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Post by Watts Radiant on May 5, 2010 14:17:55 GMT -6
Hello Vic!
You can use the rigid insulation as you described. We usually suggest fiberglass as it's the most common material used in this application, as well as the cheapest. Be sure to leave an air gap between the insulation and the mats, i.e. do not push the insulation boards up against the mats. You can also foil as you described which will provide some reflective gain to the system.
-MDR
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Post by Watts Radiant on Mar 12, 2010 8:24:08 GMT -6
Kinsey- You can download our free RadiantWorks software here: www.wattsradiant.com/support/radiantworks/You can create a quick snow melting application in a couple minutes and the reports will show you startup, melting, and idling loads for the system. In the software, if you go to Help->RadiantWorks Professional Workbooks->Workbook Pt1, on page 28 you'll find a walkthrough of a snow melting application. As far as cost goes for snow melting, we really don't have anything directly relating loads to costs, primarily because we do not provide or support the heat source. You can take the idling load from the reports in RadiantWorks, the efficiency from the boiler manufacturer, and the cost of local fuel to determine the overall cost of the snow melting system. -MDR
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Post by Watts Radiant on Mar 11, 2010 10:48:31 GMT -6
Christopher, The installer, when trying to fix the situation, also cut off the silver sheathing that covers the wires in the wall. Can this be threaded back over the wires or is it now compromised and should be replaced. Not sure what the code is on this. Thanks, Dave Another thing to think about, Dave, is that if the braided shield is damaged, you may have damage to the cold lead also. I would inspect that region of the cold lead for scrapes or cuts to the wire. Even a tiny piece of the braided shield can pierce the wire insulation and cause a GFCI trip. -MDR
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Post by Watts Radiant on Mar 11, 2010 7:29:45 GMT -6
Hello kinsey-
What exactly do you mean by energy consumption for smow melt? Were you talking about the average BTUs a slab needs to generate in order to melt snow? Or, were you talking about the consumption of the system designed to melt snow?
-MDR
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Post by Watts Radiant on Mar 9, 2010 10:30:51 GMT -6
nastom- WarmWire, in some cases, can be used as a primary heat source. An indicator you must look at besides the wall R-Value, is the construction of the floor the WarmWire will be installed over. For instance, WarmWire installed over a frame floor will typically perform better than over a slab. It sounds like you are installing over a frame floor with a crawl space. In your described application, WarmWire has a very good chance of being used as a primary heat source. To verify this, you can send detailed plans of the area to designs@watts.com, and we can return a heat loss for you at no charge. Or, if you are familiar with heat losses, you can download our free RadiantWorks software at www.wattsradiant.com/support/radiantworks-MDR
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Post by Watts Radiant on Feb 22, 2010 8:00:18 GMT -6
Hello Michael!
There is no formal training as of now. If you open the program and go to Help, there is a RadiantWorks Manual, as well as 3 workbooks that will help guide you through some basic project setups. Specifically, if you look at Exercise #2 at the end of Manual 1, there is a snowmelt application setup walkthrough.
If you need more help with your design, feel free to call our technical support staff at 800-276-2419.
Thanks!
-MDR
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Post by Watts Radiant on Nov 26, 2009 16:07:13 GMT -6
Hello carrickknot!
The first thing to note when running your radiant system is to not pay attention to the air temperature too much. The air temperature in a radiant system will typically be lower than with a forced air system, yet maintain a higher level of comfort. So you might find that even 68 degrees is comfortable.
With regard to controlling the system, we typically recommended that you find a temperature you feel comfortable, and just let the system run. With a forced air system, you have quick response and can get away with fluctuating the set temp up and down as desired. With radiant, the system is much slower responding, and to control it like a forced air system usually leads to undesired results and wasted energy.
Since systems and construction varies tremendously, it is difficult to say what a "typical" kWh consumption would be. We do have a software program called RadiantWorks that can determine the heat loss for your house, and estimate the amount of energy it should take to heat it.
Since this is your first year, you might just set the system as described above, and let it roll through the heating season. That way, you'll have a definite benchmark to go by.
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Nov 24, 2009 11:25:10 GMT -6
Post by Watts Radiant on Nov 24, 2009 11:25:10 GMT -6
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Post by Watts Radiant on Nov 24, 2009 11:13:46 GMT -6
Watts Radiant 4500 E. Progress Place Springfield, MO 65803 Ph: 800-276-2419 Fx: 417-447-0971 www.wattsradiant.com
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Post by Watts Radiant on Nov 20, 2009 14:31:51 GMT -6
Welcome!
Thank you for visiting the Watts Radiant message board. We would like to use this board to interact, on a personal level, with our customers and other industry professionals.
Feel free to look around and search for whatever topics you are interested in. As a leader in radiant system design, we will be glad to assist you in any way we can.
Thanks, and enjoy!
-MDR
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