Heated floors

[Rover1995]

Looking to upgrade to a Tiffin Bus all electric and wondering the pros and cons also heated floors pros and cons. I live in North Idaho and store my RV out doors and how the heated floors are in cold

[dougrainer]

Mile High wrote:

dougrainer wrote:

Mile High wrote:
Tiffen uses electric heated floors. Entegra actually uses the AquaHot to heat the floors.

Either way - I would get them if available! They weren't available for us and those tile floors can get down pretty darn cold in the morning 🙂

There is a difference between HEATED floors and what Aqua Hot does. Aqua hot is NOT a Heated Floor like people think you mean. Aqua Hot just has their floor mounted Radiators with the muffin fans blow hot/warm air ACROSS the floor at the floor level. NOT close to that 14 inch wide radiator and the Floor is NOT warm/heated. True heated floors have a 120 volt heat grid under the Tile floor and radiate the heat evenly thru out the Tile floor. While Entegra advertises they use Aqua Hot to heat the floors, I think that is a misleading statement. I researched this because I thought Entegra was running coolant lines in a grid under the Tiles. NOT a good idea as leaks are bound to happen. I found out they do not, they use the Radiator system to flow the heat across the floors. Doug

I think I am RIGHT and you are NOT. 🙂

And I stated if I am wrong I stand corrected. Doug

PS still not a good system as I explained

[Mile_High]

dougrainer wrote:

Mile High wrote:
Tiffen uses electric heated floors. Entegra actually uses the AquaHot to heat the floors.

Either way - I would get them if available! They weren't available for us and those tile floors can get down pretty darn cold in the morning 🙂

There is a difference between HEATED floors and what Aqua Hot does. Aqua hot is NOT a Heated Floor like people think you mean. Aqua Hot just has their floor mounted Radiators with the muffin fans blow hot/warm air ACROSS the floor at the floor level. NOT close to that 14 inch wide radiator and the Floor is NOT warm/heated. True heated floors have a 120 volt heat grid under the Tile floor and radiate the heat evenly thru out the Tile floor. While Entegra advertises they use Aqua Hot to heat the floors, I think that is a misleading statement. I researched this because I thought Entegra was running coolant lines in a grid under the Tiles. NOT a good idea as leaks are bound to happen. I found out they do not, they use the Radiator system to flow the heat across the floors. Doug

I think I am RIGHT and you are NOT. 🙂

[dougrainer]

Well I went to Aqua Hots website and went to the various model breakdowns and I could find NO reference to small heated tubing that would run under the floors. IF Entegra is doing that(running small heated tubes with Propylene Glycol) under the tile floors, sorry, I would NOT like that type of system. The chance of a tube getting a leak and then you would have a mess, because there is NO EASY way to gain access to repair that type leak, and the fact you would have warm/hot water injected under the tile and then that antifreeze would then saturate your storage area before you would be aware of the leak. The Aqua Hot website shows their standard radiator/muffin fan system and states "heated floors" from that system. Entegra's website does not have any additional info. If they do indeed run tubing I stand corrected. Doug

PS, 120 heated floor grids are NOT embedded in the tile. It is layed down flat and then the Tile mastic is applied and the tiles then installed on top. It does NOT take hours to warm the floor. About 30 minutes to get a warm feeling and then about another 30 minutes to get to temps above 95 degrees.

[bullydogs1]

I have an Entegra with the tubes under the floor....when you turn it on, you set it about 8 degrees higher than the rest of the coach...Within about 12 hours, the radiant heat will roast you out and the other zones don't even come on...I've been out to 8 degrees and between that and the basement heat we were fine...The other two zones only came on while the floor was heating in the beginning..this also radiates to the basement as well, keeping the piping protected..the coach is also well insulated so it holds more of the heat. although with this sytem there may be a cold spot but that gradually absorbs heat too...also one drawback that the rear bath since it is over the engine does not heat thru the floor.. For that, turn on that zone.

[Busskipper]

jorbill2or wrote:

dougrainer wrote:

Mile High wrote:
Tiffen uses electric heated floors. Entegra actually uses the AquaHot to heat the floors.

Either way - I would get them if available! They weren't available for us and those tile floors can get down pretty darn cold in the morning 🙂

There is a difference between HEATED floors and what Aqua Hot does. Aqua hot is NOT a Heated Floor like people think you mean. Aqua Hot just has their floor mounted Radiators with the muffin fans blow hot/warm air ACROSS the floor at the floor level. NOT close to that 14 inch wide radiator and the Floor is NOT warm/heated. True heated floors have a 120 volt heat grid under the Tile floor and radiate the heat evenly thru out the Tile floor. While Entegra advertises they use Aqua Hot to heat the floors, I think that is a misleading statement. I researched this because I thought Entegra was running coolant lines in a grid under the Tiles. NOT a good idea as leaks are bound to happen. I found out they do not, they use the Radiator system to flow the heat across the floors. Doug

Well, I think you got some bad info I toured Entegra last year and the floors are heated not by the muffin radiators .. the Aqua hot tubing runs UNDER the floor in coils.not embedded in the floor tile it’s laid in with the insulation, between the floor and the basement ceiling . It uses the same tubes that feed the radiators but you set the floor heat higher ( separate thermostat) keeping the floor warm with fluid running constantly through the tubing.the tubing runs through the entire floor in loops I saw it . It’s Independent of the radiator blowers even though the Fluid does pass through them .It is different in that it takes many hours to heat the floor from cold. Most leave it on all the time in cool weather. Supposedly it is a solid tube with no joints .. no leaks. At least not anywhere under the floor.

