Troubleshooting & Testing Your Floor Heating System for the Season

Hello and welcome to today's webinar entitled "Troubleshooting and Testing Your Floor Heating System for the Season." If you haven't noticed, it's been getting chilly here in the Midwest. Maybe you're not in the Midwest, and you don't know that, but it is getting cold, and that means it's time for people to turn their systems on for the first time. My name is Scott, and today I have with me Anatoly. We're both in the technical support department, and we'd like to thank you for joining us today. If you have any questions, feel free to hit the "Ask a Question" button at the bottom of the page, and we'll be glad to answer those questions as time permits. We also have some questions that have already been sent in, so that's good. We'll be addressing those as well.

Today, we will take a look at our controls because sometimes the system just isn't controlled correctly. There may not be anything wrong with the system per se, but perhaps the schedule is messed up. For instance, it might come on in the middle of the night instead of during the day. Therefore, it's very important to get the thermostat or your control system set up correctly. That's why we will spend time on the controls to ensure that we're all familiar with them. We will start with an initial setup using our touch thermostat, which is what most people are using these days. Then we will go over some troubleshooting techniques and how to figure out what's going on with your floor heating system.

As Anatoly and I know, whenever you have a problem and the floor doesn't heat, and your control is good, the first question we will ask you is, "What are the ohms of the system?" So, if there's one takeaway from today, it should be to become familiar with how to perform ohm readings, as that is the main way to troubleshoot floor heating systems.

Anatoly, could you tell us about the touch programmable thermostat and why we recommend it?

Having a programmable thermostat is the best way to control the system efficiently and achieve the best level of comfort. Ideally, you would want to have a thermostat in each room that you're heating. This way, you can control each room individually, meaning you no longer need to maintain the same temperature throughout the entire house. This not only makes operation easier but also increases your energy savings.

What about showers? Many people like to heat their shower floors and bathrooms. Why do we recommend that a shower have its own control?

Having a shower on its own control allows for a precise level of temperature because shower floors typically have a thicker layer of material. Therefore, the temperature of the shower floor may differ from the rest of the bathroom. Additionally, having hot water running in the shower will warm the floor, and you may not need to run that floor heating for as long as the rest of the bathroom floor. Separate control provides a dedicated level of comfort specifically for that area.

Another area where people feel the most impact is if they have a shower bench. The last thing you want to do is sit on an ice-cold shower bench, especially since those are usually thicker. You would want to have its own thermostat because the thicker the product you're heating, the longer it takes to warm up. You may want to turn that thermostat on a bit earlier than the rest of the floor to ensure that it warms up adequately before you sit down.

It's also important to remember that this type of heating is definitely zone-controlled. You don't want to put one thermostat in one room and have it control the entire house. The benefit of electric floor heat is that you can zone each particular room. If a room won't be used for a week, like a downstairs basement, there's no reason to keep it on. This also allows you to lower the temperature in the rest of the house while warming the area you're in, such as the living room at night or the kitchen in the morning. This zoning capability is crucial, especially if you've never had radiant heat or electric radiant heat before.

So, what can a person expect when it comes to electric floor heating?

If you've never been in a room with a nice, toasty warm floor from electric floor heating, the first thing you'll notice is the comfortable temperature coming from the floor. The entire floor heats up and acts as your main heat source, transferring heat into the objects and people in the room. The advantage of radiant heat transfer is that it doesn't primarily heat the air, so you won't have hot pockets of air sitting by the ceiling and being lost through cracks. Instead, the heat is efficiently transferred from the floor to the couch, the table, and the rest of the room, which gently warms up.

One common misconception among new homeowners is that they expect to walk into a bathroom and feel hot air hitting them, similar to standing in front of an oven. However, with radiant floor heating, you walk into the room and, after a couple of minutes, you start to feel warm. The air temperature doesn't change significantly; rather, it is you who feels warm because the radiant floor heating is heating you directly.

Additionally, this product is wet location listed, which means we can install it in shower floors and benches.

Now, let's discuss the different controls we offer and what we will be talking about individually.

We offer four main models of floor heating controls, starting with the very simple and basic nTrust model, which is a non-programmable thermostat, and going all the way up to our touchscreen models with Wi-Fi for easy operation and remote control through your smartphone.

Let's first talk about the least expensive unit. Interestingly, the least expensive unit is often recommended for the most expensive floors. Why is that?

