Ideal for both new construction and remodeling projects, the Comfort Touch™ radiant floor warming system keeps floors warm and comfortable by state-of-the-art Safe Heat™ heating cable. Comfort Touch® can be used for floor warming, to make stone and tile floors warm to the touch, or as a supplemental heat source. Both systems require no maintenance. Comfort Touch™ has a life span at least equal to the floor covering. ETI Heat Systems® offers a 10 year limited warranty on all Safe Heat™ heating cable. Ask for details.
The system is designed to be installed between the sub-floor and commonly used floor covering such as ceramic tiles, stone, marble and slate. With the smallest diameter cable (.070") on the market, it can be installed on virtually any plywood or concrete floor, as well as over existing tiles, pre-stressed concrete panels, or crack isolation membranes - any flooring compatible with the floor covering adhesive.
The low profile Safe Heat™ heating cable is embedded in the layer of adhesive and does not add to the thickness of the floor. Without adding an extra sub-floor, installations are faster, easier and reduce labor cost. Rooms of virtually any shape can be accommodated using cable spacing for either primary heating (2" spacing between parallel cable runs), or supplemental heating (3" spacing between parallel cable runs) applications. Comfort Touch™ systems operate on standard line voltages of 120, 208, or 240 VAC.
Test studies conducted by ASHRAE have determined that the "comfort" temperature at the surface of objects or persons is 70°F (21°C). To obtain such a comfort level with a conventional heating system, the air temperature in the room and the objects in the room must be elevated to 75° F (24°C).
With a radiant heating system, in order to obtain the same floor surface temperature of 70°F (21°C), the ambient room temperature can be left at 66°F (19°C) and that of objects at 75°F (24°C). Since the room only needs to be heated to 66°F (19°C) to obtain the same warmth, this reduces energy cost substantially. The reduction in heating cost could therefore be estimated at 28% compared to conventional heating methods. Ref. Copyright 1992 American Society of Heating, Refrigerating and Air-Conditioning Engineers, Inc. http://www.ashrae.org/ Excerpted by permission from ASHRAE Standard 55-1992.
If this is your first or one hundredth Comfort Touch™ installation, we suggest that you make use of our free design service. ETI Heat Systems®, Inc. can help you determine the appropriate cable length(s) for your application, size your system for either primary or supplemental heating, or assist in preparing a floor plan/layout for your Comfort Touch™ system. Let us know your requirements.
With a little advance planning and carefully reading this document, the Comfort Touch™ installation is neither complex nor time consuming. Common hand tools available at your local hardware store or home improvement center are the only tools needed to install your Comfort Touch™ system. No special preparation of the floor surface is required. A specially designed spacing guide or "gauge" (a 6 1/4" plastic strip) is secured to the floor which anchors and uniformly spaces the SafeHeat™ heating cable. The gauge is made of a high temperature plastic that allows the installer to staple it to plywood or glue it to concrete floors. One gauge is used for both Comfort Touch's three inch spacing as well as the two inch spacing for Comfort Heat™. A few simple, easy-to-follow rules are used to determine the gauge positioning and cable spacing. An accurate survey of the floor area to be heated is necessary for a successful and easy installation.
Only a few common hand tools are required to install your Comfort Touch™ system. While these tools are common with qualified installers, they are available at most local hardware stores or home improvement centers.
If a blueprint or scaled drawing of the area/room to be heated is not available, a "to-scale" sketch must be prepared to determine the system requirements and layout. Figure 1 is a room sketch worksheet to assist in the preparation of this sketch. If required, additional copies of the room sketch worksheet are available from the ETI Heat Systems®, Inc. website at www.etiheatsystems.com, or contact us by phone/fax. Accurate measurements of the room are important when preparing the sketch.
Once the room sketch has been completed, the square footage of the heated area must be calculated. Calculation of the heated area should not include areas occupied by permanent objects (i.e., bathtubs or vanities in a bathroom, etc.); these unheated areas must be subtracted from the total surface area of the room. Figure 1 also shows an example of a typical bathroom installation to illustrate how unheated areas of the space are subtracted to arrive at the effective heater area. The heater area will also need to include a small floor space called a "buffer zone". A buffer zone is an area that can accommodate any excess length in heating cable. To establish a buffer zone, select an area that is not critical to be heated. Some examples of buffer zones include a closet floor, behind a door, or several inches along a wall. Three other factors must also be considered simultaneously when deciding on a buffer zone location: 1) the start/finish location of the heating cable layout, 2) location of the line voltage outlet box, 3) thermostat location. All three of these locations will need to be close to one another in the system layout plan, and in turn, close to the buffer zone. This will facilitate a smooth installation of the system. The following sections address line voltage and thermostat locations in more detail.
