My new shop.

[Mace Canute]

Mace, I'd really be interested in a follow up on this, I'm planning on doing a new garage/workshop this year and I'd like to go with radiant in floor, but I have wondered if going to the trouble of doing zones was worth the time/effort/expense.

I think that if you have over a certain size floor area if you don't do zones, you get a very uneven heating pattern because of heat loss in the first portion of the tubing leaving little to heat the remaining area. This is pretty obvious when you think about it but what isn't so easy to figure out is where the point comes when just one loop isn't going to cut it. That's where we have to rely on the people in the trade who hopefully know how to do it so everything is balanced. I know this isn't much of an answer but it's the best I can do.

 

[ovrszd]

I think you are correct. Friend of mine built a mechanics shop with heated floor, one loop. Can't heat the back of the shop farthest away from the heater. During real cold weather he's using a wood stove back there. He's very bummed out. Designed and built his himself. Thought he could save some costs by running one loop......

 

[Gunny]

Appreciate the advice, looks like I'll be doing 3 or 4 zones through a manifold. Thanks all

 

[westcliffe01]

You ideally want each zone to have its own pump and control valves. If a large enough area, the return flow temperature on each line can be used for control of how much heat goes to each zone.