Tag Archives: Installation services

HOTNEWS

September HotNews – Install the Best

Deal With Pros who Care About Your Installation

You’ve just made an investment in your property and purchased your first state-of-the-art radiant heat system from Warmzone, and you may be wondering, what comes next? Installation is the next step, and the most important when it comes to your new radiant heat system. While purchasing products like a ClearZone snow melting system or ComfortTile radiant heat system assures the quality of your components, the system cannot be effective if installed incorrectly. Without proper installation, your system will not run at optimum levels, which means you won’t see the results you want for your home or business. Customer satisfaction is a priority at Warmzone, which is why when you purchase a system from Warmzone you have access to all the tools and help needed to ensure a safe, proper installation. Warmzone’s commitment to customer service and installation support is unparalleled in the industry.

Heated paver driveway

The first benefit you receive when working with Warmzone is access to Warmzone’s free professional engineering and design services. This service will help ensure a proper installation as well as save time and money. When purchasing a radiant heat system from Warmzone, you will work with professionals who can answer all your questions and provide you with a personalized AutoCAD for your project. At Warmzone, a radiant heat expert will create your AutoCAD to the exact specifications needed for your project.  This allows for a complete design drawing that includes the system layout, projected performance, all materials needed, and power needs. If there are questions about any of the technical aspects of the system, such as number of breakers needed for your project, or the load calculations needed, you will find these on your AutoCAD, or you can contact a professional at Warmzone at anytime. This is an important step in the design process, but even more important for your installation. The information provided can help you or your installer with any questions that may come up to ensure your installation goes off without a hitch.

After you have received your system layout and are ready for install, there are a few important things that can be done to assure your installation goes smoothly. We recommend that the installer reviews some of the helpful online instructional videos. Warmzone also provides personal installation training. The installation course is provided for customers so they can complete installation as quickly and as smoothly as possible. There are installation courses available for all of Warmzone’s industry leading products, and helpful installation videos that cover a range of topics. Warmzone’s online training is invaluable for the proper installation of a radiant heat system. Warmzone can also connect you with a qualified installer for your project to further ensure that your system is installed correctly.

The next important step for installation is making sure to hire a licensed and reliable electrician. While you can complete much of the installation on your own, you must hire an electrician to complete the wiring for your project (for warranty purposes). An electrician can also verify the amperage available at your home, which will ensure your system will run efficiently and effectively. (This should be the first thing homeowners do.) Verifying the amperage with a qualified electrician and having one available to help finish the installation process will prevent future issues with your radiant heat system. If you have purchased with Warmzone, you know your components are top of the line- but it crucial to complete the installation with a verified electrician to ensure your components will function properly. At Warmzone, the experts know products are only as good as their installation, which is why customer service professionals are available at anytime to assist you during the installation, and can help you locate an experienced electrician for your project.

Heated driveway with four heated tire tracks

After you have completed your training and verified the amperage for your project with an electrician you can begin installation. For a heated driveway system, you will have the following components: a heating element (such as heating cable or mats), a control panel, and an activation device. An activation device is an aerial or pavement mounted sensor which detects temperature and precipitation to activate the system when needed.

The first step in installation will be laying out your heating cable or mat. While this is not a hard process, there are a few important rules that must be followed. When installing, be sure to never cut or damage your cable. Cutting or compromising the heating cable or mats will ruin the product, and your system will not function. It is also critical when laying heating cable that the cables are not touching, and are spaced according to the layout (usually 3 or 4 inches apart). For heating concrete driveways and sidewalks, the cable must be secured to the remesh (with zip ties) that is supported by Mesh-Up plastic chairs for optimum performance. The Mesh-Ups keep the remesh and heat cable from being pushed down to the ground during the concrete pour. Ideally, the heat cable should be about 2 inches from the surface being heated. When the cable is installed it is important to test the cable during different phases of the installation and make sure it has not been damaged and is functioning properly (refer to installation manual).

You have some options when it comes to the snow sensor / activation device. You can install an aerial-mount activation device, typically mounted slightly above the roof line, or a ground-mount snow sensor that is placed in the pavement where it is exposed to the elements. The system is connected to the control panel, which is usually mounted on a wall in the garage. It is important to have a qualified electrician complete the wiring for your system. After this is done, you will be ready to use your new radiant heat system.

Warmzone’s customer service is available to you at anytime throughout the installation process. If you complete your online training and still have questions, you can access installation guides online. Professionals are also available to speak with and help you with any questions you may have, or you can check out our blog for tips on installation. When purchasing and installing radiant heat, Warmzone knows the importance of customer support and installation resources available for customers, making Warmzone a cut above in the radiant heat industry.

If you haven’t purchased a radiant heat system and are interested, please contact a Warmzone professional at 888-488-9276 and receive your free quote today.

HOTNEWS

The Versatility of Snow Melting Systems

The Versatility of Radiant Snow melting Systems

Because of the reliability and versatility of radiant heat snow melting systems, these solutions are proving to be popular home improvement and new construction projects. And because radiant heat systems are so easy to customize, homeowners can flex their creative muscles when it comes to installing these systems.

