HYDRONIC RADIANT HEATING & SNOW MELTING • TORONTO & THE GTA
Radiant floors and snow-melting systems — designed from the tubing up.
DAVESDUCTS designs, installs and services hydronic radiant-floor heating and snow-melting systems for residential and light-commercial projects. We coordinate the heat source, tubing layout, manifolds, pumps, controls, water temperatures, insulation and finished surface as one hydronic system.
HYDRONIC RADIANT FLOOR HEATING
Heat the surface — then let the room receive the heat.
Hydronic radiant-floor heating circulates heated water through tubing installed in or below the floor assembly. The warmed floor becomes a large heat-emitting surface, transferring heat to the room without depending entirely on high-velocity warm air.
COMFORT
Warm Surfaces
Radiant heating can create comfortable floor temperatures and a different comfort profile than conventional forced-air heating.
ZONING
Room & Area Control
Properly designed manifolds, circulators, valves and controls can divide a radiant system into zones according to the building and heating requirements.
DESIGN
Lower-Temperature Hydronics
Many radiant-floor applications can operate at lower water temperatures than traditional high-temperature hydronic emitters, depending on the floor assembly and required heating load.
WHERE RADIANT HEATING WORKS
New homes, renovations, basements and selected retrofit applications.
The appropriate radiant assembly depends on the structure, finished flooring, available height, insulation, heating load and whether the tubing can be installed above, within or below the floor.
SLAB-ON-GRADE
Basements & Concrete Floors
Radiant tubing can be incorporated into an appropriately designed concrete floor assembly. Insulation, tubing placement, slab construction and finished-floor requirements should be coordinated before the concrete is poured.
OVERPOUR
Thin-Slab Applications
Selected projects can use tubing installed above the structural subfloor and incorporated into an approved overpour or panel system. Finished height and floor loading must be considered.
UNDERFLOOR
Joist-Bay / Staple-Up Systems
Where access is available from below, radiant tubing can be installed beneath the subfloor using an appropriate transfer method and insulation strategy.
SPECIAL AREAS
Bathrooms, Kitchens & Additions
Radiant heating can be considered for selected rooms or additions where warm floors or a dedicated hydronic zone fit the renovation and mechanical design.
DESIGN BEFORE INSTALLATION
There is no universal radiant-floor layer stack.
The existing DAVESDUCTS page described fixed concrete, insulation and tubing dimensions. In practice, those details should be selected for the specific assembly. A successful radiant system starts with the heating requirement and construction conditions rather than a one-size-fits-all recipe.
1 • HEAT LOSS
How much heat does the space require?
The room or building heating requirement determines how much output the radiant surface must provide.
2 • FLOOR ASSEMBLY
What is above and below the tubing?
Concrete, wood subfloors, tile, engineered flooring, insulation and other materials affect heat transfer and the installation method.
3 • TUBING
Layout, spacing & circuit length.
Tubing size, spacing, circuit length and manifold arrangement influence heat output, flow requirements and pressure drop.
4 • WATER TEMPERATURE
Match supply temperature to the floor.
The system should deliver enough heat without using unnecessarily high water temperatures or exceeding applicable floor and material limitations.
5 • FLOW
Pumps, manifolds & balancing.
Each circuit needs the appropriate flow. Circulators, manifolds and balancing should be selected around the actual hydraulic requirements.
6 • CONTROLS
Coordinate thermostats and heat source.
Room controls, zone valves or circulators, mixing strategies and boiler controls should work together rather than operate as unrelated components.
THE HEAT SOURCE MATTERS
Radiant tubing is only the distribution system.
The system still needs an appropriately selected heat source and controls. Depending on the project, that may involve a condensing boiler or another approved hydronic heat source capable of supplying the required water temperature and capacity.
BOILER
Size for the actual load.
Do not automatically select a boiler based on the square footage of tubing or the rating of an old appliance. The building and connected loads should drive equipment selection.
MIXING
Different loads may need different temperatures.
If one heat source serves radiant floors together with higher-temperature emitters, the hydronic design may require separate temperature control or mixing.
CONTROLS
Coordinate the zones.
Boiler controls, pumps, valves, thermostats and outdoor-reset strategies should be considered as part of the complete hydronic design.
SNOW & ICE MELTING
Hydronic heating for driveways, walkways, ramps and other exterior surfaces.
A hydronic snow-melting system circulates a heated water/glycol solution through tubing installed below an exterior surface. Heat moves upward into the pavement to melt snow and ice as conditions require.
RESIDENTIAL
Driveways
Snow melting can be incorporated into suitable new driveway construction or major reconstruction projects.
ACCESS
Walkways, Steps & Ramps
Selected pedestrian surfaces can be heated to reduce manual snow clearing and improve winter accessibility.
COMMERCIAL
Entrances & Critical Areas
Hydronic snow melting can be designed for selected commercial areas where reliable snow and ice management is important.
HOW SNOW MELTING WORKS
The system has to deliver enough heat to the outdoor surface when winter conditions demand it.
Exterior snow melting is a substantially different load from indoor radiant heating. Design must account for the heated area, construction, local winter conditions, desired melting performance, heat-source capacity, fluid temperatures, flow and controls.
1 • SENSOR
Detect Conditions
Automatic systems can use outdoor or pavement sensing to identify conditions that require snow-melting operation.
2 • HEAT SOURCE
Generate Heat
The boiler or other approved hydronic heat source must have sufficient capacity for the snow-melting load and any other loads it is expected to serve.
3 • CIRCULATION
Move Heated Glycol
Pumps circulate the properly designed heat-transfer fluid through the exterior tubing circuits.
4 • PAVEMENT
Transfer Heat to the Surface
The tubing transfers heat through the surrounding assembly so the exterior surface can melt accumulating snow and ice.