The nTrust Thermostat is a non-programmable thermostat that we like to call "set it and forget it." The operation is very simple: you set it to the temperature you need, and it stays at that temperature 24/7 until you change the set point or shut the unit down. This unit is great for floors where the temperature should not change frequently, such as hardwood, engineered wood, or laminate. These types of flooring typically have specific requirements and limitations regarding temperature swings and maximum temperature.

It's also a good option for areas where seasonal heating is needed, like a guest bedroom or bathroom, where you might only run the unit for a few days or weeks in the winter before returning it to a setback temperature.

Now, let's discuss the enhanced thermostat. What is the main benefit of this unit?

The enhanced thermostat is a step up; it's a programmable thermostat that allows you to set a typical schedule throughout the week for economy and comfort temperatures. A key feature of this unit is that it can be set to work as a regulator, meaning you no longer rely solely on temperature but rather on a percentage of heating from one to one hundred percent. This is beneficial for installations where an older dial-type regulator is installed, as this model serves as a great replacement.

It's also important to note that GFCI protection, which is required by the National Electric Code for electric heated floors, is supplied by the thermostat. Therefore, every one of these thermostats provides the necessary GFCI protection for your floor. You should never install a GFCI circuit breaker along with a GFCI-protected thermostat, as this can lead to nuisance tripping.

Nuisance tripping occurs when the thermostat mistakenly thinks there's an issue with the floor, but there isn't. This can often be caused by another GFCI on the same circuit or by connecting an exhaust fan to the same circuit as the GFCI-protected thermostat. This will lead to frequent nuisance trips, indicating that there is nothing wrong with the floor or the thermostat itself.

Now, let's move on to the Inspired Touch thermostat, which is our best seller.

The Inspired Touch thermostat features a large touchscreen display, making operation extremely easy and intuitive. It has a menu button that allows you to navigate easily, with each button clearly labeled. Most users find that they don't even need instructions to set it up, as it's as simple as using a smartphone.

Can this unit be turned on or off? That's a question we receive frequently.

Great question! While the button may not be immediately visible in the image, it is located in the lower right corner of the unit. This is the GFCI reset button. When you press it momentarily, it resets your GFCI. However, if you press and hold that button for about five seconds, it will shut the unit down completely. The same process applies to turn the unit back on.

During this time of year, we often get questions from people asking how to turn the unit off in the spring, only to forget how to do it and call us again.

Now, let's discuss the next unit, the Wi-Fi thermostat.

This unit looks very similar to the previous one, featuring a similar screen with a few additional indications. In addition to everything we just discussed, this model offers Wi-Fi connectivity, allowing you to connect it to your home Wi-Fi and set up remote control. The additional indications on the screen include a weather forecast and a wireless indicator to show if your unit is connected.

A common question we receive is about the large temperature displayed in the center of the screen. What does that temperature represent?

The smaller number in the upper left corner indicates your current room or floor temperature, depending on your settings, while the larger number in the center represents your target or setpoint temperature.

Now, let's compare and contrast these units.

The comparison chart clearly shows that the Enspire Touch Wi-Fi model has all the features you would want in a top-of-the-line floor heating thermostat. The Enspire Touch model will lack remote control through your phone, while the Enhanced Model will not have a touchscreen or phone control. The nTrust, as we previously discussed, is a non-programmable unit that offers basic operation for various applications.

The main takeaway here is that if you have an older thermostat and are replacing it with one of these new models, either of the two will fulfill about 99.9% of the jobs that older thermostats historically performed. However, you must consider floor sensor compatibility. If the thermostat is not set correctly, it won't read the temperature accurately.

Historically, most of the products we've sold over the years have been compatible with 10K ohm sensors, with some being compatible with 12K ohm sensors. If you have questions about compatibility, it's essential to know where you purchased your thermostat and what type of sensors are installed to ensure you get the right thermostat.

Now, let's discuss the app for the Wi-Fi thermostat. What can you do with it?

The app reflects the same interaction as the main screen of the thermostat. You can easily change settings, adjust schedules, and review the GFCI status of your thermostat. The application is available on both iOS and Android, allowing you to control up to 16 thermostats on your account. This is particularly useful for larger installations or installations in multiple locations, such as a main residence and a vacation home.

On the screenshot with the iPad, you can also control the system from a web browser, providing a nice dashboard view of all your units at a glance.

Now, let's talk about setting the system up for the first time.

