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December 29, 2008 00:12 AM  BY ROBERT COHEN
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The Mystery
Warranty
How much
do you really know about the warranties offered
by manufacturers? Sure it may say “25 Year
Warranty” on the package, but what exactly does that
mean? Most manufacturers of radiant heating systems
offer a warranty, but a 25 year warranty isn’t
always better than a 10 year warranty and this is why:
I chose the
Danfoss GX electric radiant heat cables to build an asphalt
heated driveway at my residence. The heat of the asphalt
combined with heavy weight, caused me to wonder how
the GX cables were going to hold up, and what would
happen if a problem occurred. I was pleased to
discover that Danfoss products have a 10 year warranty, that
covers up to 5 times the cost of original
installation. Why is this exciting? Because the
failure of a radiant heating system isn’t like a
vacuum cleaner breaking down, you can’t throw
it in your car and bring it back to the store for a
refund. Fixing a severed cable requires tearing up the
surface of the driveway – or in the case of indoor
radiant heating, tearing up your brand new tiles or
wood flooring. The process of tearing up a floor or
driveway is time consuming and costly, not to mention
annoying. Many manufacturers will replace the bad product,
but you still have to pay out of your own pocket to
tear up the floor and hire someone to fix the problem.
Danfoss is so
sure that you won’t have any problems, their warranty
is the best offered by radiant heat manufacturers. Not
only do you get brand new Danfoss product, but they
will cover the cost of floor removal, and
reinstallation (up to 5 times the cost of the original
installation). So when you install your radiant floor
or driveway, you can rest easy knowing that unexpected
problems are already covered.
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December 18, 2008 00:12 AM  BY STACEY BARRUS
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Quite simply put, radiant
heaters are the most efficient form of heat
available in today’s market.
Significantly less operating time is required to attain
and maintain the desired warmth compared to
furnaces and other, traditional methods of
heating, which keeps operational costs to a minimum.
High efficiency boilers or
electric radiant floor systems makes radiant
heat one of your most efficient ways to heat your
home. Combined with a well-insulated home these
systems can quickly warm your home and then shut
down or wait idle for long periods of time before being
called upon by the thermostat to operate.
More than ever before, homebuilders,
househunters, and home renovators alike are
looking for energy-efficient heating options for houses.
We say they need look no further than radiant
heaters for their ideal home heating solution.
Radiant Heaters Tip: It might take a
little effort, but being more environmentally
friendly doesn’t have to involve major
renovations. Many people waste a lot of energy by not
sealing cracks, doors and windows. Checking to
make sure a home’s insulation is in good
shape and replacing it if it’s not is another
good surefire way to stop, prevent, and reverse
energy waste.
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December 20, 2008 00:12 AM  BY STACEY BARRUS
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Not traditionally
used in heating homes, flat panel radiant
heaters are used to heat objects via radiant heat
transfer. These radiant heaters have traditionally
been used in a variety of industries and applications,
such as space heating, drying, curing, and water
evaporation. More recently, these heating systems are also
gaining popularity in home heating applications as well.
Radiant
heaters use different types of emitter surfaces. Choices
include: quartz, high-temperature glass, stainless
steel, and ceramic tiles. These are all materials that
are easily and efficiently used in home applications
such as flooring, countertops, and towel racks. Because
these items are easily turned into emitter surfaces for
radiant heat, they can easily and beautifully be
incorporated into home heating applications such as
heated floors, walls, and towel racks.
To find out about radiant heaters for your home,
check with the folks at warmzone.com. They have a
complete product catalog of radiant heating solutions
that can accommodate almost any application or budget.
Radiant Heaters Tip: radiant heaters a great way
to efficiently heat a home, while maximizing your
home’s beauty, but they are very cost effective
and easy to install.
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February 01, 2010 00:02 AM  BY WARMZONE
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Radiant Floor Heat vs. Baseboard Heating
The Battle
of the Home Heating Titans:
For years
baseboard heating has been the home heating system of
choice for many consumers. Relatively cheap and
easy to install, baseboard heating systems were
installed in new homes in the 70s, and without
knowing their other options, consumers have stuck with
it—until now.
