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This healthy and eco-friendly heating system gains popularity as new technology reinvents an ancient practice.

Healthy Homes Are Important to Buyers

According to a 2007 builder survey by Professional Builder magazine, having healthy indoor air ranked second only to energy efficiency in importance to buyers. Eighty-three percent of the builders rated indoor air quality as “somewhat or very important” to their customers, according to the survey.

The Environmental Protection Agency lists poor indoor air quality as the fourth largest environmental threat to our country

According to the American Lung Association, there are an estimated 42.6 million Americans living with hay fever and/or asthma. Learning how to control a home’s environment to reduce allergen levels is important for managing allergies and asthma. Individuals who suffer from asthma, or have other respiratory illness may potentially be at a greater risk for health complications associated with poor air quality in their homes.

Radiant Heat Improves Indoor Environments

An argument can be made for improved indoor air quality in houses with radiant-floor heat. Compared with a conventional forced-air distribution system, there is likely to be less dust circulated around the house. And unlike electric baseboard or forced-air heat, there will be no surfaces hot enough to burn dust particles-which could introduce volatile chemicals or toxic particulates into house air (even passing through filters). This concern would be greatest for people with acute chemical sensitivities. In fact, veteran builder Max Strickland, of Burkholder Construction in Travers City, Michigan, first became interested in radiant-floor heating several years ago after his wife became chemically sensitive. He’s worried about “frying the air” with conventional heating systems and feels that conventional filters on forced-air systems are not effective. Strickland went on to build an American Lung Association (ALA) Health House in Travers City three years ago, and he now incorporates radiant-floor heating into all of his homes (typically 4 to 6 high-end custom houses per year).

Steve Haldi, a regular contributor for Expert Village.com agrees, and maintains that many indoor air quality problems can be resolved with radiant heating technologies. “There is a lot of emphasis nowadays on indoor air quality — dust and allergens and dust mites. With radiant heating and cooling, there is normally no duct work and no air blowing allergens around. It just makes sense that if you do not have those kinds of things blowing around in your air; your indoor air quality is going to be better. When my wife and I moved into the house where we are in now, in 2002, we had been living in a rental while we built. It was a forced air system that we hated. It cost twice as much to run per month in the winter. She had to dust every other day. When we moved into the new house, she only had to dust once or twice a month. When we were living in the rental, we had to buy a humidifier. It was two five-gallon tanks and I had to fill it twice a week. When we moved into the house with radiant heat, it was kind of weird in that I only have to fill it once a month, which just means that the humidity in a house with radiant heat stays a lot more constant than the house with forced air. It’s one of those funny things where you talk about humidity and why people get so dried out in the winter when the heating system runs. It’s heating up so high that it’s taking all the moisture out of the air. In a radiant system, you don’t have that, which probably helps a lot on the allergen side of things; if your humidity in your own house is more constant and more humid, it’s just easier to breath.”

In addition to reducing the dust flying around in you home and keeping the humidity level where Mother Nature intended it to be, some radiant heating technologies do not require exhaust or fresh air venting, routine maintenance nor more than one energy source. Low Voltage Electric radiant heating products, such as Heatizon Systems Tuff Cable or ZMesh systems, offer the added benefits of being “Green” since they are nearly 100% efficient, made of nearly all recyclable materials and create no exhaust.

by Nicole Sherwood

Are you looking to upgrade rooms, make additions, or delve into new construction? Then heat it up with a Heatizon System product. The low voltage electric radiant heat products and line voltage heating systems are ideal for renovations, remodeling, and new construction.

Many wonder what separates Heatizon Systems from the rest. Heatizon Systems will drastically improve the heating in a home, office, or building. The heating and snow melting products are ideal for anyone who wants to improve his or her safety, is striving for comfort, and is in the market for versatile products. In addition, Heatizon heating elements are thin, flexible and extremely accommodating.

