Can radiant heat be used as the only source of heat for a home or building?
Absolutely. A radiant heating system utilizing our panels offers an extremely efficient primary heating method.
Can I install radiant heat in only part of my home through a remodel or addition?
Yes. If you are putting on an addition or remodeling an existing room, it is very easy to install and heat those rooms with radiant heat while continuing to use your existing heating system in the rest of the house. It is very common. Also, we often have people come to us looking for solutions for hard to heat rooms, such as an office or sunroom, and our products work very well in those instances.
What kinds of flooring can be put over SRT’s panels?
SRT’s panels provide excellent comfort when used underneath numerous types of floor surfaces, including stone, wood, ceramic, low pile carpeting, and linoleum. Further, our products can also be easily applied to walls, creating a stylish and functional wainscoting.
Can wood flooring be screwed, glued or floated over SRT’s panels?
All of the above. If you wish to nail the floor, we recommend using a 1 1/4″ wood nailer strip between every other panel. Floating floors are faster and well suited to engineered hardwoods. We have had wonderful results gluing down wood floors of various thickness.
Can I use my current boiler?
It depends. Our panels require relatively low temperature water (115-125 degrees), so if you have a newer boiler that will allow you to adjust the temperature it could work. The most suitable boilers for our panels are 97% AFUE modulating and condensing boilers.
What is the payback period to recoup the initial extra expense over a forced-air installation?
It depends on the combination of products you are using, but you will see lower gas bills immediately. Our estimate is seven years, but it depends on a number of factors covering everything from how well the structure is insulated to whether you are entitled to receive rebates. If you are eligible for rebates, the payback period will be substantially reduced. You can assume 30-60% lower utility bills, along with less maintenance and replacement costs over the life cycle of the system.
Does your firm do the installation or are there subcontractors?
We are the manufacturer of the modular radiant panels, and we can assist with proper design and installation, but we would recommend other mechanical contractors do the actual installation. The panel installation is also a good DIY project as long as you have a professional mechanical contractor come in to install the boilers and hook up the pex tubing. In other words, you have options.
Do we need to be concerned about the system leaking?
There are no joints or connections in the tubing carrying the heated water under your floor. There is one continuous closed loop of tubing, one end leaves the boiler, and the other end connects back to the boiler. So there is no need to worry about joints or connections resulting in leaks under your floor. Your risk of water leaks is probably higher with the plumbing system running through your house that it is with a properly installed radiant heat system.
What size are the SRT panels?
The panels are 6” x 24” x 1.25”, one square foot with 1.25” thickness.
How much do the SRT panels weigh?
Each panel is less than eight pounds. In almost all cases, standard structures will support the weight of a floor utilizing our panels with no modification.
What are the panels made from?
Our panels are made from a proprietary lightweight concrete mix which is held in a sturdy plastic tray made from recycled plastic.
Would air conditioning be a separate application?
Yes. We like to recommend a high velocity system from Unico and others, or a mini-split system like those made by Mitsubishi and others.