Radiant
floor heating
is quickly trumping baseboard heating as the
titan of the home heating market. With its
superior heating capabilities and maintenance-free
logistics, radiant floor heating is persuading
consumers everywhere to make the switch from
baseboard heating to radiant heating.
By taking a
look at the pros and cons of each system,
you’ll quickly see that saying goodbye to
baseboard heating is one of the best
decisions you’ll make as a homeowner.
Weighing the
Differences
While both
baseboard heating systems and electric
radiant floor heating systems use similar
concepts, they are certainly not created equal.
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Radiant floor heating system installed
under hardwood floor.
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Baseboard heater installed on
hardwood floor.
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Efficiency: Baseboard heaters aren’t
exactly known for their efficiency. Heating a
whole room with a baseboard heater can take quite
a while, so you have to plan ahead if you want the room
to be warm when you’re home. Because they
take so long to heat up, baseboard heaters can
quickly rack up your electricity bill.
Because electric
heated floors heat the floor and the
objects around it, it takes half the time to heat
up a room. Radiant floor heating is 100 percent
effective, even at 50 percent capacity. Additionally,
100 percent of energy consumed by your radiant
heating system is used to heat the room.
Installation: Baseboard heaters are
relatively easy to install, but you have to waste a
large amount of wall space to do it. What’s
more, baseboard heaters are quite unsightly and
noisy, and they must be strategically placed as to not
conflict with furniture placement.
While under
floor heating systems require a
little more elbow grease to install, it’s not
difficult. Any motivated do-it-yourselfer can
install heated floors. Heat cable is also available,
pre-woven and spaced in mats to facilitate quick and
easy installation. And once installed, radiant
heated floors are out of sight, operate
silently, and require no wall space, so you don’t
have to worry about an unsightly heater sticking
out of your wall. After all, what’s a warm room
if it’s an ugly room?
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ComfortTile radiant floor heating cable
pre-spaced and woven into mat for easy
installation. |
Maintenance: Baseboard heaters use heat coils
that need to be frequently vacuumed. Dust on the coils
reduces the effectiveness and efficiency of the
heater, taxing your heating bill and reducing the
lifespan of the system in general. What’s more, a
dirty heater makes your house smell like burnt
dust—not the most pleasant smell in the
morning.
Radiant
heated floors require absolutely no
maintenance. It’s as simple as that.
There are no moving parts or coils to clean, and with
all the high-quality heat
cable and thermostat,
you can count on your floors to provide warmth for
years to come.
Safety: Consumers with baseboard heating
systems must take great care to keep furniture and other
objects away from the heater. This not only
interferes with design decisions, but also
presents a serious safety hazard. A home in Colorado was
destroyed after two suitcases leaning against a
baseboard heater ignited, causing $50,000 in
damages.
Radiant floor
heating is guaranteed to be safe. The heating cable used
is safely insulated and uses no high voltage, no
combustible gases, and doesn’t create any
hot surfaces. Warmzone radiant floor heating systems
also feature a ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI).
The GFCI is a fast-acting circuit breaker designed
to shut off electric power in the event of a
ground-fault within as little as 1/40 of a second,
further ensuring safe operation. When it comes to
efficiency, effectiveness and safety,
electric radiant heated floors can't be
beat.
continued (Part II)
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Electric Heated Driveways vs. Hydronic Heating Systems
'Ride the Current' or 'Go With the Flow'?
If you've
finally put down the shovel and decided to purchase a heated
driveway system, will you be going
hydronic or electric? If you're a newcomer to the
concept of driveway heating, hydronic and electric
are both popular, and extremely viable forms of
driveway heat, and Warmzone has the expertise, and
experience, to help determine which is best for
you. What these systems share in
common—four key components you should be familiar
with before purchasing a heated driveway system:
Of the components mentioned above, the
heating element and the control source distinguish
hydronic heated driveway systems from electric heated
driveway systems.
Hydronic Heated Driveway Systems: Going with the Flow
The heating
element for a hydronic snow melting system, as you
may have guessed, involves water. Specifically,
hydronic heated driveways use what is known as
closed-loop tubing to heat the surface of the driveway.
