Best Option for Radiant Floor Heating?

LESLIE: Jim in Tennessee is on the line looking to heat a vacation home [1]. Tell us where it is and when we can come over.

JIM: OK. Oh, good. I would like to have you. You’re welcome any time. It will be in – across the Virginia line. I’m in Tennessee but just across the Virginia line. This cabin that I want to build, I won’t be there year-round and we have, of course, cold weather here. I’m thinking about the radiant heat [2] in the floor and I’d like your recommendation as to what you all think would be best.

TOM: OK. So you’re building it from scratch and it’s going to have a concrete floor? Or a wood floor?

JIM: No. No, it will be a crawlspace [3] underneath, high enough that you won’t have to bend over to get in underneath.

TOM: OK. Sure.

JIM: So it’s easy working.

TOM: Well, I think a PEX floor would be awesome. Hydronic heat [4] with PEX; cross-link polyethylene piping. That is really popular right now. It’s pretty easy to install. It would go up underneath the subfloor and heat up from there or there’s a type of PEX where it can be laid into a special, sort of carved-out version of the subfloor and then it’s installed from the top down. But either way, that’s a great system; very warm, very comfortable and you just can’t get any better than radiant heat in the floor.

JIM: Yes, yes. I have – the package that I received from these people – radiant heat company – is 2004, so I wonder if there’s been any changes that long back.

TOM: OK. Hey, Jim, are you on a speaker phone?

JIM: No, I’m not. No.

TOM: OK. You’re really echo-y.

JIM: Yeah, that’s what I thought. The other lady said that she didn’t pick it up. I’m in a restaurant, Tom, and I’ve had to walk into the bathroom to get away from all the noise. So …

TOM: Well, we appreciate your commitment to your project. That explains it now, Jim.

JIM: Yeah.

TOM: Alright. So, the contractor you’re dealing with is …

LESLIE: Has 2004 specification.

TOM: Yeah.

JIM: Right.

TOM: That might be a little bit old, because things have changed.

JIM: That’s what I thought. I thought I might call these people to get a new, up-to-date …

TOM: Yeah. Yeah, the technology has changed quite a bit and what you want to do is you want to install PEX piping. That’s brand new; it’s been out a few years now and it works really, really well. And I think you’re going to be very happy, Jim.

JIM: Good, good. Thank you so much . I enjoy you all’s program; I listen every Sunday.

TOM: Alright. Thanks so much, Jim.

LESLIE: Thanks, Jim.

TOM: Thanks so much for calling us at 1-888-MONEY-PIT. And we’ll let you get on back to dinner now.