Common Terms and Issues

Whatever happened with your system has probably happened before

A partial list of the issues I’ve helped resolve over my career:

• “We have no information on what’s installed in the floor and it doesn’t work.” One of the most common statements I’ve heard. Don’t be discouraged. I can usually figure it out without detailed specifications on the system.

• Heating cable was spliced during installation and worked, but this year it doesn’t.

• Old thermostat’s GFCI Trip can’t be reset, and a new thermostat (or GFCI breaker) trips the GFCI too.

• Thermostat has burned out, or perhaps it burned out AGAIN. Examine and verify LOAD calculations before replacement!

• Thermostat has End of Life or ERR or flashing red light or similar on display, not heating anymore.

• Thermostat display is blank.

• Thermostat display temperature is not the actual floor temperature.

• Heating cable has been cut, crushed or drilled, can it be fixed?

• Floor takes hours to warm up.

• Floor plan changed after heating cable was installed, won’t work now.

• Ohm reading for heating cable(s) is not in range.

• Electric Heating cable is barely working at all.

• Heating system trips the breaker.

• Too much heating cable for floor area, can it be cut shorter? Extreme care and calculations required.

• GFCI trips periodically.

• System performance evaluations including suggestions for optimizing performance.

• Thermostat does not track set point.

• Heating system won’t shut off.

• Floor is only warm on one side.

• Some parts of floor warmer than other areas and its all just one cable.

• Thermostat making a chattering noise.

• Some portion of the heating cable has overheated.

• System worked, settling of the slab or structure is believed to have caused failure.

• Can’t find the junction box where the factory power leads were extended or connected.

• Thermostat not following program properly.

• Hole drilled through floor but they don’t think they hit the cable, floor heat doesn’t work.

• Heating cable seems fine but “wire alarm” went off during installation. What tests can be done?

• Floor worked until tile was replaced.

• Tiles have cracked over heating system.

• Tiles loose over heating system.

• Main control not working properly with Relay control(s).

• Heating cable is too close to toilet’s wax ring and it caused a leak.

• GFCI trips when back-up generator cycles on and off.

• Can I run electric heat with solar panels or wind turbine?

• Radiant heating system integration with home automation system.

• Snow melt system isn’t melting snow.

• Snow melt system doesn’t finish melting snow.

• Snow melt system has one cable or loop that isn’t heating.

• Snow melt control has overheated or is believed to no longer work properly.

• Snow melt system trips the breaker.

• Snow sensor isn’t working, system only operates in manual mode.

• Snow melt control is chattering loudly.

• Electric Snow Melt power leads are not long enough.

• Snow Melt cable or tubing has been visibly damaged, can it be fixed?

• Snow Melt cable or tubing has been damaged but don’t know where, can it be fixed?

• Some places melt snow better than other areas.

• Snow melt system automatic control works well sometimes, then we have to use manual mode the next time it snows.

• What surface temperature rise can be expected?