As Seen in – Deseret Morning News By: James Carpenter
Steve Love, a Salt Lake resident, is the owner of Hidden springs Ranch, a multi million dollar adventure resort located high in the hills east of Nephi in central Utah. His lodge was built from the ground up, using the finest materials available, including wood floors, tile and beautiful stone areas.
To bring comfort to the floors, Love installed an in-floor radiant heating system. “I wanted a heating system that would provide my guests with the most comfortable available, but that wasn’t too complex and didn’t require a lot of maintenance,” Love says.
When people associated with the radiant heating industry use the words “ZMesh”, “Golden Mesh”, “Z Mesh”, or just plain “Mesh” they are referring to a durable line of low voltage line electric products made by Heatizon Systems and used for Radiant Roof Snow Melt and De-icing, Radiant Floor Warming and Radiant Heating.
Designed to be installed on and under sub-floors and on sub-roofs, ZMesh provides a nice uniform heat and it is plenty robust to satisfy the demands of discriminating radiant heat, radiant roof deicing, and radiant floor warming customers. In addition,
ZMesh – is gold in color and marquee in performance.
ZMesh – can withstand nails or screws as long as they do not short it to metal.
ZMesh – is made of durable bronze and warranted for 25 years.
ZMesh – is simple and easy to repair if it is cut or damaged.
ZMesh – requires little or no floor build-up.
ZMesh – can be installed under all non-conductive shingles and nearly all floor coverings.
ZMesh – is a cut to length in the field product rather than a fixed length product.
ZMesh – can be retro-fitted between floor joists from an unfinished basement or crawlspace.
ZMesh – is used for radiant heat, radiant floor warming, and radiant roof snow and ice melting.
ZMesh – is available in 9 and 12 inch widths and lengths from 50 to 400 feet long.
ZMesh – is plenty robust to heat entire spaces and eliminate ice dams.
ZMesh – has been tested to UL Standards and is listed by ETL.
ZMesh – is made in the United States of America.
ZMesh – is a term that has been trademarked by Heatizon Systems.
Heatizon Systems products are manufactured in Murray Utah, a suburb of Salt Lake City, and are marketed across the United States and Canada.
(Description of Heatizon Systems’ RPA Showcase Award Winning Project at the Rothman Residence and Park City, UT)
You can count on two things when your home is located 8,500 feet or more above sea level in the Wasatch Mountains: snow and more snow. To handle the snow loads on the roof of one 5,000-sq. ft., three-level home, electric radiant manufacturer Heatizon used a bronze mesh product called ZMesh, as well as its Tuff Cable embedded in a heat sink. The ZMesh is protected by a sandwich of ice and water shield, with composition asphalt shingle on the surface. The panel system allows for worry-free nailing. The ZMesh is energized by a step-down transformer, which produces a low voltage current that does not seek ground. The roof deicing system compromises approximately 520 sq. ft. Meanwhile, a snow melting system using a low voltage resistance cable called Tuff Cable was embedded in the concrete in the window wells to prevent damage to the windows and interior finishes. There is approximately 400 sq. ft. of snowmelt in the window wells.
I received a telephone call this morning from a prospective customer wanting to understand the difference between Heat Trace, Heat Tape, and GutterMelt. After explaining the differences to him it occurred to me that perhaps others are confused so I decided to write this article.
Heat Trace and Heat Tape are generic terms for a family of electric heating cables that are designed to keep pipes from freezing, maintain the temperature of the contents of pipes and melt snow and ice off of roofs and in drains, rain gutters and downspouts. Some of the products in this family are designed to be installed inside of pipes and others are designed to be wrapped around the outside of pipes, valves, and instrumentation. Obviously the Heat Trace and Heat Tape products designed for rain gutters, downspouts and on roofs are designed to be exposed to the elements including the rays from the sun.
Within the family of electric heating cables referred to as “Heat Trace” or “Heat Tape” are Constant Wattage cables and Self Regulating cables. As you might have already concluded Constant Wattage cables always put out approximately the same watts per linear foot regardless of the temperature of their surroundings. The wattage output per linear foot of Self Regulating cables on the other hand, varies dramatically as the temperature surrounding the cable changes. As a matter of fact the wattage output of a length of Self Regulating cable may vary as the temperature surrounding the cable varies along its length.