The tubing is generally made of a flexible (and quite
durable) polymer or synthetic rubber to circulate
a mixture of hot water and propylene glycol
(antifreeze). The fluid is warmed to temperatures
between 140 to 180 degrees F to deliver enough
heat for snow melting.
A water
heater or a boiler is the chief source of heat for a
hydronic driveway heating system, which can be
powered by any energy source that satisfies the
btu requirements, including natural gas, electricity,
oil, wood, or even solar collectors. A circulating
pump and supply and return manifolds, installed in
an easily accessible location, transfer the water
between the heat source and tubing.
Electric Heated Driveway Systems: Riding the Current
Unlike
hydronic systems, electric
heated driveway systems use hot wires to
heat paved surfaces. These wires are surrounded by
layers of insulation, copper grounding braid and a
protective outer layer of PVC or polyolefin to form a
flexible cable about ⅛ to ¼ inch in
diameter. What’s great about the heat
cables is the flexibility of the application.
Cable is available on spools as well as pre-spaced and
woven into mats, and can be customized (cut) to
suit virtually any type of layout, including
driveways, common walkways and sidewalks.
After being
triggered by the snow
sensor, the control
unit then powers the heat cable to warm the
driveway. To reduce the power demands (and
operating costs), you can install cables in just the
tire tracks of a driveway rather than the entire
area. Warmzone offers several options and provides
complete system
design services to ensure that you receive
the best system layout and products
for your project.
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January 13, 2010 00:01 AM  BY AMY MORBY
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Why Settle When
you can Customize?
Finding a Radiant Heating Solution as Unique as You Are
As temperatures
plummet and heat bills skyrocket, consumers everywhere
are turning to radiant heating systems. As the most
affordable and customizable option out there, radiant
heating is quickly making a name for itself as a titan
in the heating market.
So
radiant heat
is the latest and greatest, but what exactly is
so great about it and what can it do for you? One
word: customization.
When it comes to
radiant heating, the possibilities are endless. No
matter what you want or where you want it, Warmzone can design
a radiant heating system completely customized
for your lifestyle, and it’s as easy as 1,2,3.
1. Choose
The first step of
your radiant heating revolution is choosing the type of
radiant heat you want.
There’s no
limit to what radiant heating can do. Whether you’re
looking to warm up your home or prevent snow and ice
buildup on your property, there’s a radiant
heating option that’s sure to fit your needs.
Indoor Radiant Heating
Turn any room into a cozy paradise with radiant
floor heating. Radiant heating can go under
virtually any surface, including tile, carpet, wood, etc.
Put it in your bathroom, your kitchen, your living
room—anywhere you need heat. Each room, or
zone, can be controlled with its own thermostat.
Given the flexibility and outstanding effectiveness of
radiant
heated floors, it is the most affordable way
to keep your house perfectly warm without racking up the
electricity bill.
Outdoor Radiant Heating
You can also enjoy the benefits of radiant heating
outdoors. Radiant
snow melting systems keep your property safe
by preventing snow and ice buildup. You can choose one or
all of the following options to make your life a
little easier in the harsh winter months:
2. Design
Once you decide
which radiant heating options are right for you, the
Warmzone team will help you design a customized plan of
action. We realize that your radiant heating system
isn’t the same as the next customer’s,
so we work diligently with you to come up with a radiant
heating system tailor made to your needs.
Once
we assess your project’s requirements, our team
will design a custom
CAD drawing of your radiant heating system
telling you exactly what you get, where you’ll get
it, and how much it will cost you. We’ll keep
you involved in every step of the process to make sure
that your custom radiant heating system exceeds your
expectations.
When we’ve
got your customized radiant heating system designed,
we’ll make sure you have everything you need
for a quick and easy installation. If you’re
not comfortable doing it yourself, we’ve got a list
of contractors ready to bring your radiant heating
plans to fruition.
3. Enjoy
Because we help
you with the planning and design process, you’re only
job is to sit back, relax, and enjoy your custom
radiant heating solution. Let your heated
floors warm your home evenly and efficiently. Sit
back and watch from the warmth of your living room as
your radiant heated driveway does the shoveling for you. And
sleep in peace knowing that your gutters and pipes are
safe from nasty and potentially devastating snow and
ice buildup.