Heatizon Systems technologically advanced products are great for room additions, sunrooms, basements, kitchens, and bathrooms. We manufacture safe, consistent, and high quality products. The flexibility and diverse product options help to fulfill anyone’s heating needs. For instance, Heatizon products can be retrofit into existing concrete or asphalt or into joist spaces in an unfinished area.

Do you need permanent heating solutions to help with winter weather troubles? A Heatizon Melting System is perfect for driveways, walkways, stairs, and ramps. The System will automatically turn on once the snow begins falling and then turn off when the surface is dry leading to consistent and stunning results.

Heatizon’s Radiant Roof Snow Melt and Deicing System is patented and designed to be installed under any roof covering material including metal, composite and asphalt, fiberglass, membrane, shake and others. The owner is able to avoid messy looking roofs and instead is left with a rich and ravish looking roof that eliminates icicles, ice dams, and snow build up.

Our main goal is to make sure that every purchaser of any Heatizon Product is satisfied and pleased with our services and products. Feel free to give us a call to receive a fee consultation with a Heatizon dealer or visit our website at www.heatizon.com. Let our experienced professionals help you with your heating needs.

Published Fall 2008 by Hoyt Corbett featured in Radiant Living Magazine

Electric radiant systems can provide an effective solution for roof deicing and snow melt. A recent example is the system installed at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Stake Center in Park City, Utah. The project won first place in the snow/ice melting category of the RPA 2007 System Showcase. WarmQuest, a distributor/contractor for Heatizon Systems, managed the project. The church’s roof utilized metal in the valleys; Heatizon Tuff Cable in a Heatsink Kit were used for those areas. A product called ZMesh was installed under composite shingles approximately eight feet up the roof. Both products were installed on top of ice and water shields. Ther could have been installed directly on top of the sub-roof, but the ice and water shields were already in place. After the heating elements were installed, they were covered with yet another ice and water shield before the valley metal and composite shingles were installed.

The system is activated by an aerial-mounted temperature/moisture sensor and an independent manual override for each of the 10 zones. The sensor is wired to a Heatizon Systems M329 Selector which turns each zone on in sequential order so the primary power source is not overloaded – this selector also provides manual override to turn one or more zones on.

“Aesthetics, longvevity and performance were the church’s primary objectives when selecting the appropriate way to melt the snow and ice off the roof.” says Mike Bench, manager, WarmQuest. “All three goals were met.” Importantly, the roof is protected from ice dams and icicles, and provides safety for the pedestrians below.

Please visit this link Radiant Living FA08 to read the entire issue of Fall 2008 Radiant Living Magazine.

A couple of years ago Warmzone Management LLC (“Warmzone”), an internet marketer of some Radiant Heating and Snow Melting Products and former distributor of Heatizon Systems ZMesh Roof Snow and Ice Melting Products, discovered that competing against Heatizon Systems award winning Radiant Heating products was difficult. Unfortunately, rather than accepting the challenges inherent in a competitive marketplace, Warmzone decided to attempt to fool its potential customers with an article titled the “Myths of Low Voltage Verses Line Voltage Radiant Systems” November 6, 2008, By Warmzone. Normally, Heatizon Systems does not respond to negative advertising and marketing campaigns and, as a result, we have not responded to Warmzone’s article until now. Heatizon Systems decided to make an exception in this case because of the amount of misinformation contained in Warmzone’s article and we chose to do it now because, as one of our customers recently pointed out, it is irresponsible for Heatizon Systems to allow our past and prospective customers to be exposed and possibly influenced or confused by the non-factual misinformation contained therein.

Warmzone’s “Myth 1: Low voltage radiant systems are safer than line voltage.”