The various brands of Constant Wattage Heat Trace or Heat Tape cables come in many different quality levels and price points and are generally fixed in length. Design longevity, temperature tolerance, and wattage output all dramatically affect quality and price. Within the Constant Wattage segment of Heat Trace or Heat Tape, prices range from less than a dollar to several dollars per foot, and life expectancy ranges from a year or two to 10 or more years. The wattage output of Constant Wattage cables varies from a few watts per foot up to 50 plus watts per foot.
Self Regulating cables are generally cut to length in the field products and like Constant Wattage cables they are available in many different quality levels and price points. Like Constant Wattage cables, the quality and price of Self Regulating Heat Trace or Heat is dictated by the design longevity, temperature tolerance, and wattage output. These cables generally have wattage outputs ranging from 3 to 24 plus watts per foot in a certain medium (air, ice, water, etc.) and at a certain temperature.
Given that multiple outputs and many different types of cables are available on the market much is to be gained to contacting an expert in the field when determining which cable will best satisfy the objectives of your project.
California’s Building Energy Standards, Title 24, Part 6 allows for the use of electrical radiant floor warming and electrical radiant space heating products whenever said products meet the definition of “supplemental heating.”
So what exactly is “supplemental heating?” According to the Building Energy Standards for the state of California “supplemental heating” is heating which is: (a) not the primary space conditioning system (defined as that system used in energy compliance analysis); and, (b) installed in an area that is also directly served by the primary space conditioning system. Of course common sense and the Building Energy Standards require that the primary space conditioning system have sufficient capacity to condition the entire building or home.
In other words, anytime the primary space conditioning system does not have sufficient capacity to condition the entire building or home, and/or the primary space conditioning system does not directly serve the space where the electrical radiant floor-warming or electrical radiant space heating product is to be installed, then said products are not considered “supplemental heating” and they must be included in the energy performance analysis to comply with the Building Energy Standards. As a result, the energy use of electrical floor warming and space heating products installed in areas such as bathrooms, that do not have supply vents from the primary space conditioning system, must be included in the energy performance standards compliance analysis.
The fact is that electric resistance space conditioning is difficult to justify as the primary space heater in California. The reason for this is that California uses source energy as the measurement for efficiency. As a result, even though electric products generally have energy efficiencies of 99 percent or greater, the efficiency of electric radiant floor warming and space heating products are reduced by the inefficiency of generating and delivering the electricity to the point of consumption.
The good news is Californians can enjoy the comfort and cleanliness of electric radiant floor warming and space heating anytime they have a primary system that has sufficient capacity to condition the entire space and the space is directly served by the primary system.
As the cold months approach and temperatures drop, every home owner is faced with increasing power bills. It is costly to maintain warmth throughout your home if you are using a conventional furnace as your main heating source. Radiant heating offers many benefits and the decrease in your power bills is just the beginning!
Radiant heating products like ZMesh and Tuff Cable offer a clean, quiet alternative to traditional heating systems. That means no more cold floors, drafts, heat loss and no more cold or hot spots in a room.
Our radiant heat products can be installed in new construction or worked into any type of remodel or retrofit.
Using a low voltage electric radiant system, like Tuff Cable, means that 99% of your energy is used for heating and there are no moving parts or service required. Tuff Cable and ZMesh can be installed in any size room and each room, or zone, is operated by a thermostat that you can program. Just set it and forget it! Heatizon systems are self-regulating – you set the temperature for each zone and you never have to worry – and that means smaller power bills, since you are not heating rooms you are not using.
ZMesh and Tuff Cable are both made from recycled materials in the United States of America. They also come with a 25 year warranty, are 100% efficient and can be controlled by thermostat or sensor. You can cover them with virtually any type of floor covering – hardwood, stone, tile, laminate, linoleum or vinyl. Just imagine the feeling of getting out of bed stepping on warm floors!
Summer brings with it a multitude of outside chores of home remodeling projects, whether it be landscaping your yard, pouring a new cement patio, re-shingling the roof or repainting the home. What many Utah homeowners don’t realize is that summer is the perfect time to install a snow-melt radiant heating system.
According to Steve Love, sales manager for Heatizon, snow-melt and interior floor heating systems have been around for about 25 years and are becoming more and more popular in and outside of Utah. Heatizon manufactures a complete line of low-voltage radiant heating products.
