way to make their current home a better fit for them is to remodel the kitchen or bathroom, or upgrade the home’s heating systems. While there isn’t a single heating system out there that is an ideal fit for every project, there is an ideal system for every project. Warmzone.com can provide you with the heating systems you desire, as well as consult with you on which systems would be the best fit for your project.

Hydronic under floor heating systems are some of the most popular forms of radiant heat. In the most recent hydronic heating systems, PEX radiant tubing has been installed in a concrete mass called Gypsum Concrete or “Gypcrete.” This method of heating system installation works very well in most applications, but there have been developments in the installation process of hydronic under floor heating that make it easier to install for certain situations. This new development is known as a low-mass or modular board underlayment system. Rather than embedding the hot water tubing in concrete, the PEX tubing is laid in the grooves of pre-cut wood panels. This new method is ideal for remodeling and most new construction projects.

Heating System Tip: The hydronic under-floor heating system was first used by the Romans; there have obviously been significant developments since that time.

 


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Questions Concerning Home Heating

December 03, 2008 00:12 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

When replacing a home heating system, there are a lot of questions that people have in regards to new home heating systems.  Here is a questions that was recently asked.

Q: My 1,200 square foot home used to be heated by a furnace from 1949 that ran at 25,000 BTU. Recently I changed the system to a newer, 7,000 BTU system. I thought this newer heater would be more efficient, but I find that it takes much longer to heat the house than the older system did. Is there something wrong with my furnace or do I need one that has a higher BTU?

A: It’s a good idea to replace old heating systems with newer, more efficient models. These new models can work just as well or better than old systems, but they do work differently. Where old furnaces could be turned on and heat the house within a matter of minutes, new heating systems can take longer. If you want your home to be warm at a certain time, set the heat to go on about 45 minutes prior to that.

Another important factor is whether your home is “weather-tight.” Make sure all doors and windows are properly sealed. If not, you may be losing heat at the same rate your heating system is producing it. Check with a heating contractor who can tell you whether the new unit is sized correctly for your home’s square footage.


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Warranties Are Not Created Equal

December 29, 2008 00:12 AM  BY  ROBERT COHEN

The Mystery Warranty

How much do you really know about the warranties offered by manufacturers? Sure it may say “25 Year Warranty” on the package, but what exactly does that mean? Most manufacturers of radiant heating systems offer a warranty, but a 25 year warranty isn’t always better than a 10 year warranty and this is why:

I chose the Danfoss GX electric radiant heat cables to build an asphalt heated driveway at my residence. The heat of the asphalt combined with heavy weight, caused me to wonder how the GX cables were going to hold up, and what would happen if a problem occurred. I was pleased to discover that Danfoss products have a 10 year warranty, that covers up to 5 times the cost of original installation. Why is this exciting? Because the failure of a radiant heating system isn’t like a vacuum cleaner breaking down, you can’t throw it in your car and bring it back to the store for a refund. Fixing a severed cable requires tearing up the surface of the driveway – or in the case of indoor radiant heating, tearing up your brand new tiles or wood flooring. The process of tearing up a floor or driveway is time consuming and costly, not to mention annoying. Many manufacturers will replace the bad product, but you still have to pay out of your own pocket to tear up the floor and hire someone to fix the problem.

Danfoss is so sure that you won’t have any problems, their warranty is the best offered by radiant heat manufacturers. Not only do you get brand new Danfoss product, but they will cover the cost of floor removal, and reinstallation (up to 5 times the cost of the original installation). So when you install your radiant floor or driveway, you can rest easy knowing that unexpected problems are already covered.


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