SERVING CALGARY FOR OVER 50 YEARS

Infloor Heating

Infloor Heating is by far the most comfortable and efficient way to heat your home. It is easily installed in new home basements and garage areas and can also be used to heat main and second floors by using a gypcrete overpour system.

Air conditioning can be installed as a ductless split air conditioning system. This will guarantee a much more even space temperature since hot air wants to rise and cold air does the opposite.

Humidification can be added to this system, but requires careful design to avoid problems with condensation, mildew, etc.

Tubing for infloor heating systems is available in two types:

• Crosslinked polyethylene with oxygen barrier
• Crosslinked polyethylene without oxygen barrier

Tubing with no oxygen barrier can be used but requires the installation of non-ferrous system components (no cast iron, no steel, no malleable iron). If designed for properly, it can be cost effective to use regular pex pipe but BUYER BEWARE!

Homes heated with an infloor heating system require a minimum of 1/3 air change per hour provided by a ducted fan powered system. In Alberta (or climates similar to Alberta), the use of a double-core air-to-air heat exchanger is the best way to achieve this. These units come in various sizes and will provide fresh air into your home year round. Efficiencies range from 80% at -28°C to 90% when outdoor temperatures are above -5°C.

Where To Start

A good set of house plans is essential in preparing a proper set of mechanical drawings, heating/cooling load calculations, material takeoffs and a detailed quote.

In order to design the infloor tubing layouts, a heat loss calculation must be done. These calculations determine the loop lengths, tube spacing, tube diameter and number of loops per manifold and supply & return line sizes to manifolds. The heat loss calculation also allows for proper heat source selection.

Heat Source Selection

Heat sources come in all sizes and shapes. We will try to highlight a few of them here for you:

Heat SourceProsCons

Water Tube Boilers	Low mass-boiler heats up fast; Lower price	Due to design, lifespan is limited to +/-25 years.
Cast Iron Boilers	High mass-slow to heat up; Due to design, long lifespan of +/-40 years	Fairly expensive Due to high mass, boiler room can possibly overheat when vent damper is closed and boiler is not firing.
Stainless Steel Wall-Hung Boilers	Low mass-small compact design; Direct vented; condensing. Will be +95% efficient, in most cases.	Due to design, lifespan limited to +/-25 years. Fairly expensive.
Combination System Heaters	Low cost	These systems only suitable for small, slab-heated areas-ie less than 1000 sq.ft. Limited heat output
Water Heaters	We do not recommend the use of a waterheater to provide energy for infloor heating applications	Very inefficient, 45% Very limited heat output. (up to 1000 s.f.). Low water temperatures,only (110-120 °F) at capacity.