Fact 1:

Safe products are easy to identify by simply making certain that they are Listed to UL Standards or Certified to CSA Standards by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory like Intertek/ETL, UL, CSA, and others. Both low voltage and high voltage systems can be safe. Low voltage products, like Heatizon Systems’ ZMesh, Tuff Cable, and Floorizwarm, incorporate computer technology designed to constantly monitor and shut the systems down in the event the current changes. On the other hand, high or line voltage products, like Heatizon Systems’ Heatwave, GutterMelt, Hott-Wire, Radiant Trak and Cozy Heat use circuit breaker safeties that shut the systems down in the event the insulation between the current carrying conductors and the grounding shield becomes compromised. Warmzone states: “The real question we should be asking is how durable is the cable against damage and how well is the cable insulated.” Of course we cannot speak for other manufacturer’s products, but Heatizon Systems’ Cozy Heat, Floorizwarm, Hott-Wire, and Tuff Cable products are all tested and Listed by a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory, have been successfully installed in/under asphalt and concrete, under pavers and into thin-set in thousands of projects and have been serving customers heating and snow melting needs since 1979.

Warmzone states: “Some low voltage heating wires are NOT designed for embedment. These have only a thin layer of plastic and a heating element that is THHN/THWN wire. This wire is intended for interior use NOT in concrete, asphalt, or under pavers.” Don’t be fooled by Warmzone’s misleading and inaccurate statements. All low or high voltage heating element have protection insulators made of materials that look like plastic but actually they are PVC, or HDPD. Tuff Cable has been melting snow, warming floors and heating spaces for over 30 years, so don’t tell it or the happy customers that it serves, that it wasn’t designed to be embedded. Heatizon Systems Cozy Heat, Floorizwarm, Hott-Wire and Tuff Cable heating elements are all listed, come with industry leading warranties and have been tried and proven for many years. Just goes to show you how little some companies selling Radiant Heat and Snow Melt products really know about Radiant Heating Products.

The fact of the matter is that both low voltage and high voltage snow melt and floor heating cables can be damaged and both are designed to be embedded into a material that will draw the heat away from them resulting in a nice even heat across the surface. In the event either low voltage or high voltage cables are damaged both can be repaired. Low voltage cables tend to be much easier to repair because they do not have a shield to contend with.

Warmzone’s “Myth 2: Low voltage radiant systems cost less to run than a line voltage system.”

Fact 2:

To the extent low and high voltage electric Radiant Heating and Snow Melting cables are designed to deliver the same, and the correct, amount of energy to the surface and, provided they are activated in an identical environmentally friendly fashion, the energy consumption is identical. Heatizon Systems’ low voltage products typically are energy misers because they are easy to customize to deliver the perfect amount of heating or melting energy to the floor or slab and because their output can be changed by the length of the heating element, the spacing between runs of the heating element and the size and tap of the transformer. All line or high voltage electric Radiant Heating and Snow Melting cables, except for Gutter Melt SR, Hott-Wire SR and other Self Regulating Cables, are designed to deliver a fixed wattage per linear foot so the energy per square foot delivered to the floor or slab can only be customized by increasing or decreasing the space between the lengths of cable.

Self Regulating Cables, like Heatizon Systems’ GutterMelt SR and Hott-Wire SR Heating Cable, are designed to deliver fixed wattage at a certain temperature within a medium such as air, ice water, concrete, etc. The watts per square foot delivered by Self Regulating Heating Cables can be adjusted by changing the spacing between the lengths of cable in a manner similar to other line or high voltage products.

In many high voltage applications the dedicated electrical service and thus the energy consumption is greater than it needs to be because the project is designed around the output of the heating cable instead of heating cable being designed to serve the ASHRAE requirements of the project. Heatizon Systems and its Distributors are trained to design and help you select the low or high voltage products that will best satisfy the needs of your project and keep the energy consumption to a minimum.

Warmzone’s “Myth 3: Low voltage systems are easier to repair. Both line voltage and low voltage cables are easy to repair. Simply remove the bad section of cable, add in a splice kit, cover it back over with whatever surface it’s in, and the system should operate as normal.”

Fact 3:

Warmzone is correct in that both low and high or line voltage cables are repairable. However, the presence of a ground shield on all high voltage cables makes repairing them more time consuming and difficult.

