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Environ™ Easy Mats Support

Environ™ Easy Mats Support

This support page provides publications, manuals, videos, support articles, and common support questions for the Environ™ Easy Mats product line.

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Support Questions

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Yes. Unlike the heating cable for electric floor heating, the cold lead wires can be trimmed.

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To prevent any melting, ensure that the heating wire is at least 4” from the toilet wax ring.

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When installing electric floor heating over a concrete slab, an insulating underlayment like ThermalSheet is highly recommended to ensure efficient operation, faster heating times and warmer floor temperatures.

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Yes, but any furniture that may trap heat, such as pieces with an enclosed bottom, should be avoided. Furniture on legs with a clearance of at least 3" is permissible.

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Electric-resistance heating cables and systems have no polarity. This includes all current WarmlyYours heating elements.

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When WarmlyYours electric floor heating systems are being installed on a concrete slab, we strongly recommend adding a layer of insulation over the slab prior to installing the system. While our electric floor heating provides up to 25% more heating power per square foot than many of our competitors, the slab will always act as a "heat sink." Some of the heat that would otherwise be transferred to the flooring surface will remain in the slab, causing the floor’s surface temperature to be considerably lower. This is true with any electric radiant floor heating system.

When installed on top of a concrete slab without insulation, it is generally accepted that electric floor heating will take the chill away from the floor and provide a small amount of warmth. Adding insulation on top of the slab and beneath any electric radiant floor heating system will allow a greater percentage of the heat generated to transfer to the flooring surface. This results in greater efficiency and therefore faster warm up times, higher expected surface temperatures and lower energy usage. The floor will have the capacity to warm to a comfortable temperature, and in some cases can be employed as the primary heat source for that room.

The recommended types of insulation are natural cork, insulated tile backer boards and insulated underlayment, such as ThermalSheet™ synthetic cork.

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The breaker and wire sizes are selected based on the total amperage of the WarmlyYours heating system connected to a single thermostat. This information is on the WarmlyYours heating system's installation plan, electrical plan, or UL label. Based on guidelines from the National Electrical Code: loads up to 16 Amps may utilize 12 gauge wire with a 20-Amp breaker, and loads up to 12 Amps - 14 gauge wire with a 15-Amp breaker. Local code and/or other factors may change these guidelines.

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One thermostat can control multiple heating mats/cables as long as all the heating elements are using less than 15 amps:

TempZone™ will cover aprx. 120 sq. ft. for 120V systems and 240 sq. ft. for 240V systems on one thermostat.

Environ™ will cover aprx. 150 sq. ft. for 120V systems and 300 sq. ft. for 240V systems on one thermostat.

Slab Heat will cover aprx. 90 sq. ft. for 120V systems and 180 sq. ft. for 240V systems on one thermostat.

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WarmlyYours has recently begun including floor sensors with our heating elements to help ensure customers will have everything they need for optimal operation of their radiant heating systems.

The sensor included with your floor heating element can be installed with the heating system (the sensor is equally spaced between runs of the heating wire--see your install manual for more info). Installing this sensor with your floor heating control will enable energy efficient operation of the floor warming system based on the floor temperature instead of the ambient room temperature.

We generally recommend that you install a second, unconnected backup floor sensor alongside the primary one. In the very unlikely event that your first floor sensor is damaged, this install method will save you from having to pry up flooring to replace a floor sensor. You simply disconnect the damaged sensor from the thermostat and connect the backup sensor.

In addition to the floor sensor that was included with your heating element, our nSpiration Series thermostats also come with a floor sensor. If you purchase both a heating element and an nSpiration Series thermostat from WarmlyYours, you'll have a primary and a backup floor sensor for your system.

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Make sure any cracks or raised edges are sanded down before installation. Seal and patch cracks where possible. If needed, pour a layer of self-leveling cement to make sure surface is level and flat. Then proceed with instructions to install desired floor heating system and flooring.


It is strongly recommended that an insulating underlayment be installed between the slab and heating element to prevent heat loss.

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The ground wire in the floor mat must be connected directly to the ground wire of the supply or to the house ground wire.

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Check the flooring r-value before installing. As long as the flooring product has an r-value of 1 or less, it should work well with electric floor heating. Underlayment must be placed on the subfloor and be placed under the heating layer. For ease of installation, we strongly recommend the underlayment be at least 1/4" thick, and the heating element should be placed between the underlayment and the flooring. Do not place any underlayment between the element and the flooring.

