Spacing for In-Floor Heat

Heat-Effective Spacing

• Heat-effective spacing refers to the spacing that will provide you with the most heat in your home. Pipes generally run up and down your floor, a little like joists, and the more narrow the spaces between the pipes, the more quickly and efficiently they will be able to provide heat to a room. If you are most interested in performance and cost is no concern, then choose spacing between 6 and 8 inches for maximum effect.

Cost-Effective Spacing

• If you want to install a radiant heating system but also want to save money, you should choose a wider spacing that still provides heat but also saves you money. Plan to space your pipes 12 inches apart. This is a common spacing measurement and will provide necessary heat for your home while saving the money it would cost to decrease the spacing.

Wide Spacing

• Larger projects like office buildings and department stores may also use radiant heating. For these buildings, the narrow spacing used for residential work is not necessary. Spacing tends to be much wider to both save money and increase efficiency for wide-open spaces. When building these systems, 24 inches is an effective spacing choice.

Power, Insulation and Other Considerations

• Before you start choosing spacing, examine the radiant-heating system that you have picked out. Some radiant-heating systems have their own guidelines about how they should be installed. If your pipes, pumping system and heater are all designed for a specific spacing, it is best to go with that spacing in order to maintain efficiency, rather than trying to choose a custom installation.