Warmzone states: “Low voltage systems are NOT more efficient.” Properly designed and installed low voltage and high voltage electric Radiant Heating and Snow Melting products are nearly 100 percent efficient. As a result of the high efficiency of these products, correct design and installation becomes essential in order to minimize energy consumption and costs. Heatizon Systems and its distributors design all of Radiant Snow Melting projects in North America to the American Society of Heating, Refrigeration and Air Conditioning Engineers (“ASHRAE”) Standards and all Radiant Space Heating projects are designed to the requirements of an objective Heat Load or Heat Loss Calculation. Heatizon Systems provides Design and Installation Instructions with all of its products and calls for them to be installed per the National Electric Code (“NEC”) in the U.S. and the Canadian Electric Code (“CEC”) in Canada.

Warmzone “Myth 4: Low voltage systems offer a better warranty.”

Fact 4:

Heatizon Systems backs its products with, no gimmick, straight forward, and industry leading warranties. We challenge you to find a better warranty to cover your investment. Unfortunately some of Heatizon Systems competitors prefer gimmicks like: “one year extendable to 10 years” if you do this, that and the other, or “covers 5 times the cost of the cable” if you return it to a foreign country for verification that it is defective. Once again Heatizon Systems backs its products with, no gimmick, straight forward, and industry leading warranties. If you prefer one with gimmicks be sure and call us once you discover you need a Hott-Wire or Tuff Cable retro-fit to replace our competitors failed cable or deny your warranty claim.

Warmzone states: “Some low voltage warranties are very deceiving. They boast a 25 year warranty period, but when examined closer it is found that the 25 year warranty only covers the heating wire.” What is the point of this very interesting statement? Is Warmzone, an internet marketing company and not a manufacturer, saying that the manufacturers of the line voltage products that it markets warrant more than the heating cables? This I need to see with my own eyes and you should too!

Warmzone’s “Myth 5: Both systems provide sufficient heat.”

Fact 5:

Properly designed low voltage and line voltage products provide sufficient heat to satisfy ASHRAE’s design requirements for snow melting and the Heat Load requirements for building heating.

Warmzone’s “Myth 6: Low voltage systems in most snow melting applications do not meet the ASHRAE standards.”

Fact 6:

Unfortunately, it appears that Warmzone does not understand Heatizon Systems’ low voltage technologies and that it either has not read or does not understand the portion of ASHRAE Handbook that deals with “Snow Melting and Freeze Protection”. In the event Warmzone understood Heatizon Systems’ Tuff Cable Snow Melt Products it would know that it can deliver up to 24 watts per square foot when installed on 6 inch centers, up to 36 watts per square foot on 4 inch centers and up to 48 watts per square foot on 3 inch centers.

ASHRAE is a very valuable design tool which indicates the watts/Btu needed to melt snow in certain geographic locations and suggests maximum spacing between heating cables. ASHRAE does not differentiate between low and high voltage cables. Heatizon Systems offers a variety of low voltage and high or line voltage Radiant Snow Melting Cables to its discriminating customers.

Warmzone’s “Myth 7: Both systems are UL Approved.”

Fact 7:

Heatizon Systems low and high voltage Radiant Snow Melt, Radiant Floor Warming, Radiant Roof Snow and Ice Melting and Radiant Space Heating products are all Listed to UL Standards and Certified to CSA Standards by Intertek a Nationally Recognized Testing Laboratory equivalent to UL and CSA. Each of Heatizon Systems’ Authorizations to Mark is available for download at www.Heatizon.com. Heatizon Systems makes its Authorizations to Mark easily available and it encourages other manufacturers to do as well.

Warmzone states: “Make sure to do thorough research before purchasing any products, which means checking for proper safety certifications and standards, and you won’t regret it.” Heatizon Systems agrees that you will never regret purchasing one of its line and low voltage products because all of them have earned the right to be listed to UL Standards and Certified to CSA Standards.