When you receive the thermostat, it will prompt you with a series of questions to help you set it up correctly. This includes setting your language, performing a system test, and inputting your flooring type. The goal is for the thermostat to guide you through this process, so you don't need to search through a manual. It takes less than a minute, and you'll receive a message indicating that your system is ready to heat the floor.

For example, if the thermostat passes the air room sensor test but the floor sensor fails, what could cause that?

A floor sensor fail indicates that the thermostat does not sense the floor sensor being connected. This could be due to incorrect wiring, a disconnected sensor, or a damaged sensor. It's also possible that the floor sensor was never installed.

Next, let's discuss how to test the GFCI. This often elicits many phone calls because people don't fully understand the process.

The process is straightforward. When you reach this point, the screen will instruct you to press the button on the top, which is the test trip button. When you press this button, the unit will trip itself, and you'll see a standard message indicating that your GFI has tripped. If it doesn't help, you should contact an electrician. However, there's no need to worry because you initiated the trip yourself. Simply hit the side button to reset it, and you can continue with the setup wizard.

If you encounter a ground fault error, should you turn it off and call an electrician?

The simple answer is to try resetting the thermostat first, as it may be a nuisance trip. Press the button on the side briefly to see if it clears. If it doesn't, press and hold the button for five seconds to turn the unit off. You can also turn off the circuit breaker for about 30 seconds, similar to resetting a router. After turning the circuit breaker back on, press and hold the button on the side of the thermostat for five seconds to restart it.

If it doesn't clear, then you may have a problem with the system in the floor.

Whenever you have an issue and determine that it's not your thermostat, the first step is to perform ohms testing on the floor. This can be done with a digital ohm meter, which you can purchase at any big box store for under $20. Avoid analog meters with needles, as they are difficult to use. Look for a digital ohm meter that allows you to set the range with a knob on the front, and try to stay away from self-ranging meters.

Now, let's discuss ohms testing and how it can help identify issues.

If you want to detect a break in the wire, you will need to perform the ohms test. You don't have to rip up the floor; you can test the wires at the back of the thermostat. Simply disconnect the wires coming from the floor and test them. This will help you determine if there is a break without needing to remove any flooring.

If you find that your floor isn't heating as expected, the first thing to do is to test for ohms.

There are two types of wires historically sold: twin conductor and single conductor. Twin conductor systems have been around for about ten years. If your system is less than ten years old, you likely have a twin conductor system.

In a twin conductor system, you will typically have one wire with two conductors inside, usually black and black on one side and yellow or red on the other. You will need to perform three tests: test between the two conductors, test one conductor to ground, and test the other conductor to ground.

It's essential to provide all three readings when troubleshooting, as this information is crucial for diagnosing the issue.

Now, let's move on to single conductor systems.

In a single conductor system, you will have two separate wires, each containing one conductor. The testing process is similar, but you will need to perform four tests: test between the two inner conductors, test between the two outer ground sheathings, and then test each inner conductor to its respective outer sheathing.

This will provide you with four readings that are necessary for troubleshooting.

Regardless of whether you have a twin conductor or single conductor system, the key takeaway is that you need to perform ohms testing to identify any issues.

Now, let's talk about testing the environment system, which applies to both laminate and TempZone systems.

All of these products follow the twin conductor system approach, where you will have two conductors and one ground. You will perform the same three tests as before to gather the necessary readings.

When testing, it's important to set your digital ohm meter to the appropriate range, ideally 200 ohms or 20K ohms, to ensure accurate readings.

We also have a mega ohm tester, which sends a 500-volt signal between the two wires to test for faults. This tool is useful for detecting small gaps between wires that a standard meter may not pick up.

If you encounter a situation where the system works for a while but then trips the GFCI, it could be due to a short circuit that develops as the wires heat up and expand.

Now, let's address a common question: why are only certain spots on my floor warm while others are cold?

This issue can often be diagnosed using a thermal camera or thermal imaging device, which provides a visual representation of the surface temperature. If you see uneven heating, it may indicate improper installation or damage to the heating element.

In cases where one side of the floor works and the other does not, it could be due to a problem with the heating mat or a wiring issue.

When troubleshooting, it's essential to have the right tools to pinpoint the exact location of the problem.

If you find a break or short, you may only need to remove one or two tiles for repair, rather than ripping up the entire floor.

As we wrap up, remember that if you have any questions, you can always reach out to us for assistance.

Thank you for joining us today, and we hope you found this information helpful. Stay warm and be radiant!