Why settle for an
out of the box heating solution? Let us help you
customize a radiant heating system that meets your needs,
fits your budget, and keeps you and your family warm
and safe.
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January 06, 2010 00:01 AM  BY WARMZONE
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Protect Yourself from Physical and Financial Harm
Radiant Snow
Melting: The Safe, Affordable Way to Protect
Yourself Against Lawsuits
It’s a
battle we fight every winter. Hour after hour we shovel
and salt our driveways and business entrances to
try and keep our loved ones and customers safe.
But no matter how diligent you are with your shoveling,
snow and ice buildup seems to be inevitable.
Fortunately,
radiant snow melting can help us in
our endless battle of the blizzard. With unparalleled
ease and affordability, snow melting systems are
quickly becoming the method of choice for keeping
homes and businesses everywhere safe.
The Dangers of Not Using Radiant Snow Melting
You may not
know it, but you are legally bound to provide your
customers with a safe entrance and exit to and
from your business. That’s
right—snow and ice buildup isn’t just
pesky. It’s also your free ticket to a
nasty personal injury lawsuit.
In 2004, a dangling icicle seriously
injured a guest as he walked into a country club.
Despite efforts to prove that ice buildup is inevitable
on a roof, the country club lost the case after
the court ruled the country club negligent. The
country club knew that there were icicles but failed
to take action to provide a safe entrance, and
consequently, they were forced to pay the
consequences.
Besides
icicles, snow and ice buildup on sidewalks and driveways
are also giving home and business owners grief.
Endless shoveling isn’t anyone’s
favorite task, and the obligatory back pain and blisters
that result from shoveling are enough to make you
give up on the snow completely.
Of course,
you could just use salt, but besides its detrimental
effects on the environment and your pets, salt
also creates a slippery surface that your
customers or loved ones can easily slip on. Use too much
salt and you’re held liable for a slip and
fall case—use too little salt and
you’re still held liable for negligence.
So how do you
win?
The Benefits of Using Radiant Snow Melting
Because we
can’t keep a constant eye on our entrances and
exits during a snow storm, radiant
snow melting systems help us stay one step
ahead of the game by keeping our walkways, entrances,
and driveways safe. The benefits of radiant snow
melting systems are endless:
Fully Customizable
No matter
what your needs, there’s a radiant
snow melting system for you. Whether you
want heated driveways, heated sidewalks, heated roofs,
even gutters—radiant heating can make it
happen.
Cost-efficient and affordable
Regardless of
the snow melting system you choose, radiant heat saves
you money. Not only is it affordable to install,
but radiant snow melting is also affordable to
run. Radiant snow melting systems run only when
needed, so you don’t get stuck with a monstrous
electrical bill.
All the Safety with None of the Effort
Perhaps the
best feature of radiant snow melting systems is that
they are the number one, surefire way to keep you,
your customers, and your wallet safe.
All radiant snow melting
systems are fully automated, meaning that with
absolutely no effort, you get perfectly snow-free
roofs, gutters, driveways, and sidewalks.
So throw away
your shovels, trash the salt, and say goodbye to the
constant worry of lawsuits. With radiant snow melting,
you’ll always be prepared for the storm,
meaning you significantly lower your chances of
getting involved in those stressful lawsuits.
Radiant heat
is easy to install, easy to use, and they keep your
loved ones and customers safe—what more
could you possible want out of a snow melting
system? Install radiant snow melting today on your
property and reap the endless benefits it has to
offer.
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Get to Work on Time This Year
Enjoy
the Convenience of a Heated Driveway
We all
have those lists in our head of excuses to our boss
why we are late yet again. It’s never
easy having to use these excuses, especially
now when most of us are lucky to have jobs at all.
Your number one winter time excuse of
shoveling a foot of snow off your driveway could be
a thing of the past however. You can eliminate
snow shoveling from your “shucks, sorry
I’m late again …” routine.
