Ask Us Anything - How Much Does Floor Heating Cost to Operate, and more

Hello and thank you for joining us today for our Ask Us Anything webinar. These webinars are held every second Thursday of each month and consist of a live Q&A session. The goal is for us to interact with our customers live and answer any questions you might have about our products, services, product installation, quotations, and the ordering process—anything at all. I'm your host, Scott Rosenbaum, and I'm the Technical Support Manager at WarmlyYours. I may have helped you before with some of your technical questions over the phone, and I'm here today to address all of your questions live. If you'd like to submit a question at any time, please click the Questions and Answers button at the top left corner of your screen, and we'll be taking those questions and answering them for you.

If you've attended one of our Ask Us Anything webinars before, you may have noticed that some questions are repeats. This is because we receive a few questions frequently over the phone, and we think it's important to address them in case we have any new people joining us today. Let's take a look at some of the common questions we receive on the phone lines every day. One of the most popular questions is, "Where and how can one use electric in-floor heating?" The best time to install this system is during flooring remodeling. If you're renovating your bathroom, kitchen, or laundry room, it's ideal to get the product ordered before you lay down the flooring so that we can install it underneath.

Electric in-floor heating can be installed under virtually any type of flooring, with the most common applications being under tile. However, it can also be installed beneath laminate, engineered hardwood, nailed hardwood, and luxury vinyl tile. If you're in the U.S., you can even place it under carpeting. A common phrase we use is, "If you can walk on it, we can probably heat it." Another frequent question we receive is whether floor heating can be used as a primary heat source. The answer is often yes. To determine if your floor can serve as a sole source of heat, visit our webpage and utilize the Heat Loss Calculator. This simple tool allows you to input information about your room and the heating product, helping you ascertain if the product will adequately heat your space.

When heating a space as a sole source of heat, it's essential to consider factors such as the number of doorways leading outdoors, skylights, fireplaces, uninsulated areas beneath your floor, and the number of windows on exterior walls. All these elements contribute to heat loss. The Heat Loss Calculator takes this information into account, totals it, and compares it to the BTUs that our floor heating product will provide. If you have questions about whether it will work for you, the Heat Loss Calculator is an excellent resource. It can also inform you if additional heating assistance might be necessary during the coldest days of January.

Another common question is, "How much does it cost to run an electric floor heating system?" To answer this, we can use our most popular product, the TempZone Flex Roll. First, you'll need to determine the square footage of the area to be heated. This typically involves calculating 40 to 50% of the bathroom's total square footage, as areas beneath permanent fixtures like toilets, built-in tubs, and vanities do not get heated. Once you have the square footage that will be heated, you can input the local cost of electricity per kilowatt-hour from your electricity bill into the calculator.

Next, you'll need to estimate how many hours per day you plan to run your warm floors. The built-in program in the thermostat typically runs for about eight hours, which might mean using it for three to four hours in the morning and another three to four hours in the evening. By inputting these figures along with your local electricity rate, the calculator will provide you with an estimate of the daily cost to heat your room. For example, using the TempZone Flex Roll floor heating system, you might find that it costs only 29 cents per day to heat your space. If you have questions about this process, feel free to call us, and we'll be glad to assist you.

Another frequently asked question is about the placement of the heating system. For instance, in a bedroom, there may be no need to heat the entire room unless you intend to use it as a primary heat source. Remember, you should never install heating under permanent fixtures. If you have furniture like dressers or beds that are raised on legs, it's essential to design the heating to go in areas where you will walk. This approach not only reduces installation costs but also minimizes operational expenses. It's crucial to place the heating where your feet will feel it, avoiding areas under beds or other permanent items that won't be moved.

A common inquiry is whether floor heating can be installed in a closet. This decision ultimately rests with your local code official or authority having jurisdiction. The National Electric Code does not permit floor heating in closets in the United States, but Canadian customers can install it in closets as long as there is a control to regulate the heat. Always consult with your local code official to ensure compliance with regulations before proceeding with any floor heating installation.

For those who are new to floor heating and are unsure how to get started, we require a simple sketch with dimensions indicating the width and length of the room, as well as the locations of permanent fixtures. Since we cannot install heating under these fixtures, it's vital to mark where they are located. Many local codes allow floor heating in shower enclosures, so please verify with your local code official if this is permitted in your area. We offer specialized products rated for use in shower enclosures and bench seats.

When preparing for the design, our designers will also need to know where you want the thermostat placed. You can indicate this on your sketch with a "T" in a circle. Once you submit your information, our engineers will create a complimentary quote along with a custom installation plan for your space. This plan will detail how we will lay out the heating system, specifying the size of the roll and how it will be cut and turned. It's important to note that we only cut the mesh, not the wires, ensuring that the heating system remains intact.

At this point, I’d like to see if there are any more questions out there that I can answer. It appears there are none, so I hope this information has been helpful for you. We look forward to seeing your designs coming into our email or fax line in the near future. If you would like to request more information about any of our products, please contact your account manager. If you're unsure who your account manager is, you can easily find out by checking your online account or by contacting us directly at 800-875-5285, and we will be happy to direct you to the correct person.

Additionally, if you need on-site installation assistance, feel free to reach out to our tech support team at 800-875-5285. We are available 24/7 to assist you. If you'd like to join us for our next webinar, we will discuss how to quote your floor heating project using our Instant Quote tool on our website, along with other ways to obtain an estimate. This webinar will take place on Thursday, March 24th, at 2 PM Central Time, and you can register at www.warmlyyours.com/webinar.

Our next Open Q&A session will be on April 14th, the day before tax day, also at 2 PM Central Time. You can register for that session at www.warmlyyours.com/webinar/AskUsAnything. We encourage you to submit your questions in advance, as this allows us to prepare accurate answers for you during the seminar. Thank you for joining us today and for sending in your questions. If we did not address all your inquiries, please do not hesitate to call us at 1-800-875-5285 or email us at info@warmlyyours.com. We are more than happy to assist you with any additional questions or needs. We hope to see you again soon, and until then, stay warm and be radiant.