The Comfort Touch™ radiant floor warming system requires either a 120, 208, 240 or 277 VAC branch supply circuit to operate. Check the power consumption of your Comfort Touch™ system for proper sizing of branch supply circuit conductors. The cold lead terminations are joined to the branch supply circuit inside an outlet box (4 sq - not supplied), which is mounted close to the start/finish of the cable layout and the thermostat (see Figure 2). Commonly chosen locations for mounting the outlet box include the same room as the heating cable, an adjacent room linked through the wall (closet, utility room, etc.), or in the crawlspace or basement directly below the buffer zone.
The National Electrical Code, per articles 210 and 424 as well as many local electrical codes, requires a Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter (GFCI) be used on the branch supply circuit for shock safety and fire protection. A GFCI is not included with a Comfort Touch™ system and must be purchased separately. Consult appropriate electrical code for your area.
Designed specifically to operate with the relay module and SafeHeat™ heating cable, the FWT™-3Thermostat provides round-the-clock monitor and control of the floor temperature. A "Digital Anticipation™" feature built into the FWT™-3 improves temperature control and efficiency as time progresses. The thermostat learns the characteristics of the heated space and automatically adjusts to optimize comfort and efficiency. Installation, connection, and operation of the FWT™-3 is simple and straightforward. There are no line voltage connections made to the FWT™-3, so no conduit is required in routing wires to it. The FWT™-3's power and Temperature Sensor connections are done with Class 2 low voltage wiring, which are quick and easy. A green LED indicates the system is powered. A yellow indicator shows the heaters are operating. The knob adjusts the floor temperature; clockwise rotation of the knob increases the temperature. Full counter-clockwise rotation of the knob puts the system in "idle" mode, which prevents heating. This saves energy when unoccupied areas do not require heating. The green indicator will blink continuously when the idle mode has been selected.
The FWT™-3 Thermostat provides control of the heating system, and mounts inside a single-gang outlet box (not supplied). Once mounted inside the outlet box, the FWT™-3's faceplate sits flush with a room wall. Choose a mounting location, preferably, directly above the outlet box containing the line voltage wiring. If mounting directly above is not practical, select a location so that low voltage wiring can be made between the FWT™-3 and the relay module.
The temperature sensor and attached cable should exit from beneath the drywall on to the subfloor. Sensor and cable must run parallel to the heating cable and extend 3' to 4' feet from the wall. The aforementioned wires should not cross or touch each other. Sensor wire can be cut to length. The temperature sensor is not to be attached to subfloor until cable has been laid out (see following instructions). Floor should be notched to compensate for sensor height (see photo).
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The Safe Heat™ heater cable is made from a copper-nickel resistive wire which is surrounded by a insulating coat of Tefzel®. With the highest safety in mind, this insulation mechanically protects the wire and will not deteriorate with the age in floor warming applications. A stainless steel outer braid is added for strength and protection. This armor provides a corrosion-free bond with the grout for improved heat transfer. With all this protection, the Safe Heat heater wire still allows the installer to use a one-quarter inch grout bed. In the event a break in the wire does happen, the shield will conduct the fault current safely to ground. Customer supplied GFCI protection is required. All Safe Heat™ wire is CSA Certified.
The heating cable is identified by the area to be covered and the operation voltage. Example: 120P100C150 means: 120 volts covering 100 square feet at 2" spacing and 150 square feet at 3" spacing. It comes on a spool of different lengths to cover a specific floor area. It is sealed at the factory to show it has been tested and approved. Do not use cable if the seal is broken!
Cable length is critical. ETI Heat Systems customer service can help in the proper cable selection. After the effective heated area has been calculated, the proper length of SafeHeat™ heating cable can be chosen. It will be necessary to select a cable which has a length slightly shorter than what was calculated for the effective heated area (by approximately 5 to 15 %). The factory-sized lengths of SafeHeat™ heating cable cannot be overlapped, cut, or shortened. Allowing any of the aforementioned will compromise the cable's performance and can damage the heaters. The cable will not work at the proper voltage or provide the proper heat if the cable is cut. This will also void the warranty for the system. For optimum performance, do not overlap the cold leads and heater cable.
With the heater area mapped out and the buffer zone selected, a heating cable layout is prepared prior to installation. The heating cable is routed in a serpentine fashion across the target area. The layout of the heating cable must start and end at the line voltage outlet box. This means the layout must contain a "return corridor" so the return line of the heating cable can be routed back. Make sure the heating cable stays at least 6" away from toilet faucets, and at least 2" away from walls and any other heating system making contact with the floor. Be sure to allow 8"-10" of distance between heating cable and the wax ring at the base of a toilet. If the room is odd-shaped, such as with a diagonal wall, install the gauges to follow the line or contour of the wall (see Figure 3). Note that the gauges on opposite sides of the heated space always remain parallel to each other.