Installing a
heated driveway
is now easier than ever, and it's a
cost-effective, proven home re-sell enhancing
feature. Equipping a home with a
technologically sound and savvy snow
melting system has become a popular and
affordable way to beat the snow. Look at the
homes in your own neighborhood. Many of them
probably already enjoy the benefits of a snow
melting system. Their driveways remain clear
and clean of sticking snow and ice all winter.
Driveway heating has
come a long way. It’s no longer
something seen in the affluent neighborhoods or
touted by the rich and famous solely. Heated
driveways are now something your sister’s
best friend just installed, your son’s
basketball coach, your next door neighbor or
even your kid brother who you were sure was never
going to own a home let alone increase its
value with something as smart as a snow
melting system. Get out of hot water with your boss,
pull out of your driveway on-time and relaxed.
Install
a snow melting system and start
enjoying the benefits of a stress-free heated
driveway.
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Radiant Heat Solutions from Warmzone - Ideal for any
Custom Job
Radiant heat
systems can be customized to meet just about any need.
Thanks to Warmzone’s professional
design staff, radiant heating systems can
be designed and installed in just about any size, shape
or type of application. Warmzone designers
evaluate your radiant
heating system from top to bottom and
create a detailed CAD of your system layout. You'll know the electrical
requirements, technical specifications and system
performance expectations before one foot of heat
cable is installed. This valuable service
minimizes any "installation surprises" that you may
otherwise encounter, which ultimately saves you
time and money in the long run.
When the
World Wildlife Zoo’s albino alligator population
went into hiding, they called on Warmzone to come
up with a comfy radiant heating solution to entice
the alligators to a spot within view of the zoo’s
visitors. In order to encourage these rare and rather
delicate creatures to come out of hiding, Warmzone
embedded 20 square feet of radiant heat cable into
the bottom of the albino alligator habitat.
The radiant heat system runs
on a sensor, providing optimal living conditions
that closely mimic the gators habitat, while
eliminating the need for the constant attention of zoo
attendants and maintenance crews. The Albino alligators
prefer these “hot spots,” and now
rest comfortably in full view of the visitors, much to
the delight of folks at the World Wildlife Zoo.
In addition
to the “in-pavement” radiant heat systems,
Warmzone also offers PowerBlankets,
a premier portable “plug-n-play”
outdoor heating solution. These weatherproof
PowerBlankets are especially ideal for providing
heat for outdoor pets and animals.
PowerBlanket
outdoor heating mats are efficient and capable of
heating large areas with two-thirds less
electricity than conventional methods. They are
portable, relatively inexpensive and require no formal
installation. PowerBlankets are equally durable,
lightweight and weatherproof, safe and very easy
to use, and are made from rugged, non-flammable
material. Just lay 'em down and plug 'em in!
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PowerBlanket outdoor heating mat. |
The 2x2-foot
PowerBlanket is an economical radiant heat
solution that provides guaranteed results up to -40
degrees F, requires 120 voltage, 90 watts of
power, and .75 amps current. This outdoor heating
mat boasts an efficient design that allows you to heat a
small area of up to 75 to 80 degrees F, whether placed
underneath the dog house or chicken coup. Larger
PowerBlankets can be safely used for larger
animals and dwellings.
These
weatherproof, outdoor heating mats withstand wet, rugged
outdoor conditions. They’re equally
suitable for use alongside water troughs to
prevent drinking water from freezing. PowerBlankets
offer you the security of knowing your animals are
safe, warm and well taken care in adverse weather
conditions.
So whether
you need a custom snow melting system or portable
heating solution, Warmzone is sure to have you
covered. Call:
(888) 488-WARM (9276)
or email:
info@warmzone.com
today for more
information or to receive a
FREE QUOTE.
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December 13, 2008 00:12 AM  BY STACEY BARRUS
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Have you ever gone on a ski vacation for the
weekend and stayed at a little ski
lodge?A lot of the times, they’ll have a
huge fireplace in the main room with smaller
bedrooms up in the loft area or
second-story.But the problem is that when
you’re in the main room with the roaring
fire, you’re often overwhelmed by the heat
and retreat to the bedroom, where it’s far
chillier.You see, many vacation or
weekend homes weren’t built with air conditioning
ducts with which to deliver the heat to the different
rooms of the house. However, there is a solution
to adding heating to homes that have not been
built for traditional forced air systems: radiant
heaters.