“Imagine snow and ice automatically melting from your driveway and sidewalks. Or your tile and hardwood floors being comfortably warm to your bare feet,” Love explains. Unlike forced air systems, radiant heat, which is installed underneath flooring, warms objects, not just the air. It’s a much more comfortable and even heat.
Heatizon’s radiant heat systems use one of two products that can be installed in new construction or retrofitted to existing applications. The Tuff Cable, a copper element, is used in snowmelting systems for driveways or sidewalks. In an existing system, technicians cut thin, inch-deep channels that are 6 inches apart into the pavement, which is where the cable is laid and then closed with a sealant. For new driveways or walkways, the cable is installed just before the concrete in poured.
One of the most recognized local projects that Heatizon undertook using The Tuff Cable was Utah’s TRAX light rail system. The snow melting system was installed on all the passenger station access ramps to keep the area from snow during the winter. One of its largest projects- 20,000 square feet- was the LDS Conference Center, where the cable was installed on plaza sidewalks and stairs.
For interior flooring applications, as well as under-shingle roof systems, Heatizon uses Z Mesh, a bronze wire mesh, which is placed over an existing concrete floor or on top of the wood subfloor. Tile, carpet or wood flooring can then be placed over the heating system. In roofing systems, the mesh is installed underneath the shingles, making it virtually invisible.
An in-floor radiant system is ideal for homeowners who are finishing off their basement, yet not sure how to make walking across cold floors more bearable during the winter.
For Richard Hull, who is building an addition on to his father’s 1950 home in Hooper, installing a Heatizon system was a no-brainer. In order to install a conventional forced-air system, he would have had to run new ductwork throughout the new part of the house, which he says would have cost the same as installing a radiant system. Hull also had managed the 7,000-square foot Hidden Springs Resort Ranch in Nephi, which had been heated by a Heatizon system. It was only after living there that he was convinced that radiant heat was the only way to go.
“It’s a more efficient, uniform heat that is distributed more evenly because the heat rises from the floor,” he says. “Also, I anticipate my heating costs will be about the same as if I had a forced-air system.”
“What makes the technology so unique is that Heatizon uses a low-voltage system, ranging from 8 to 30 volts AC,” Love notes, “eliminating safety concerns for water, cuts and nails or screw driven through the element.”
Besides safety, radiant heat offers a number of other benefits over the traditional heating systems- one being that radiant heat is 51 percent more efficient than forced-air systems, making it less expensive to run.
“With a radiant heat system, you can reduce your heating bill between 23 to 26 percent, whether it be natural gas or electricity,” Love says.
A Heatizon System does not need to cycle constantly, like other systems, making it more cost-effective. Therefore, homeowners can program the system to go on and off at specific times based on their needs. For example, to run a zone of a snowmelting system during a snowstorm would cost about $1.53 for four hours (based on Salt Lake City electricity rates).
From a health standpoint, radiant heat is also cleaner and environmentally friendly. With a forced-air system, pollen, dust, and other particles are circulating throughout the air, making it uncomfortable for those who suffer from allergies or asthma.
With other heating system, homeowners are limited on where they can place furniture, wall coverings and decorations because of register and radiator placement.
Because all Heatizon systems are solid-state and are not comprised of moving parts, homeowners do not need to worry about maintenance. There is also no risk of broken pipes or tubes or expensive repairs resulting from water damage.
Because it offers such high-quality and durable products in its heating systems, Heatizon provides its customers with a 25-year warranty.
For more information on Heatizon Systems products, call 801-293-1232 or visit the Web site at heatizon.com.
Radiant floor warming is a wonderful addition to any living or working space. The warm floor makes the space the most comfortable in the entire building. Designed to provide years of trouble free service, high quality floor warming systems are designed to last substantially longer than the flooring covering itself. Given their long life expectancy and the repair/replacement expense incurred if the heating element or tubing gets damaged or, improperly installed, a significant amount of time should be devoted to the design, product selection and installation of radiant floor warming system.
Design
Designing a radiant floor warming system is relatively easy, provided; a few simple rules are followed. Listed below please find a list of simple rules for designing a radiant floor warming system:
The design should deliver 7.5 to 12 watts (25 to 41 Btu) per square foot to effectively warm floors. The National Electric Code limits the maximum heat that should be installed in the floor to 15 watts per square foot.
