Step Warmfloor

Electro Plastics has a system, Step Warmfloor, that's unique in design. It's a thin (³/₆₄ inch) conductive plastic mat (a polymer heating element) available in 12-inch by 100-foot rolls. It's preglued (two-sided pressure-sensitive adhesive) and electrically insulated. Installation is easy. Just cut it to the appropriate length with scissors, remove the release liner, and stick the element directly on any stable, clean and dry substrate, wire to a low-voltage power supply and install the finish floor. There's no ductwork to fuss over. If you look carefully at the base of the right-hand wall in Figure 7-9, you can see the copper wires exposed and ready for connection to the black and white wires.

Figure 7-9: Step Warmfloor ready for connection of the electrical wires

Photo Courtesy of: Electro Plastics, Inc.

Here are some of the advantages of the system:

• You can place it closer to the surface than other floor systems currently on the market.

• It reacts immediately to external temperature changes.

• All the electrical power is directly transferred to heat – it's 100 percent efficient!

• It's self-restricted, meaning it only draws the energy required to maintain the ideal temperature. When the ambient temperature rises, electrical resistance increases and the electric consumption decreases. For this reason, the elements can never overheat.

• The heating elements are installed at foot level to provide ideal heat distribution.

• The even distribution of heat on the floor reduces heat loss by infiltration.

• A continuous low-temperature heating system is more efficient than an on/off heating system.

• It requires no maintenance.

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