AUTOMATIC SNOW-MELT CONTROLS
The system can respond automatically instead of waiting for someone to flip a switch.
Current hydronic snow-melting controls can use temperature and moisture/snow sensing to initiate operation. Uponor, for example, currently offers snow-melt controls and pavement-sensor options specifically intended for hydronic snow and ice melting.
CONTROL STRATEGY
Automatic does not mean the system should run continuously all winter.
A properly designed control strategy operates the system when conditions require melting and shuts it down when the melting cycle is complete, subject to the selected controls and system design.
SNOW-MELT CONSTRUCTION
Coordinate the mechanical design before the driveway or walkway is built.
The tubing becomes part of an exterior construction assembly, so DAVESDUCTS should be involved before the final base, reinforcement and finished surface are installed. The landscaper, concrete contractor, paver contractor, builder and mechanical contractor may all have work that must be coordinated.
MECHANICAL
DAVESDUCTS Scope
- Hydronic system design within our scope.
- Tubing circuit and manifold planning.
- Heat-source and pump requirements.
- Glycol-system considerations.
- Controls and applicable sensing.
- Mechanical-room integration.
SITE / SURFACE
Coordinate With Other Trades
- Excavation and sub-base preparation.
- Drainage and grading.
- Structural concrete or paving requirements.
- Insulation where specified by the design.
- Reinforcement and finished-surface construction.
- Protection of installed tubing during construction.
IMPORTANT
Do not use a generic driveway “layer recipe” for every project.
Concrete, asphalt and paver installations can require different construction assemblies. Tubing depth, insulation, base materials and surface construction should be coordinated with the project design and the contractors responsible for the exterior assembly.
GLYCOL & FREEZE PROTECTION
Exterior hydronic systems need appropriate freeze protection.
Snow-melting systems commonly use a water/glycol heat-transfer solution because the exterior circuits are exposed to freezing conditions. Glycol type, concentration, system components and maintenance should be appropriate for the hydronic application and design conditions.
DESIGN
Account for Glycol in Pump Selection
A glycol solution behaves differently from plain water. Concentration and operating temperature affect fluid properties and should be considered when determining flow and pumping requirements.
MAINTENANCE
Check the Fluid Over Time
Freeze protection and fluid condition should be checked as part of appropriate system maintenance rather than assuming the original mixture remains suitable indefinitely.
NEW CONSTRUCTION & RENOVATIONS
The best time to plan radiant or snow melting is before the surface is closed.
Once concrete is poured, flooring is installed or a driveway is finished, changing the tubing layout becomes difficult or impossible without significant reconstruction. Early mechanical coordination allows the system to be designed around the actual construction.
RADIANT HEATING & SNOW MELTING FAQ
Common questions about hydronic radiant systems.
How does hydronic radiant floor heating work?
Heated water circulates through tubing installed in or below the floor assembly. Heat transfers through the floor surface and into the occupied space. The required water temperature and tubing design depend on the heating load and floor construction.
Can radiant floor heating be the primary heat source?
Yes, when the available radiant surface can provide the building’s required heating output under design conditions. A heat-loss calculation and floor-output assessment are important before relying on radiant floors as the primary heat source.
Can radiant heating be installed under hardwood or engineered flooring?
It can be possible, but the flooring manufacturer’s requirements and temperature limitations must be considered. The floor assembly, resistance of the finished material and heating load affect the design.
Can radiant heating be added to an existing house?
Sometimes. Retrofit options can include underfloor installations from accessible joist spaces or approved above-subfloor systems. Available height, structure, insulation, finished flooring and access determine what is practical.
Does radiant floor heating require a boiler?
A hydronic radiant system requires an approved source of heated water, but the exact heat source depends on the system design. Where a boiler is used, it should be selected and controlled around the radiant load and any other hydronic loads it serves.
How does a hydronic snow-melting system work?
A heated water/glycol solution circulates through tubing beneath the outdoor surface. Heat transfers into the pavement to melt snow and ice. Automatic controls can use temperature and moisture or snow sensing to initiate operation.
Can snow melting be installed under pavers?
Yes, in appropriately designed paver assemblies. The tubing, base, bedding, insulation where applicable and paver construction need to be coordinated with the hydronic design and the contractor responsible for the finished surface.
Can snow melting be installed in concrete?
Yes. Hydronic tubing can be incorporated into properly designed concrete snow-melting applications. Tubing placement and protection must be coordinated before the concrete pour.
Does a snow-melting system run all winter?
It does not have to. Automatic hydronic snow-melt controls can activate the system in response to appropriate weather and surface conditions and stop operation after the melting cycle, depending on the selected control strategy.
Does a heated driveway eliminate the need for all snow and ice management?
A properly designed system can substantially reduce snow and ice accumulation within its designed operating conditions, but actual performance depends on system capacity, weather, controls, construction and operation. It should not be represented as a guarantee that every surface will remain completely dry under every storm condition.
When should DAVESDUCTS get involved in a heated driveway project?
Before the driveway or walkway construction is finalized. Early coordination allows the tubing, manifolds, heat source, controls and mechanical-room requirements to be planned with the landscaper, concrete or paver contractor and other trades.
Does DAVESDUCTS install radiant heating and snow-melting systems in Toronto and the GTA?
Yes. DAVESDUCTS designs, installs and services hydronic radiant-floor heating and snow-melting systems for suitable residential and light-commercial projects in Toronto and the Greater Toronto Area.
RADIANT HEATING & SNOW MELTING • TORONTO & THE GTA
Planning a heated floor, driveway or walkway?
Bring DAVESDUCTS into the project before the floor or exterior surface is built. Send us the plans, heated area, proposed finishes and available mechanical information so the hydronic system can be coordinated with the construction.