Pretty sure this is the case - Heated floors are nice , it's the one thing we put in our spec when we had our Coach built that TS didn't do, Would have Loved It - But a rug does work:-)

IMHO there is just as big a chance, if not more of one , for failure with electric floors vs floors with the heat running in the coils.

If you can get them, by all means do - you will not be sorry.

JMHO,

[jorbill2or]

dougrainer wrote:

Mile High wrote:
Tiffen uses electric heated floors. Entegra actually uses the AquaHot to heat the floors.

Either way - I would get them if available! They weren't available for us and those tile floors can get down pretty darn cold in the morning 🙂

There is a difference between HEATED floors and what Aqua Hot does. Aqua hot is NOT a Heated Floor like people think you mean. Aqua Hot just has their floor mounted Radiators with the muffin fans blow hot/warm air ACROSS the floor at the floor level. NOT close to that 14 inch wide radiator and the Floor is NOT warm/heated. True heated floors have a 120 volt heat grid under the Tile floor and radiate the heat evenly thru out the Tile floor. While Entegra advertises they use Aqua Hot to heat the floors, I think that is a misleading statement. I researched this because I thought Entegra was running coolant lines in a grid under the Tiles. NOT a good idea as leaks are bound to happen. I found out they do not, they use the Radiator system to flow the heat across the floors. Doug

Well, I think you got some bad info I toured Entegra last year and the floors are heated not by the muffin radiators .. the Aqua hot tubing runs UNDER the floor in coils.not embedded in the floor tile it’s laid in with the insulation, between the floor and the basement ceiling . It uses the same tubes that feed the radiators but you set the floor heat higher ( separate thermostat) keeping the floor warm with fluid running constantly through the tubing.the tubing runs through the entire floor in loops I saw it . It’s Independent of the radiator blowers even though the Fluid does pass through them .It is different in that it takes many hours to heat the floor from cold. Most leave it on all the time in cool weather. Supposedly it is a solid tube with no joints .. no leaks. At least not anywhere under the floor.

[pianotuna]

Hi,

I retrofitted electric heated carpets. I don't leave home without them!

[dougrainer]

jplante4 wrote:

NCC-1701 wrote:
The comment on "Aqua-Hot requires yearly cleaning and tuning of the burner." What all does that entail? Is it something easily done by yourself or if not, is it hard to find places that do it?

It's more like the oil burner in your house. There are "points" that arc across to light the diesel fuel and mixture to be set correctly. It's basically a cleaning, and anyone who had an older oil burner understands that a regular cleaning keeps things running smoothly. Just find an RV shop that has Aqua Hot trained techs. The company sends its techs around to train people once a year.

The Main component that needs changed is the Fuel Nozzle. The 2nd component is the Fuel Filter. It is the Fuel nozzle that gets clogged. Usually from lack of using the Diesel burner on a regular basis. The Diesel gums up the nozzle from just sitting. Doug

[dougrainer]

Mile High wrote:
Tiffen uses electric heated floors. Entegra actually uses the AquaHot to heat the floors.

Either way - I would get them if available! They weren't available for us and those tile floors can get down pretty darn cold in the morning 🙂

There is a difference between HEATED floors and what Aqua Hot does. Aqua hot is NOT a Heated Floor like people think you mean. Aqua Hot just has their floor mounted Radiators with the muffin fans blow hot/warm air ACROSS the floor at the floor level. NOT close to that 14 inch wide radiator and the Floor is NOT warm/heated. True heated floors have a 120 volt heat grid under the Tile floor and radiate the heat evenly thru out the Tile floor. While Entegra advertises they use Aqua Hot to heat the floors, I think that is a misleading statement. I researched this because I thought Entegra was running coolant lines in a grid under the Tiles. NOT a good idea as leaks are bound to happen. I found out they do not, they use the Radiator system to flow the heat across the floors. Doug

[Mile_High]

Tiffen uses electric heated floors. Entegra actually uses the AquaHot to heat the floors.

Either way - I would get them if available! They weren't available for us and those tile floors can get down pretty darn cold in the morning 🙂

[jplante4]

NCC-1701 wrote:
The comment on "Aqua-Hot requires yearly cleaning and tuning of the burner." What all does that entail? Is it something easily done by yourself or if not, is it hard to find places that do it?

It's more like the oil burner in your house. There are "points" that arc across to light the diesel fuel and mixture to be set correctly. It's basically a cleaning, and anyone who had an older oil burner understands that a regular cleaning keeps things running smoothly. Just find an RV shop that has Aqua Hot trained techs. The company sends its techs around to train people once a year.

[NCC-1701]

I'm glad someone asked the question as I have also been wondering but just didn't get around to posting...so interested in all the answers too. I know people that have it in their homes wouldn't go back, so I have suspected it would be the same with motorhomes.

The comment on "Aqua-Hot requires yearly cleaning and tuning of the burner." What all does that entail? Is it something easily done by yourself or if not, is it hard to find places that do it?

[Dennis12]

It only cost a dime more to go first class

[theoldwizard1]

In floor, radiant heat is the MOST COMFORTABLE heat you will ever experience ! I don't know how cost effective it would be to leave it turned on all winter.

[jplante4]

No real cons, except in an all-electric coach you must be looking at Aqua-Hot heating. There are a few more moving parts (and thus more to break) than a Suburban propane furnace. But you also get hot water ( and engine pre-heat if so equipped ), so the "too many parts" argument may be a wash. Aqua-Hot requires yearly cleaning and tuning of the burner.

The heating coils and boiler should be filled with boiler anti-freeze, typically good down to -100° F.