Only the floor areas where the occupants will stand or walk require warming in order for a radiant floor warming system to effective. Radiant space heating however may require different coverage to satisfy the requirements of a Heat Load or Loss Calculation.
Proper spacing of the heating element or tubing is very important because the human foot is very temperature sensitive and even a few degrees temperature differential will be noticed.
The spacing of the heating element or tubing will vary depending upon the R-value of the insulation below the sub-straight, the sub-straight material, what ever will cover the heating element or tubing, and the floor covering.
Keep the heating element or tubing away from the base of the toilet and/or bidet because the wax ring that makes the drain water tight may be compromised by the heat.
Determine if it is desirable to heat the shower floor or the shaving bench.
Avoid one size fits all products that require the project to adjust to the radiant floor warming product rather than the other way around.
Once the design is complete the best products for that design can be determined and a final selection made.
Product Selection
Often times, product selection occurs simultaneously with the design process. The nature of the design process helps focus on the advantages and disadvantages of different technologies and thus helps determine which are best suited for the project. At the very minimum the design process should help eliminate most of the competing radiant floor heating technologies from further consideration leaving less than a hand full for further evaluation.
Remember number 7) under design and do not allow the product to control the project. Since many competing products are available and they differ in technology, quality and warranty coverage, most buyers are well served by contacting a radiant floor warming professional to assist in determining which is best suited for their needs and their project.
Installation
More difficult than design and product selection (but equally deserving of attention to detail), is the proper installation of the radiant floor warming system. As a matter of fact incorrect installation and/or product damage during installation are the two leading causes of problems in the radiant floor warming industry.
No doubt the best way to insure proper installation is to choose a product made by a manufacturer that has a comprehensive installation manual, offers unlimited technical support and has been in business for more than a couple of years.
Steven Bench is Managing Member of Heatizon Systems a leading manufacturer of radiant snow melting, floor warming, roof snow and ice melting, pipe warming, and radiant space heating products located in Murray, Utah.
Z Mesh, Heatizon Systems bronze mesh heating element, is so advanced that it can be installed under non-conductive roof coverings, ceramic tile, stone, laminant flooring, carpeting, and hardwood flooring. Typical installations for Z Mesh include total space heating, roof snow melt, and floor warming. Z Mesh is made to go on something…like concrete and wood sub-floors and sub-roofs.
Heatizon Tuff Cable heating element is a very durable coated copper cable that is chemical and gasoline resistant. It is designed to be installed in asphalt, concrete, tile mortar bed, thin set, or a Heatizon Heatsink Kit. Typical installations for Tuff Cable include total space heating, floor warming, snow melting, and roof snow melt. Tuff Cable is made to go in something…like asphalt, concrete, a sand bed under pavers or a heatsink kit.
Benefits or Advantages:
Radiant Heat is more comfortable and efficient than forced air or convection heating. In space-heating, occupants feel more comfortable even when the space air temperature is maintained lower than typical forced air heating. Radiant heat results in less heat-loss from a room. Forced air registers and baseboard heat strips are always located on outside walls between windows. These systems heat air that comes in contact with the external windows and walls to temperatures much higher than the desired room temperature. This results in more heat-loss from the space. Heatizon System’s products provide a uniform heat flux from the floor into the space, resulting in less heat-loss from the room.
Mass Warming results in less temperature variations in the space being heated. The flooring material is heated by the element which then radiates the heat into the space. The floor surface can be maintained at a very uniform temperature which prevents the hot and cold temperature swings that occur as other systems cycle on and off. Warming the mass of the floor results in what is called thermal capacitance. This allows the space to remain warm even when extreme temperatures occur. Essentially, heat energy is stored in the mass of the floor and other objects in the space. This applies to any type of floor–wood, concrete, tile, etc.
Efficiency of the Heatizon Systems products is excellent. When compared with a heat pump, forced-air furnace or baseboard heating system, Heatizon Systems low-voltage products are more efficient watt for watt. An article in the July, 1996 ASHRAE Journal, “Radiant Heating for Thermal Comfort” reported on experimental results comparing a heat pump, baseboard heat and radiant heat. The radiant heating system consumed 33% less energy than the heat pump system and 52% less energy than the baseboard system.