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Multiple Environ™ products may be connected in parallel directly to a thermostat or through the junction box. Please ensure the total amperage of all connected mats doesn’t exceed the thermostat’s maximum load.

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Resistance greater than this value may result in overheating or even total failure of the floor heating system. This may be caused by a crimping or other damage to the wire.

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Installing Environ™ under wood laminate flooring requires a suitable underlayment beneath the heating elements. Never install Environ™ between two hard surfaces. Underlayments that are less than 2mm in thickness and that are not Robinson-rated are not acceptable. Underlayment is necessary to prevent Environ™ Flex Rolls from damage due to the weight of the floor, furniture, and people. Unavoidable wooden floor movements will not harm Environ™.

Installing Environ™ under carpeting(USA only) requires a suitable cushion/pad beneath the heating elements. Never install Environ™ between two hard surfaces. Carpet padding must have a density of at least 6 pounds per cubic foot, the higher the R-Value the better. 1/2“ Prime Urethane (R-2.15) and 1/2“ Bonded Urethane(R-2.1) are good choices. Adhere to Restrictions on Furniture Placement outlined on page 12 of Environ Install manual when installing under carpeting.

Environ™ must not be installed in direct contact with concrete, it is mandatory when installing over concrete to use a 1/4“ (6mm) Robinson-rated underlayment.

Certain underlayments, such as 1/4” (6mm) thick cork, or 6mm ThermalSheet are recommended for Environ™. It is also acceptable to place a vapor barrier, such as a plastic sheet, beneath the underlayment. Underlayment paper is not an acceptable underlayment choice.

Always check with the manufacturer of the flooring, carpeting, and underlayment for limitations and compatibility with electric radiant heating. Adhere to national and local code regarding electric radiant heating systems.

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Most laminate flooring manufactured today are made of wood flour and resin composites. However, there are still some manufacturers making laminates primarily of real wood. This is important because a primarily wood laminate can be floated over the Environ™ floor heating product. Otherwise, if it is not made primarily of wood, the flooring will require the TempZone™ floor heating product embedded in thin-set or self-leveling cement.

Check the laminate manufacturer’s material composition, the specific product warranty for radiant or electric heat exclusions, and the installation documentation for compatibility. A clue that it’s not a wood laminate is if 1/2” separation is required between the heaters and the laminate.

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The Environ™ Flex Rolls and Easy Mats are designed to deliver 12 watts per square foot.

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A digital meter with a 0-200 Ohms scale ( Ω ) to measure the heating wire's resistance, and a 20K scale to measure the sensor's resistance.

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Never cut, shorten or splice the heating cable itself; cutting it damages the system. Only the non-heating cold lead can be shortened, as your product’s manual allows. Order the size your SmartPlan™ specifies, because unused cable can’t be cut off.

Some mats let you cut the mesh, never the cable, to turn or reposition them: TempZone™ and Environ™ Flex Rolls and Slab Heat mats. TempZone™ Easy Mats and Custom Mats are made to size and must not be shortened or cut. TempZone™ Cable has no mesh: lay all of it at the spacing on your SmartPlan™.

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No. Most vinyl flooring requires a solid flat surface to maintain its shape and many recommend that their flooring is kept at least ½“ away from the heating element. The best solution for vinyl floor covering is our TempZone™ floor heating cable or mats embedded in self leveling cement. Always check with the flooring product's manufacturer regarding limitations, warranties, and installation requirements.

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Turn the power (circuit breaker typically) to the thermostat off for 5 minutes and then back on to reset the thermostat.

If there is power to the thermostat and it still doesn't appear to work, then the next step toward a solution is to take Ohm measurements of the floor heating system.

This is done with a digital multi-meter that can select a low 200 Ohm (Ω) scale. To conduct this test, turn off the circuit breaker. Remove the thermostat completely from the wall and disconnect the wires connected to the LOAD connections at the back of the thermostat. Disconnect the ground wires from the house ground, and do the test shown on the links below. If you are uncomfortable doing this test, contact a qualified electrician.

Please follow one of these guides based on the type of heating system installed:

TempZone Single Conductor

TempZone Twin Conductor

For a quick overview of the testing process:

Here is a video showing how the test is done

Here is a video showing how to locate and identify the floor heating wires

If the system still does not function, contact +1 (800) 875-5285 WarmlyYours Technical Support and provide the Ohm measurements for further assistance.

