Adding Radiant Floor Heat to Bath

[avc8130]

I recently moved into a new house. The master bath has a tile floor. Heating is done through a 5' length of hot water base board and a toe box blower under the sink. I was hoping to be able to add radiant floor heating using one of the aluminum heat emission plate systems and some PEX tubing under the subfloor. Can I simply plumb this inline with the baseboard/toe box?

A warm floor would go a long way to making the room FEEL warmer.

ac

 

[Jackfre]

There's a bit more to it than that. Are you talking about a "staple up system" under the current floor, or are you going to re-do the floor and put the tubing in the bathroom floor. Check Uponor Quik-Trac if doing it that way. I used the QT when I re-modelled my bathrooms. QT, 1/4" cement board, tile and ran 110f water to it. Your baseboard and little fan convector are running substantially hotter water, probable 140-180f. You don't want that in the floor. The staple up you would run higher temps tan with the QT. You would need a tempering valve or some type thermostatic valve to regulate the temp supplied to the bathroom.

 

[avc8130]

There's a bit more to it than that. Are you talking about a "staple up system" under the current floor, or are you going to re-do the floor and put the tubing in the bathroom floor. Check Uponor Quik-Trac if doing it that way. I used the QT when I re-modelled my bathrooms. QT, 1/4" cement board, tile and ran 110f water to it. Your baseboard and little fan convector are running substantially hotter water, probable 140-180f. You don't want that in the floor. The staple up you would run higher temps tan with the QT. You would need a tempering valve or some type thermostatic valve to regulate the temp supplied to the bathroom.

I was thinking "staple up" under the subfloor between the joists.

I was reading about the lower temperature requirements, so I thought about plumbing the floor in series, AFTER the baseboard and convector. That way a large portion of the heat in the water should have been transferred to the room.

ac

 

[avc8130]

Ahh, an assumption.

The solid foundation of many failed endeavours...

Nah, didn't officially assume anything just yet. That is why I am asking. If I had already assumed I would have just done it and burned my feet by now

If it won't work as simple as I am thinking, I will probably just abandon the idea. It is more luxury than anything else, and I am not about to add another loop or anything just to warm 8x15 worth of floor.

 

[Frank The Plumber]

Don't put it by the toilet. It melts out the wax gaskets. And any other type dry rots after 2 or 3 years. Keep it 2 feet away minimum.

 

[avc8130]

Don't put it by the toilet. It melts out the wax gaskets. And any other type dry rots after 2 or 3 years. Keep it 2 feet away minimum.

I had heard that.

Any comments on whether I can tag off the hot water baseboard?
ac

 

[avc8130]

Sure, if your baseboard is running at <120*F for underfloor... and if it is, and you don't have a condensing boiler, then your system is too cold.

Yeah, getting the idea this just simply won't work. Oh well, had to ask.