The gauge regulates the spacing between parallel runs of heater cable. Either 3" spacing is selected (used in secondary heating applications - "taking the 'chill' off the floor"), or 2" spacing is selected (used in primary heating applications - "heating the room"). Uniform spacing of the heating cable runs ensures consistent floor temperature. The heating cable loops under the gauge hooks to ensure appropriate spacing. Figure 3 shows a view of this. Note that there is some slack in the loop (approx. 1/4"). A slight tension in the cable will help ensure the cable runs remain parallel throughout the serpentine pattern. Remember to consider the return corridor when bringing the cable back to the relay module.
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The ends of the heating cable are terminated with a "cold lead" wire for connection to the relay module. Figure 2 shows routing of the leads into the line voltage outlet box; pass the leads under a kick plate when routing them at the bottom lathe of the wall. The cold leads can be cut to length.
Offering versatile heating configurations, the gauge ensures uniform heat and a fast way to secure the cable to the floor. The six inch gauge strip, made of a high temperature plastic, has six wire hooks spaced 1 inch apart, accommodates staples, nails or hot glue. For odd shaped floors and uniform turns, single piece wire hooks are included in the gauge package. Spacing dictates the heat intensity: 2"= 12 watts per sq. ft. Comfort Heat™ or 3"= 8 watts per sq. ft. Comfort Touch. The main functions of the gauge is to hold the heating cable in place, and maintain cable spacing during installation of the floor covering. Once the floor covering is installed, the location and spacing of the heating cable is permanent and cannot be changed. The gauge is used on the perimeter of the cable layout. Throughout the rest of the floor, use gauge as support at 36" to 40" inch intervals in parallel cable runs, and at the beginning/end of the layout (see Figure 3). The gauge used at 36" to 40" inch intervals stabilizes the cable and maintains proper spacing in parallel runs. These are installed after the perimeter gauge is already in place. To install a stabilizing gauge, insert it under the cable runs and attach to the floor at proper intervals.
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No special preparation of the floor surface is required. However, the floor must be clean, dry, flat, smooth, and free of any protrusions such as nails or screw heads which could cause damage to the cable during installation. The manufacturer of the adhesive being used with the floor covering may recommend or require special instructions for applying their product to the floor.
Rooms of 40 square feet or smaller can be installed and tiled within a day. For larger rooms, that will take more than a day to complete, you will need to protect the heater wire with a thin layer of the tile adhesive or mud bed. Pull a straight trowel at a 30 to 45 degree angle. Use a soft material like cardboard, not a hard material like plywood, to protect the cable. The least labor intensive cover is a self-leveling cement. Allow the protecting layer (glazing) to cure overnight. Be sure to fill the voids around the gauge hooks.
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Layout the perimeter gauges for the heat system. Make sure the gauge strips are 3 inches away from the walls or other objects such as pipes, heat registers, vanities or bathtubs. This gives the installer room to make the turns with the cable. The gauge can be secured using 3/8" staples, nails or hot glue. Make sure all gauges are secured to the floor along their entire lengths and at the ends. Keep the gauge securing holes toward the wall.
Securing the gauge to a concrete floor requires the use of a hot melt glue gun. First, make certain that the floor is clean and dry. Apply hot glue to the back of gauge and quickly apply to floor forcing hot melt glue through the holes in the gauge. Also make sure the glue spreads evenly between the gauge and the floor. Hold the gauge in place until the hot melt glue cools enough to hold it securely in place. The same rule regarding hook direction described in the section above also applies (see Figure 3). Concrete nails can also be used if hot melt glue is not available.
Always install in accordance with all
applicable electrical codes and regulations. The resistance
of the heating cable needs to be confirmed before it is
removed from the sealed box. This test is required to
honor all warranties on the cable. Breaking the seal without
taking resistance readings voids the warranty.
The heating cable should be tested a second time for electrical
resistance after looping it in the gauge hooks, but PRIOR
to connecting it to line voltage and installing the floor
covering. It would be wise to test a third and final time
after the protective covering is in place and before the
tile is installed. In the unlikely event there is an open
or short circuit in the heating cable, it is much easier
to repair before installing the floor covering.
To conduct the test, first connect both of the cold lead wires to an ohmmeter. The ohmmeter reading should match the resistance printed on the tag that was attached to the heating cable. Next, connect one of the cold lead wires to one of the ohmmeter probe leads, and the heating cable's braided jacket to the other ohmmeter probe lead. This reading should be an open circuit (greater than 500 Meg ohms of resistance).
The tile installer must work on a smooth, clean, and even floor. The cable is protected by the glazing layer. Laying tile is not slowed by the covered heating cable. Retest the resistance of the cable frequently. Make final connections according to all codes and regulations. For ease of installation use a self leveling compound to protect heater wires.
A correctly installed Comfort Touch™ radiant floor warming system will provide many years of reliable, maintenance-free service. Please contact ETI Heat Systems®, Inc. if you have questions or need additional information regarding your Comfort Touch™ system. There is never a charge for this service. You can contact us at: