Radiant Floor Heating?

Irishgirl · Sat Oct 08, 2011 8:57 pm

Our total renovation will include a new heating system so we would like to be able to get more energy efficient. Can radiant floor heating be installed in a singlewide? If installed between joist
we can keep the height and have overall warmth on the floors. We would like to use HYdro Radiant because of the rising cost of electric.
Do we need to be concerned about any pipes that run under the floor freezing?
I know having the ducts from forced air usually keeps them from freezing.

Thank you for your great answers and advice.

JD · Sat Oct 08, 2011 10:00 pm

I have never installed radiant floor heating but it makes sense to me that if two pex lines running hot water, under the subfloor in each joist cavity, is heating the home, the space just below the floor will be the warmest area of the house. Great opportunity to upgrade your insulation and install a good vapor barrier to hold your heat in.

I would be real interested in hearing how this project works out.

JMO

Greg · Sun Oct 09, 2011 8:27 am

I think that "on paper" it would work.
Don't forget That the Belly must be insulated & free of any holes and the skirting needs to be fully in place with no gaps or holes. But that holds true for ANY type of heating system.

Greg

jpingram5 · Tue Oct 25, 2011 5:54 am

I've done radiant in many conventional homes before, but not a mobile home. I've never installed it as a primary source of heat. More like a comfort add-on to warm the floors in the winter for your bare feet. If properly installed it can be used as a primary source of heat. However, there are somethings to be of concern. Radiant can take longer to actually heat the home up. And say you open a door up for a minute or so to move something in or whatever. You might find it to take a little while for it to heat back up to temperature. And unless your using a high efficiency gas boiler, at least 93+, which my cost for a boiler like that alone is close to $4,000, I don't think it's worth it. It's one of those things that you pay a lot up front, but save in the long run. If you do it, I would get a air handler with a hot water coil as a backup heat source if the radiant cannot keep up.