Radiant Floor Heating and Water Damage

Winter has arrived in the West. For our neighbors in Wyoming, Colorado and New Mexico, that means heaters have clicked on. Many people have turned to radiant floor heating. It has emerged as a popular heating trend over the last several years for both new house construction and homes undergoing renovation. And it’s with good reason as radiant floor heating is among the most energy-efficient ways to heat a home, with savings of 15 to even 30 percent on heating bills, and it works with almost every type of flooring, including laminate, wood, tile, stone, and carpet.

Unlike radiators that heat up part of a room and leave other areas cold or conventional forced-air heating systems that blow out 120-degree air that quickly rises to the ceiling and leaves the lower part of the room cold, radiant floor heating provides a consistent blanket of heat where it’s wanted most.

Whole-house radiant heating systems use hydronic (water) power, circulating water from a boiler or water heater through loops of half-inch polyethylene tubing beneath the floors. Because it uses relatively few moving parts, radiant floor heating requires virtually no maintenance. Still, no system can run completely problem free and its possible for an occasional leak to develop. The PEX polyethylene tubing used for radiant floor systems is itself extremely durable. However, it can be damaged from outside stress such as sagging floorboards or cracked stones and start leaking…causing water damage to floors, walls, and ceilings. If this happens to you, give us a call. We can use a special leak detection system to locate the leak and minimize water damage to your home and property.

Other times water leaks can arise with the boiler utilized by the system. The mixing valve on the hot water tank thermostatically controls the water temperature sent through the pipes. Of this valve malfunctions and water leaks from the valve, you could experience water damage. It’s always good to keep a close eye on your boiler. A good sign that the boiler is malfunctioning is your home isn’t as warm as it should be. The boiler may not be getting the water hot enough to reach the desired temperature or could become overheated, which over time could begin to damage the floor material. The zone valves or circulator pumps on the boiler can also fail for a number of reasons and these enable the hot water to be pushed from the boiler into the piping. A professional can easily replace any of these valves or pumps to keep your boiler—and radiant heating system—working properly.

Issues that arise with your radiant floor heating should be trusted to a professional, but because of the reliability of radiant floor heating systems, any problems that do present themselves are always few and far between making this arguably the best heating system for your home.

If you experience water damage due to your radiant heating system, give us a call…we can help. Give us a call!

Water Extraction Experts specialize in water damage restoration, sewage cleanup, mold removal, fire & smoke damage restoration, flood damage cleanup.  We have 3 locations to serve you.

EMERGENCY 24/7 WATER DAMAGE

CALL: 970-581-4498 Northern Colorado

CALL: 307-220-5900 Southeastern Wyoming

CALL: 505-250-6500 Albuquerque and Santa Fe, New Mexico Areas