# Anybody use Uponor Quick trak



## lawandorder (Aug 22, 2010)

Anyone have any experience with Uponors quick trak above floor radiant heat panels??? Looking for options to use above floor for my fall project for one zone in my house.  Any help appreciated as always.


----------



## in hot water (Aug 22, 2010)

Yes, but I'm not a huge fan of that 5/16 tube it requires. 

 Check out the Radiant Panels that Roth makes.  They are foam, so they glue or staple down.  The fit either 3/8 or 1/2" pex.  And they are solid aluminum surface. Wood flooring can nail over it , tile with backerboard, or the floating hardwoods.

The last job I installed 4000 square feet of the stuff.  It heats nicely, very even temperature with that aluminum surface.

This job was a doctors home an got walnut T&G flooring everywhere but the bathrooms, Quite the home.

I've tried almost every product out there, I really like the Roth for ease of installation and powerful performance.

hr


----------



## wood thing (Aug 22, 2010)

I just did a 8' X 10' bathroom.  Installed ceramic tile over the panels.  This was the first time I used this product and was happy with the out come.  This is one of the thinest  panels, about 1/2" .  I wondered about the 5/16" pex, never used it before.  I don't have this tied in yet but will let you know.  I'm sure all will be ok.


----------



## lawandorder (Aug 22, 2010)

Thanks for the info. The reason I liked the Quick track was the fact it was only 1/2 and it would tie in nicely to the tile areas. I am putting carpeting back  in place after its finished but I am a little concerned over the 5/16 being able to heat the room. I am using it in a large room with Cathedral Ceilings. Is there a general rule for BTU's with radiant in floor??  I want to make sure I have enough floor space to handle the heat load with a large room with windows and cathedral ceilings


----------



## sgrenier35 (Aug 22, 2010)

I have used this product many times and it works great.  However I have never had anyone put carpet over the tubing, since it is like insulating over your heat!


----------



## in hot water (Aug 22, 2010)

lawandorder said:
			
		

> Thanks for the info. The reason I liked the Quick track was the fact it was only 1/2 and it would tie in nicely to the tile areas. I am putting carpeting back  in place after its finished but I am a little concerned over the 5/16 being able to heat the room. I am using it in a large room with Cathedral Ceilings. Is there a general rule for BTU's with radiant in floor??  I want to make sure I have enough floor space to handle the heat load with a large room with windows and cathedral ceilings




The btu output of any radiant surface, regardless of the floor covering, has to do with the surface temperature. 

 Rule of thumb 2 btu/ square foot per degree difference.  The difference between the surface temperature and the ambient air temperture.

So a room at 68F ambient and a radiant surface of 80 °F  would output  (80-68) X 2  about 24 btu/ square foot of surface.  So the limiting factor becomes the surface temperature.

You have a skin temperature @ 80- 83 °F so the surface temperature should not exceed that or it becomes un-comfortable, sweaty feet , etc   Studies indicate 80- 82 °F  as the high limit for radiant floors in homes.  So in the end about 25 BTU/ square foot is a reasonable residential floor output.

More output would require either cooler room temperature, or warmer radiant surface temperature.  This is where radiant walls and ceilings start to look good as you are not limited by that surface temperature.  Unless you walk on  your walls and ceilings.

Also commercial shops will see much higher outputs if they can design around cooler room temperature, and warmer surface temperatures with occupants in shoes. maybe 60 °F  ambient, 85 surface = 50 BTU/ sq.ft. output.

What additional floor covering does is put a R value over your emitter  Figure R1.0 for 3/4" hardwood and as high as R3- 4.0 for carpet and pad depending on the thickness and material  Multiply X 1.5 for wool carpets.

So now you need a much higher water supply temperature to overcome the resistance of the floor covering.

You first need to know what the BTU/ sq. ft. load is of every room, the select the radiant design accordingly.

I'm not a fan of any carpet over radiant, and beware of max temperatures they can operate under before outgassing or breaking down of the foam pad.

For radiant surfaces bare concrete #1, tile over concrete #2, thin engineered hardwoods #3.  

Certainly many floor coverings can be used with radiant, the devil is in the load and design.  Crunch the numbers carefully before you start for a sucessful radiant installation.  It's those design days and below that separates the "guestimates" from the designed installations.  Nothing worse that an under-performing radiant system in the winter.

Supplemental heat is another option, let the radiant floor cover what it can, and kick on some radiant ceiling or radiant wall zones, or panel rads or fintube.  Stay away from forced air supplement, it ruins the comfort of the radiant and stratifies the room, especially tall ceiling rooms.

hr


----------



## lawandorder (Aug 22, 2010)

Now I am feeling the pain of a large room, cathedral ceilings and lots of glass. Pretty stupid but not much i can do now.  I currently have 44 ft of high output baseboard which i understand to carry 770 btu/ft which equates to 34000 btu total for the room (give or take a btu) so if I have a 26ft x 26 ft room do I now have enough sq ft floor to get enough btu's out for the room to eliminate the baseboard?


----------

