# Heated tile ... really worth it?



## chris75 (Aug 25, 2007)

I use warmtiles (ezheat) and nu-heat mats, both will be more than room temperature, and you will hate yourself if you dont install them...


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## Bud Cline (Mar 12, 2006)

You don't run those things 24/7!

The systems will bring the floor tile up to about 84 degrees which is warm to the touch.


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## HandyPete (Mar 23, 2008)

Having heated tiles is something I would never live without! It's just too comfortable and gives such a great feeling every time you walk on the floor! 

Expensive? hardly, all of the electronic programmable thermostats do a great job and you'll get what you pay for..

Did you say basement? Geezzz, a little bit of heat is exactly what your basement needs!!!!

done deal (listen to your wife),

-pete


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## alvanos (Dec 28, 2005)

*Okay, I'm convinced *

Now ... what brands do you all recommend? Is this something available through HD/Lowes? I've also read some posts about the Tile Shop, which I have one near by.


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## LawnGuyLandSparky (Nov 18, 2007)

Every "system" of electric tile heat works the same. The devil is in the thermostat - it'll cost as much if not more than the heat mat. But it's already got GFCI protection built in, most are 120 or 240 volt capable, hove a remote temperature probe (buried under the tile to detect the TILE temperature, not the room temperature) and can be programmed for multiple weekdays / weekend schedules to keep costs down.

Might want to bury 2 remote sensors, in case one fails the other is there for backup... they're about 8-10 bucks.


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## perpetual98 (Nov 2, 2007)

How do you prevent the heaters from just heating the foundation constantly?


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## LawnGuyLandSparky (Nov 18, 2007)

Heat rises.


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## perpetual98 (Nov 2, 2007)

Good point! And by that theory when I take a hot pan off of my stove and set it on my hand it won't burn my hand, correct?


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## LawnGuyLandSparky (Nov 18, 2007)

Not exactly. When you take a hot pan off the stove the stove will also be hot. But eventually ALL of that heat will escape by RISING until it is the same temperature as the ambient air surrounding it. Also note these tile heaters are thin wires that emit a very small quantity of soft warmth along it;s entire surface. Very similar to gutter de-icing cable, onlt on a much smaller scale. These heat wires do not get red hot like a toaster element...


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## perpetual98 (Nov 2, 2007)

I know what you were saying, and I"m not disagreeing. What I'm saying is that for there to be a thermostat embedded with the heating elements, won't you need to heat the foundation to 80 degrees (or whatever the thermostat is set to) before the thermostat will turn off the heating element? You're going to need some sort of barrier in between what you're trying to heat and what you don't really care to heat that will reflect heat, in this case away from the foundation and into the tile. All I was suggesting was that there be some way to not waste energy heating the foundation.


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## Bud Cline (Mar 12, 2006)

perpetual98,

You are over-thinking this whole process. 

Home Depot sells Suntouch. It's a good system and will do a good job for you.  

The system will heat the tile satisfactorily, don't worry about losing heat downward - ain't gonna happen.:no:


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## LawnGuyLandSparky (Nov 18, 2007)

I see what you're getting at... if you'll feel better, jackhammer the area to be tiled, install 4" foam with reflective backing, re-pour the slab (might as well imbet the heat at this point) and then tile your insulated concrete floor... :grin:

I gutted and redid one bathroom on slab about 12 years ago. Complete tile walls and floor. Luckily, it's just a bathroom off the guest bedroom, and heated tile floors weren't as common then. Had I known, I would have heated that floor. I just did the other 2 main and master baths 2 years ago. They're not on slab, but the heated tiles make all the difference in the world - starting with NOT needing a bath mat, or a mat in front of the toilets, shower or the vanitys. 

And if the room is well insulated, I think it is possible to heat it using in-floor heat. It's just that the manufacturers of it don't want to hear any crap if it turns out otherwise...


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## perpetual98 (Nov 2, 2007)

Well 4" of foam is just crazy. 3.5" of foam would be fine.


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## warmsmeallup (Apr 3, 2008)

Radiant heat does not "rise" like heated air. It will go to where it's cold. If the slab in your basement is 55*, then the system will seek to heat it. Without an insulator, IMHO, you'll probably loose 15-20% of the heat downward. Those are the facts.

If you were looking to heat the room with it, then the insulator would be strongly recommended, if not required. But since you're just looking to get th efeel of warmth on the floor, it isn't as important.

We've installed Heatizon Low Voltage and Danfoss Line voltage systems and have found both to work equally as well. There are technical differences but conceptually, they do the same job.

Post the brand system you want to use, the watts per square foot it produces, the floor dimensions that you would heat (only) and what you pay per kilowatt hour and I'll tell you the cost per running hour to use it.


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## greenvorlon (Jul 26, 2007)

I've been doing reading on heated tile, as i hope to install it within the month, but my question is - Do I have to put it on it's own circuit? how much juice do these things really use? I'm a single guy with the hopes of soon having a wife that would be using a curling iron/hairdryer/whatever else they use... This stuff would all be on the same circuit along with the lights... good idea or bad idea?
thanks!


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## Bud Cline (Mar 12, 2006)

Bad idea!


Some of those heat systems don't require a separate circuit but it is always advisable to dedicate a circuit to a floor heat system.:yes:


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## angus242 (May 1, 2008)

The heating mat itself will come with requirements. You should assume it would need its own circuit. Some larger ones even require 220V.
Building codes in your area will override whatever the heating mat itself states.


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## Bob Mariani (Dec 1, 2008)

the heat mats are manufactured with a reflector at the bottom. The heat is directed into the surface above. And this surface is heated and this heat then rises. It is actually a very cost effective and efficient heat. I modified my entire heat in the house to radiant heat system. And cold tile? Why not go milk the cows and cut some more wood for that damn fire, if you really want your wife to live in the pioneer times.


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## angus242 (May 1, 2008)

The latest question was about connecting an electric heating mat to the current bathroom circuit, not about their performance.


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## chris75 (Aug 25, 2007)

Bud Cline said:


> Bad idea!
> 
> 
> Some of those heat systems don't require a separate circuit but it is always advisable to dedicate a circuit to a floor heat system.:yes:


okay, i'll bite, why would it be a bad idea?


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## Bob Mariani (Dec 1, 2008)

The typical things in a bathroom, like a hair dryer take enough power to require their own circuit. This is why it is a bad idea to add more to this same circuit.


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## chris75 (Aug 25, 2007)

Bob Mariani said:


> The typical things in a bathroom, like a hair dryer take enough power to require their own circuit. This is why it is a bad idea to add more to this same circuit.


Who said anything about sharing the bath receptacle circuit?


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## Bob Mariani (Dec 1, 2008)

the original post indicates that we wanted to know why he cannot tie to the existing circuit. In old houses the lights and plugs are all on one circuit.


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## chris75 (Aug 25, 2007)

Bob Mariani said:


> the original post indicates that we wanted to know why he cannot tie to the existing circuit. In old houses the lights and plugs are all on one circuit.


Okay, I probably took your post as is, and was not following along.


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## Bud Cline (Mar 12, 2006)

Select a heating product then read and follow the directions. It's as simple as that.

Mariani: Not all heat systems of this type have the reflector, in fact, most don't. Heat rises naturally.


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## warmsmeallup (Apr 3, 2008)

Bud Cline said:


> Heat rises naturally.


Um..actually, hot air rises, heat goes to cold. If an infloor radiant system is installed on a first floor and the basement below is colder than the first, the heat will radiat downward.


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## Bob Mariani (Dec 1, 2008)

yes radiant heat works much differently than other heat sources and does not work by rising air.


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