Reliability of Heatizon Systems products are superior. The entire system is solid-state, has no moving parts to wear out, and has nothing that requires routine maintenance. There are no water lines to break or crack. Our products have been satisfying the needs of hundreds of customers since 1979. Both z-mesh and Tuff Cable are easy to repair in the event they get cut or damaged. The controls allow for power failures or spikes, yet brings the system back on-line as quickly as possible.
Comfort of radiant heat is superior because the radiant heat flux is uniform throughout the heated space. There are no “point-source” hot spots like there are in baseboard and forced air systems. Thermal comfort is sustained as the system cycles on and off, because the heated mass temperature remains almost constant.
Convenience of installation is superior to any other system. There is no ducting to deal with, no lost floor or wall space. Other than a thermostat, Heatizon Systems products are out of sight. Retrofitting is easy. Adding the system to an existing space is much easier than installing a hydronic or high voltage system.
Safety is a major advantage of the Heatizon System. Heatizon Systems products are ETL listed to UL standards 1673, 1693, and 1561.
Quiet and clean. The Heatizon System produces no more noise than a light fixture. There is no fan starting and stopping, no filter to change or clean, no valves to wear out, and no pipes to rattle.
Life-Cycle Costs are less, especially when heating exterior concrete surfaces. The cost to replace a driveway, sidewalk or patio is many times the cost of the Heatizon Systems products.
Typical Installations:
Finishing a Basement is an excellent application for Heatizon Systems. Z Mesh heating element can be placed directly on the concrete with padding and carpet installed over the top.
Tile is cold to step on in bare feet both summer and winter. The Heatizon Systems Z Mesh or Tuff Cable heating elements can be installed under tile in bathrooms, kitchens, entries, etc. making them nice and warm to the touch.
Hardwood Floors tend to be cold. Z Mesh can be installed between the subfloor and the hardwood floor and maintains the surface at a constant temperature that is comfortable to the touch.
Nurseries or anywhere that babies crawl is ideal to keep warm. Small children are always close to the floor. Heatizon Systems floor warming products keep them from getting chilled.
Driveways, Sidewalks and Porches can be kept clear of snow and ice. Heatizon systems nearly 100% efficiency keeps operating costs reasonable and helps your concrete last longer, because it is not subjected to salt or snow-melting chemicals.
Handicap Ramps are of no value if they are not clear of snow and ice.
Parking Ramps and Loading Docks are often sloped and difficult to clear of snow and ice.
Remote Locations and Moderate Climates where electricity is the only utility available are ideal applications for installing the Heatizon System.
One contractor recently received four different proposals, each with different materials and costs, for the same project. “How can this be?” he asked. I listened as he continued to grumble: “I do not understand, my instructions were very clear and the requirements for the project were well documented in the specifications and on the blue prints.”
The answer, upon closer inspection, is that while one proposal was for the specified product, the other three were for products, that were not specified but which could potentially satisfy many of the requirements established by the specification writer.
Upon further investigation it became obvious that my friend the contractor had failed to ask for proposals from more than one vender of the specified product line. This simple mistake left him with four proposals and the inability to make a comparison that made sense. Worse yet it left him with the inability to explain to his customer, the project owner, why he did not have more than one proposal for the specified product and/or why the research preformed by the specification writer was being ignored at best or, worse yet, duplicated.
In business, in general and in the construction business in particular, it is very likely that four different suppliers armed with the same project description and specifications will come up with four different recommendations. How? By making assumptions or taking liberties with the specifications.
While it is the job of the Architect and/or Engineer is to specify the products that are best suited for the project, it is the responsibility of the General Contractor to “police” the process by sorting out which proposals satisfy the exact requirements specified and which do not.
Another problem, my contractor friend pointed out, is: “If only one of the four proposals is complete and satisfies the specifications of the project how can anyone legitimately compare the proposals?” Unfortunately, the only viable answer may be to re-bid the project.
Ignoring the specifications of a project causes a great deal of confusion and extra work on the part of everyone involved, yet it is very prevalent in today’s construction business. Frequently the bidder(s) that failed to meet the requirements of the project is rewarded because his corner cutting proposal is lowest in terms of cost. The ultimate loser? Of course, is the owner of the project who, months or years, down the road discovers that he is not happy with the performance of that portion of his project.
Steven Bench is Managing Member of Heatizon Systems a leading manufacturer of radiant snow melting, roof snow and ice melting, floor warming, in-floor space heating and pipe heating/warming products located in Murray, Utah.
