Radiant Technology Overview

A Centuries-Old Concept

Radiant heating is hardly a new technology. In fact, it's been around since ancient Greek and Roman times, possibly longer. Evidence of ancient piping systems are found among the ruins of some of the world's oldest civilizations.

Modern Innovation
Using modern polymer solutions, REHAU has perfected the application of first century discoveries to twenty-first century homes and buildings. We've taken the premise of this relatively simple technology and developed a modern system that circulates warm water through a network of polymer pipes placed in the floor, wall or ceiling. Heat gently radiates to warm surfaces, objects and air in the room, creating a comfortable environment.

What Makes Radiant Heating Ideal for Human Comfort?
Science shows that heat emission from the human body occurs mainly via three mechanisms: radiation, evaporation and convection. Humans feel most comfortable when they can regulate at least 50% of their heat emission via radiation, and when their feet are warmer than their heads.

Radiant heating systems provide heat on the basis of low heating surface temperatures over a large area and an even air temperature distribution with mild, comfortable radiated energy. In contrast to conventional forced-air systems, a radiative equillibrium is generated between people and the surfaces throughout the room, more closely achieving the optimum thermal comfort level for occupants.

How it Works

Warm Circulated Water
Traditional heating systems only heat the air in a room, and usually with air that's been warmed with a furnace and forced through vents. But forced air often produces uneven room temperatures and can carry allergens and contaminants, making a potentially unhealthy and uncomfortable environment.

Radiant heating is quiet, clean and economical. The system works by circulating warm water through a network of polymer pipes placed in the floor, wall or ceiling. Heat gently radiates from the panel, evenly and consistently warming the surfaces, objects and air to creat a comfortable environment.

A variety of heat sources can be used to warm the water for a radiant system, including boilers, geothermal heat pumps, solar collection systems and water heaters.

Benefits

Step onto a floor with REHAU radiant heating and experience comfort at its best. Heat is gently radiated through the space virtually eliminating cold spots and temperature fluxuations. Radiant heating is quiet, clean and economical, and works with a variety of heat sources and floor coverings. Other benefits include:

Increased Comfort
A radiant heating system keeps floors warm and dry, making hard surface flooring more comfortable.

Energy Efficient
Because of its exceptional comfort at relatively low operating temperatures, radiant heating is very energy efficient. Optimizing the radiant panel design using strategies such as room-by-room zoning can add to your energy savings. Radiant heating can be the primary heat source or serve in combination with auxiliary heating systems, and can be installed almost anywhere heat is needed.

Enhanced Control
It’s easy to zone a radiant heating system using multiple thermostats. This allows you to adjust temperatures in a single room or a group of rooms, based on activity and usage levels.

Flexibility
Radiant heating can be used in floors, walls and ceilings and can be installed in a single room or throughout your home or building. There are no heaters, radiators or vents, so you'll have more design freedom and open space. Radiant heating is ideal for open floor plans, especially in areas with high ceilings.

Improved Energy Efficiency
Radiant heating allows a thermostat to be set up to 4ºF (2ºC) degrees lower than with a traditional hot air system without sacrificing comfort. Lower operating temperatures reduce fuel consumption, which can save up to 30% per year in heating expenses. And since radiant heating can be used with a variety of heat sources including geothermal heat pumps, solar collection systems and condensing boiler technology, you can acheive even further savings.

Wherever Heat is Needed

No matter what kind of space you need to heat, there's a radiant heating design that will work for you. REHAU radiant heating is compatible with a variety of floor coverings, including hardwood, carpet, vinyl, ceramic, tile and natural stone.

Concrete Overpour Method
Pipes can be installed within a normal concrete slab either on or below grade, usually with no design changes to the slab. It is very important to use the right amount of insulation under a heated slab for optimal efficiency and response time.

This wet installation method is ideally suited for basement floors, warehouses, utility buildings and large-scale commercial projects. This is a common installation method for new construction.

Thin-Slab Overpour Method
Pipes can be installed above suspended wood floors and encased in a thin slab overpour, usually 1.5 in (38 mm) thick.

Joist Space Method
Aluminum heat transfer plates are installed directly under the subfloor to conduct heat from the pipes. Joist space installation can be an ideal solution for retrofit construction since you don't have to alter your existing flooring, or when ever a poured floor just isn’t practical.

Dry Panel Method
Pipes are snapped into aluminum heat transfer panels placed on top of a suspended wood floor or existing slab. This design has a low profile, is easy to install and delivers the best efficiency and response time.

Radiant Walls and Ceilings
Floors aren't the only possibilities for radiant heating. With the proper design techniques, you can enjoy a highly effective radiant system when pipes are placed within a stud wall or ceiling. These other surfaces can provide a perfect solution for retrofit radiant systems and rooms with floor areas that are too small to provide sufficient heat.

Signature Components

REHAU's radiant heating system is comprised of our proprietary designs, including PEXa pipe, fittings, manifolds and controls.

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RAUTHERM Pipe
At the heart of REHAU’s radiant heating systems is our RAUTHERM crosslinked polyethylene (PEXa) pipe. This reliable pipe is durable yet flexible, offering enhanced temperature/pressure capabilities and long-term strength.

Manifolds
PRO-BALANCE manifolds bring ease of installation, controllable flow rates and a professional look to hydronic applications. PRO-BALANCE manifolds come preassembled and are available in a wide range of outlets.

Fittings
Designed for use with RAUPEX pipes, EVERLOC compression-sleeve fittings have a larger inside diameter than typical PEX crimp ring fittings, resulting in superior flow characteristics and reduced pressure loss.

REHAU Controls
REHAU offers a wide variety of electronic components for your radiant heating application. They combine accurate and steady temperature with the flexibility of room-to-room control.

RAUGEO Paired With Radiant Systems

A natural synergy...
If you’re considering using our RAUGEO™ ground loop system, you’ll also want to look at radiant heating and cooling, and vice versa.There’s a natural synergy between the two.

Here's why: In order to provide comfortable room temperatures, radiant heating works well with relatively low water temperatures and radiant cooling works with moderate water temperatures. It’s precisely in these temperature ranges that your water-to-water geothermal heat pump operates most efficiently.

So, by combining RAUGEO with REHAU radiant heating and cooling, you’ll enjoy the greatest comfort at the lowest operating cost. You’ll also appreciate the reliability of REHAU quality components from the geothermal probe to your thermostat, including durable PEXa pipes, secure EVERLOC^® joints and manifolds with individually controlled circuits.

It could be all you need for total comfort.
In many cases, a properly designed geothermal-radiant system can provide enough energy to heat and cool your entire space even in extreme temperatures.