Mike Finley

Is there something I don't know or if he has no idea where the break is, he is going to have to pull up the entire floor until he finds it?

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kevjob

just recieved the same web estimate, never used sun touch but I would think the floor has to come up unless you can locate the area? Would like to hear from guys who use suntouch. Yeah leo my guy has one of those i and it is slick probaly could work.

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Kevin
Highlands Ranch Co, bathroom remodeling
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Leo G

I know the phone company has a leak detector that can find a broken wire from a guy using the unit from the ground. I would imagine that some electrical contractors might have something similar where they could inject a signal into the circuit and where the signal stops - pull that tile.

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Blue Point

I always use the loudmouth system they sell during installation so I don't run into this problem. The last time I got a call about the same issue the contractor did eventually use a break detector of some sort to find the damage and he only had to pull a couple tiles.

loneframer

Did he check the mat with a continuity tester? maybe it isn't the mat but the electronics.

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jcalvin

Sure would absolutely rule everything else out before I started tearing up tiles. Learned from my time as an electrician to check the stupid stuff first. Can't count how many "worn out" light fixtures I fixed by changing a light bulb.

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You hired WHO

dave peffer

I have installed quite a few Suntouch systems.
Rules of engagement:
1. Never let anyone else do any of the work.
2. No one is allowed in the room except me
3. Do it "mostly" according to instructions
a. Buy the stupid sounding plastic trowel and use it
b. I have learned to bed the whole system in back-
troweled thinset, allow cure, test system.
4. Use a kneeler

All of this sounds paranoid, but you can see the results if there is an open circuit.
I have never experienced a failure of any of my installs, so it's really always a matter of not being careful.
I have been called to help fix failures, and I bought a loudmouth for this purpose. It works ok, finds the open in about 30% of the cases. However, if a guy screwed it up in one place, he probably screwed it up in several and you got a problem. He might have cut the line all over the floor with a very sharp trowel and it's useless to fix it-sorry.
There are 2 compromises I have been able to sell: first, pull up the tile in front of the shower, toilet, and vanity and install 3 new pads. It's not cheap, but may be cheaper than the whole floor and no matter what you do, you're going to take a lick. Secondly, if you can get to the joists under the floor, you can install Suntouch system under the floor, per spec. You will need to completely insulate the whole area.
I know it's bad news, but thththat's all folks!

charimon

Hi, Up here in Omaha Ne my distributer has a system to find and fix the Watts suntouch and warmwire systems. First they hook up the wires to a High frequency welder... where there is a short it welds the wires together. Then they hook it up to another box this one powers up the heating wires and then you throw down these sheets that change color as they heat up (like mood rings and the old thermometers from the early 80's well what they do is show where the floor is warming to (before the short) After the short they stay Black knock out that tile repair and you are back in business.

<<<learned this in the Watts certified installer program, just so happens my distributer bought a kit.

Thanks Craig

be_good

doesn't sound to safe!!

olzo55

I have heard of but have never seen an electrical tool called a thumper. It delivers a high voltage current through the heat cable line. When it gets to the break, it will arc ( like a spark plug wire to metal) causing a popping sound under the tile. Sounds similair. I was cautioned that if you use too much power that you could severly damage the wires voiding any warranty.

astor

how about infra red cameras? like this http://www.infraredcamerasinc.com/pr...lectrical.html or like thishttp://raz-ir.com/news/models/raz-ir...d-cameras.html

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olzo55

Ok, Mike, so what did you tell this guy to do?

orson

your electrician might be able to find it using a low voltage toner. You hook the toner to the circuit and follow the tones in the floor until you find where they stop.

Of course, since you don't know the exact layout of the circuit it's still only going to get you in the general area, but maybe w/in a foot or two.

Any sparky's care to comment?

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olyteddy

There's also a gadget called a Time Domain Reflectometer, aka TDR (pretty common in communications) that sends a timed pulse down the wire and can measure how far down a wire a fault is by timing how long it takes the pulse to return, but that assumes you know the layout of the cabling. I've used them to locate shorts, opens and even water damage in underground cables.

Tinstaafl

Toners are a couple of steps up from using a divining rod. On different occasions, I've looked like a god or an idiot when using them to trace a circuit.

Experience helps you to narrow things down depending on materials, distance from wire, knowledge of typical construction practices etc., but in the end it's far from foolproof. Still, I don't leave home without one.

wellbuilthome

You can trace out the wire and find the break . The manufacturer can send you the equipment. you can break out the tile and fix the wire . John .

articwolf51

it sounds like you have spliced it and yes the whole floor will have to come up