Warmzone: An Internet Marketing Company – Not a Manufacturer

These companies do not make any of the products that they sell and the revolving portfolio of products that they carry make it imperative that their prospective customers fully understand why the suggested product is the best solution for their needs and exactly who stands behind the warranty. By failing to be an informed customer you may be satisfying the profit and other objectives of the supplier rather than the exacting needs and requirements of your project. As a buyer, you do not want your purchase decision to be based on recommendations, and/or suggestions motivated more by profit margin than by the long term satisfaction of you, the customer.

Heatizon Systems has nothing more important to do than making certain that its customers are happy with its products for the long term. As a result, Heatizon Systems encourages its prospective customers to make well informed purchase decisions when evaluating which low or high voltage Radiant Heating and Snow Melt product will best satisfy their needs. In an effort to facilitate prospective customer education Heatizon Systems provides complete information on its website www.Heatizon.com, and has a talented and experienced team waiting to help you answer questions at (801) 293-1232.

Heatizon Systems is proud of its fine low and line voltage products that are sold under the following names: Cozy Heat, Floorizwarm, GutterMelt, Heatwave, Hott-Wire, In-Pipe, Out Pipe, Inivizmelt, Radiant Trak, Tuff Cable, Tuff Cable in a Heatsink Kit, and ZMesh.

I received a telephone call this morning from a General Contractor located in the Northeastern portion of the United States. According to the Contractor he has successfully installed Heatizon Systems’ roof snow and ice melting, floor warming and snow melting products in several projects over the past few years. The purpose of his call was simply to thank me for the great technical support and customer service Heatizon Systems’ and its employees have extended to his company.

Obviously the call made me feel great and helped me remember that hard work and sincere effort is noticed, and appreciated, even though it is not always communicated. I am thankful that the Contractor took time out of his busy schedule to call me and, I am hopeful that I will become as thoughtful and generous with deserved praise to my business partners as he was with me.

Heatizon Systems has always had an objective of excellent customer service at the top of its list and we have tried our best to extend superb technical support and customer service to our customers. In other words, Heatizon Systems is committed to do it’s very best to make certain that its customers have a wonderful experience with its products and services both initially and for years to come. This commitment extends to all aspects of our business and motivates us to constantly make and market products and installation techniques that we are able to stand behind for many years to come.

My company, and its predecessors, first started making electric radiant heating and snow melting products in 1979. Over the years many different products have come to market, some good and, others, well let’s just say, they don’t last long. Based on experience, I have come to appreciate that it takes more than just a great product for a snow melting or radiant floor heating project to be successful and serve the customers needs over the long run.

I have seen electric radiant heating projects that were installed as early as 1979 and 1980 that are still delivering the promised value proposition today. Most of these projects have performed year after year and never required a service call which is one of big advantages that electric radiant products have over their hydronic or hot water, boiler based, competitors.

On the other hand I have seen radiant projects, electric and hydronic, which were either not well designed and/or poorly installed. Let me assure you that unlike wine, port, or whiskey, poorly designed and/or mis installed radiant projects do not get better with age, unfortunately they get much worse.

Can you imagine owning a home with a heating system that almost keeps you comfortable? Or one with a driveway snow melting system that sometimes melts all of the snow and ice? How much good does a roof snow and ice melt system do if it is not properly designed to provide an exit path for the water created to escape the roof? If only part of the floor is warm how happy will you be with your floor warming system?

Obviously, a great product, professional design and quality installation are essential ingredients for long term happiness with, and success of, any radiant project. My experience shows that if a qualified electrical contractor, contractor or handy man is armed with a great product, well thought out design and adequate installation instructions and technical support the result will be a radiant product that will easily satisfy the most discriminating customer’s needs and desires.

The good news is that all three of these essential ingredients are available from qualified professionals working for established companies. I have been involved in the manufacturing, design and installation of radiant heating and snow melting projects since 1996 and without exception, happy customers are the result of great products, professional designs and quality installations.