Water Temperature For Radiant Floor Heating

According to ashrae the american society of heating refrigerating and air conditioning engineers a floor temperature that creates optimal human comfort for most people lies just about at 75 f as shown in this graph.

Water temperature for radiant floor heating.

You really only need a maximum of 120 f for your floor. When floors are conditioned within this range most people wearing normal footwear will enjoy having their feet on the floor. Water heaters are good for radiant floor heating because they maintain a low temperature. As warm water circulates through the tubing or as electricity warms the heating elements the concrete flooring turns into an efficient inconspicuous radiator.

You will need to be aware of the incoming groundwater temperature as cold water will drop the overall water temperature. Typically radiant heating systems warm floors to temperatures of 75 to 80 degrees f. Radiant floor heating and hardwood floors humans appreciate floors temperatures that are controlled to above 66 f 19 c in cooling and below 84 f 29 c in heating. This includes the walls furniture and of course you the occupant of the building.

Typical radiant heat floor system operating temperatures typical radiant floor systems operate at 85 125 f water temperature entering the tubing and put the floor surface temperature about 5 degrees above the room thermostat set temperature. Water from the floors runs back into the water heater. In order to heat the floor the radiant floor heating system uses warm water running through plastic tubing that is installed in the floor. If you can see the numbers on the gauges in the photo the water going out is about 100 degrees and the water coming back is about 80 degrees.