Warmzone radiant heat systems are easily configurable to use in a variety of applications, whether you want to heat an entire driveway, tire tracks, steps, sidewalk or porch, etc. The cables can also be installed under a variety of mediums, such as brick/stone pavers, concrete and asphalt, providing you with endless possibilities when it comes to enhancing your home’s curb appeal.  Whatever your goals and budget, you’ll find a range of versatile, affordable radiant snow melting systems flexible enough to conform to your specific needs.

Snow melting heat cable laid out for asphalt heated driveway.

One of the most popular, affordable, and easy to install applications for radiant heat is asphalt. Where asphalt gives and flexes according to a wide-range of seasonal temperature changes, the specially designed Warmzone heat cable ensures consistent, effective performance to keep driveways clear of snow and ice in all the conditions. Designed specifically for installation in hot asphalt applications, ClearZone heat cable is rated up to 460 degrees for up to 10 minutes. For additional technical specs and installation information, please refer to the ClearZone installation manual.

ClearZone heat cable is available off the spool or pre-spaced in mats. The mats can be rolled out for quick and easy placement over the area to be heated. Cable off the spool allows greater flexibility for custom shapes and hard-to-reach areas of snow melting systems. In the case of a retrofitting an asphalt driveway with radiant heat, the cable is simply placed on the existing asphalt and new asphalt is then applied on top. A compacted layer of 2 inches is recommended. Refer to the installation manual for compacting instructions. (In addition to the benefits of heating asphalt applications, snow melting systems can also prolong the life of concrete driveways and pavers as well.)

If you’re seriously considering heating an asphalt driveway or ramp, be sure to take advantage of Warmzone’s unparalleled customer services, including free installation training, installation support, system design and layout, and online installation tips and guides.

A Few Helpful Installation Tips:

  • Heating cables should never touch, cross, overlap or get bunched up. A minimum cable spacing of 2 inches is required.
  • Check the maximum rated heat temperature of the heating cables before you apply hot asphalt. The asphalt must not exceed this temperature.
  • Pouring small quantities of asphalt on the heating cables helps to ensure a safe installation and prevent damage to the cables.
  • Never cut or alter heating cable. To accommodate your layout needs, cut the tape backing of the cable mats, but do not cut the heat cable.
  • Manually lay the asphalt, and be sure to spread it evenly around and over the heating cables.
  • Always handle heating cables with care—especially when using tools such as shovels, rakes and wheel barrels to avoid damaging the cables. When using wheelbarrows, lay down sheets of plywood over the cable to avoid damaging the cable’s outer jacket.
  • Use a Megger to consistently check the cable resistance during installation.

Whether you choose to go with Warmzone radiant snow melting solutions, an understanding of the proper installation, in accordance with your local laws, codes and regulations is important. Call us toll-free at 888-488-9276. Our professionals are available and always happy to answer any questions you may have.

Warmzone Provides a Wealth of Online Information for Customers

Warmzone offers a wealth of information online regarding just about anything and everything radiant heat related. And the best part—it’s all free.

While you may be tempted to visit your local hardware store or big box chain for a do-it-yourself kit, it’s important to keep in mind that these one-size-fits-all approaches to radiant heated systems can be risky, particularly if you are tackling a radiant heat project for the first time. Once you choose one of these off-the-shelf solutions, you may be hard pressed to find anyone to answer your questions. What consumers must understand is that a radiant heat system is only as good as its installation.

Laying out snow melting mats
Warmzone offers a large selection of helpful “how to” videos for installing radiant heat.

Warmzone has taken the sting (and the stigma) out of home improvement projects with informative, easy-to-follow videos on all things radiant heat related. Warmzone’s comprehensive video library includes time lapse videos and detailed “how to” clips of installations you can watch again and again, any time of the day or night. You’ll also find plenty of tips and tricks from the pros at Warmzone to help make your installation a success.

Stuck on a step or concerned about a technical aspect of a project?  Warmzone offers more detailed instruction on topics ranging from simple cable placement to cable testing, so you can be assured you’ll have your radiant heat snow melting system up and running in no time. As far as thoughtful extras go, there’s even a video to help you fill out warranty information for your recently purchased Warmzone radiant heat system to help keep you covered. Best of all, you also have access to personal installation support from a Warmzone radiant heat expert.

If you’re a hands-on type of learner, you may want to shorten the learning curve with Warmzone’s free webinar training. Warmzone’s valuable online installation training program has helped many contractors and ambitious do-it-yourselfers learn the art of radiant heat installation. Once you call and register, you can login and participate in real-time training to learn how to properly install ClearZone snow melting systems, roof deicing or floor heating systems with confidence. For those in the area, you can attend in person at Warmzone’s headquarters in Salt Lake City.

Sometimes all you need is a little time to “hit the books.” In the Warmzone online library you’ll find plenty of detailed information and product literature posted to help you with your studies. Simply click on a link to familiarize yourself with manuals, user guides, installation diagrams and more. In addition to links, Warmzone also offers downloadable versions of these resources for free. All you have to do is ask!

If you haven’t purchased a radiant heat system yet, it’s worth the call to Warmzone at 888-488-9276. You can discuss your radiant heat system requirements with a professional who can give you a free schematic, help you select the products for the job or set you up with an experienced contractor in your area to install your radiant heated snow melting system.