As opposed to warm air systems
(such as a forced air unit heaters), radiant
heaters deliver the source of heat to the floor
level, not the ceiling. Radiant
heaters or radiant energy is the oldest form of
heating used to provide comfort and is the basis
for all heating systems.
Additionally, radiant
heaters also offer more comfort than forced air
heating by heating the atmosphere from the
ground up. Since heat rises, the heat will be
more evenly distributed, providing a much more
comfortable atmosphere.
Radiant Heaters Tip: Radiant energy is
totally pure radiation and is absorbed by an object
without physical contact with the heat source or by
heating the surrounding air, as is the case with
convective, forced air systems.
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November 17, 2008 00:11 AM  BY STACEY BARRUS
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Volatile, skyrocketing, and record high fuel
costs provide reasons aplenty for so many people
to turn to Warmzone.com for guidance in finding
the best-possible radiant heating
system for their needs. Consumers are finding
themselves backed into a corner and are looking
for an efficient, comfortable, and practical
alternative. With our commitment to researching the best
options for radiant heat and assessing each job
individually, our research and design team is
prepared to design each project with the ideal
heating
system to meet the needs of our customers at the
best available prices.
Efficiency is high because radiant heat raises
the surface temperature of what it is warming,
thereby providing comfort at a lower room-air
temperature than other systems Radiant heating
systems provide uniform heat and has a comparatively
low cost of operation - up to 30% less than
conventional systems in most residences.
Heating Systems Tip:
With new advances in technology snow melting heating
systems for driveways, sidewalks, and patios are more
affordable, and economical than you might assume.
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December 22, 2008 00:12 AM  BY STACEY BARRUS
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The number of types of radiant
heaters available for residences or businesses is
awfully mind-boggling. There’s really a
lot of selection for homeowners to choose from.
Today we’ll discuss the electric cable heating
system kind of radiant heaters.
Electric cable heating systems
are gaining popularity in as radiant
heaters and are ideal for heating smaller areas
(10-300 square feet) like bathrooms, kitchens,
and sun rooms. These systems are comprised of a
thermostat and a heating cable. On some systems, the
cable will be shipped to you as a large spool of cable.
These systems are oftentimes less expensive, and
give you the ability to space the cable how you
want and customize a layout that will heat every square
inch of your floor. Other systems have the cable
attached to a plastic mesh or tape to create a
mat to maintain its proper spacing.
Every available cable system
is equally effective, so when determining which
radiant
heater system to purchase, you should look at the
warranty of the product, along with the ease of
installation. Some cables must be embedded in a
separate layer of concrete or mortar, whereas other
systems can simply be installed in the thinset.
Radiant Heaters Tip: When heating
smaller areas with a radiant
heater, it is nearly impossible to beat the
simplicity and price of an electric cable
heating system.
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December 23, 2008 00:12 AM  BY STACEY BARRUS
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Even though
it’s now Springtime (and forecasted high energy
bills), homebuilders, househunters, and home
renovators alike are looking for energy-efficient
heating options for houses. In fact, as builders
and homeowners look for new ways to add value to homes
in a weak housing market, they often look for upgrades
that will add value and efficiency to their homes,
which will help them sell. We say they need look no
further than radiant heaters for their ideal home
heating solution.
In a nutshell, radiant
heaters are the most efficient form of heat available in
today’s market. Significantly less operating
time is required to attain and maintain the desired
warmth compared to furnaces and other, traditional
methods of heating, which keeps operational costs to a minimum.
High efficiency boilers or electric radiant
floor systems makes radiant heat one of your most
efficient ways to heat your home. Combined with a
well-insulated home, these radiant heater systems can
quickly warm your home and then shut down or wait idle
for long periods of time before being called upon by
the thermostat to operate.
Radiant Heaters
Tip: Being more environmentally friendly
doesn’t have to involve major renovations. Many
people waste a lot of energy by not sealing cracks, doors
and windows. Checking to make sure a home’s
insulation is in good shape and replacing it if
it’s not is another good surefire way to stop,
prevent, and reverse energy waste.
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