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For under carpet installation, certain restrictions on furniture placement apply. Please refer to the installation guide for further details.

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Single Conductor vs. Twin Conductor Identification

  • A single conductor floor heating system is a loop of one core wire, it starts at the thermostat and ends at the thermostat - this is the original method of manufacturing heating cable. Most single conductor floor heating systems have the same color cold lead wire connected to both load terminals/pigtails of the thermostat. Some early single conductor floor heating systems were produced with a white and a yellow cold lead wire.
  • A twin conductor floor heating system terminates two core wires at the end, both wires start at the thermostat - this is the current method of manufacturing heating cable. Most twin conductor floor heating systems will have two different colored cold lead wires, and one of these is black. The other wire in a WarmlyYours floor heating system is either yellow (120V system) or red (240V system).  A few early Environ systems had two black cold lead wires.

Note:

- Not all heating cables are wired directly to the thermostat. It may have been necessary during installation to terminate the heating cable in a junction box, and then run a separate (contractor-supplied) wire from the junction box to the thermostat.

- WarmlyYours single conductor cold leads were produced with a 13‘ length at the start of the loop, and a 26‘ length at the end.  The 120V floor heating systems had a yellow and a white label attached to the cold leads, and the 240V floor heating systems had a red and a white label attached. 

- If you have a single conductor floor heating system and notice that one cold lead is thicker or feels hotter than the other, please contact technical support at +1 (800) 875-5285 

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Test the Environ floor heating element using a digital ohm meter.

Here is a guide and here is a video showing how to do this test.

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One watt equals about 3.412 BTU per hour. TempZone™ Flex Rolls, Easy Mats and Shower Mats, and TempZone™ Cable at 3-inch spacing, deliver 15 watts per square foot: about 51 BTU per hour for every square foot of heated floor. Environ™ delivers 12 watts per square foot, about 41 BTU per hour. For any product, multiply the wattage on its label by 3.412.

Only heated floor counts, and heating can’t run under cabinets or fixtures: 100 square feet of 15-watt heating produces about 5,100 BTU per hour. Compare that with your room’s heat loss.

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Most Laminates with an attached cork, foam, or rubber backing are not good Environ™ heated flooring candidates. There are exceptions of course, check the manufacturer's warranty information and compatibility of the flooring product with electrically heated floors. If the laminate has a pre-attached pad, verify that the laminate has an R-Value of 1 or less.

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A variance of +/- 15% is acceptable.

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For the same wattage and operating time, 120V and 240V electric floor heating use the same amount of energy and produce the same heat. A 240V system draws less current for the same wattage, which can accommodate a larger heated area on a suitable circuit. Choose the heating product and control voltage to match the supply, and have an electrician verify circuit capacity, wiring, and applicable code.

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Resistance below this value may result in no heating or cold spots in the floor. This may be caused by exposure to moisture or other conductive material that penetrates the core insulation.

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The amount of amperage draw depends upon how large the area is that you are heating. For coverage of areas less than 30 square feet, a 120V Environ system will draw less than 3 amps. If you have a larger area over 300 square feet of heated space, then you will need a larger breaker plus additional controls. No matter what the size of the area you choose to heat, we recommend a dedicated circuit for your electric radiant floor heating system.

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For systems below 12 Amps, a 15 Amp, Non-GFI breaker is fine. For systems 12 to 16 Amps, a 20 Amp, non-GFI breaker is needed. Breaker sizes are noted on the installation plan that ships with many orders.

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Installing floor heating under carpet involves placing Environ heating mats over a pad and then covering them with the carpet. The process typically includes:

  • Installing a specific radiant-compatible carpet pad.
  • Laying out the Environ mats according to your plan.
  • Securing the mats with tape.
  • Having a professional installer lay the carpet over the mats.
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Temperature affects core resistance - lower temperatures decrease resistance and higher temperatures increase resistance. Another consideration is the test equipment, sometimes switching test units, adjusting the calibration, or allowing for the verified differential may be necessary.

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A floor sensor measures floor temperature so a compatible thermostat can regulate comfort and enforce the flooring manufacturer’s temperature limit. Some thermostats, including nTrust 2.0, offer a regulator mode without a sensor, but that mode does not measure floor temperature. Use sensor-based temperature control whenever required by the flooring or heating-system instructions.

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