Closed Loop Radiant Floor Heating Systems

Types of hydronic floor heating systems image credit.

Closed loop radiant floor heating systems.

An open radiant floor heat system is one in which the potable water that serves the drinking and bathing needs of the house is also used to heat the floors. The above procedure can be followed to eliminate all air from the system. Closed loop and open loop systems will remain at the foundation of any radiant heating system. Radiantec recommends using a quality domestic water heater instead of a boiler in underfloor radiant heating systems.

If they decide that one system should be set up to run the homes radiant floor heating and potable services than an open loop system is required. You can combine a closed radiant system with baseboard radiators. There are essentially two different methods using a hydronic radiant floor heating system an open loop or a closed loop process. Manifolds and control systems connected to in floor radiant heating.

Alternately a utility transfer pump not a sump pump can be used to pump fluid into the system and evacuate the air we recommend a powerful utility pump like the wayne ec 50 or the wayne pc 4 or an equivalent pump like the utilitech 5 hp cast iron transfer pump all of which can generate up to 45 psi. The system requires an expansion tank. Many reasons have contributed to this evolution but the change was inevitable. These are only a few basic systems.

Pex tubing is flexible easy to install and provides all the characteristics one would need to create a successful open loop or closed loop. Several decades ago pex replaced polybutylene pb in open loop and closed loop radiant heating installations and the landscape of geothermal heating systems changed forever. Each length of pex begins in the utility core makes its circuit around its designated zone and comes back so that it will circulate the water in a closed loop heat system. As per the diagram plan all the pipes end in the utility core to be attached to the radiant floor system inside.

Air vents remove any trapped air in the. In an open loop process the water is pulled from a source such as well heated and pumped once through the system before being discarded. Since most conventional boilers are designed to produce super hot water 185 degrees radiant floor company builds what we call split manifolds for multiple zone closed systems that use radiant floor heat in combination with standard baseboard radiators fan coils cast iron radiators or any other hydronic heating device that requires super hot temperatures. If you want to create an argument amongst radiant floor heat installers bring up the subject of open radiant heat systems.

The decision is strictly up to the consumer for which they prefer. This i have personally seen being done around my neck of the woods.