Sun Touch Heat Mats

Mr. D

can you install these things in a shower floor?

mickeyco

Acccording to the manufacturer, yes. (That's the actual picture from the installation manual, I did not modify it)

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Mike Finley

Yeah, but why would anybody want to?

mickeyco

Warm toes.

Mike Finley

lol, I understand the purpose of under tile heating, we install it all the time, but not in the shower. I've never suggested it, nor ever had a customer suggest it in the shower. Most turn on the water before they get in and the hot water hitting the floor makes a heating mat there kind of a moot point.

It would certainly open up some intricate difficulties coordinating it with the pre-slope of the shower pan.

send_it_all

Hey Mike...What might I expect to pay to have a system installed?

fridaymean

Usually the tile people set the mat. We only provide the power to the thermostat, and a piece of EMT down to the floor for the tile people to fish the wires up to the T-stat. With the amount of call-backs we have had on these stupid things, we are upping the price BIG-TIME.

Mike Finley

Probably from $1-$5 a square foot.

Mike Finley

What type of call backs are you having on them?

fridaymean

We've had bad t-stats. We have also had 2 cases in which there was an open wire. One was on the sensor, the other on the power cable. Both were not our fault since we do not install the mats, only do the hook-ups. I do not think we've done one of these WITH-OUT a problem. That is why the price is going up 40% or so. We charge for a 120v line (or 240), plus an opening, I think. Now were are upping it a bit as well as including a service call in the price.

Mike Finley

When you say open wire you mean a cut wire in the heating mat after it's under the thinset or tile?

Mr. D

my customer is a little whacked out. they want the bench in the shower heated also. it's a 7'x7'. (almost the size of my bedroom).it also has a 3'x1.5' window in it along with 13 shower heads.

Norrrrrrrrrrrrm

Charge them and charge them dearly. That way they can brag about how much money they spent/wasted on a useless feature!!

Mike Finley

Jealousy. . .

I'm very jealous. Hope you post some pics somewhere when you are done, sounds like it will be a cool project.

With 13 shower heads are you building them their own water tower out back?

fridaymean

Yep. After the install and FINISH we go back because some one put a nail in it, or they forgot to leave the heat register uncovered, so they pry with a bar or screwdriver snag the wire and PULL. etc. Never fails.

Mike Finley

Huh.

Have you guys ever thought about doing a sign off after your done with your part? Most mats I'm familiar with have a ohm reading you can take to prove correct installation. You could do that, sign off on it and then any issues after that are extra money since it's damage after you are done with your part.

I do that with the installer, it's good protection for both of us. They and I have proof they have a correct installation, and if there is a problem after that they are protected and I have less detective work to do.

fridaymean

They also have those ohm meters the manufacturer supplies to use durring tile setting.

I like your idea of a sign-off.

Though, we try to price the headaches in becuase we know they are there. We have never done one of these with out a problem.

Mike Finley

The "loud mouths" or okay, but the first time you open the battery compartment on one and it dawns on you that you've done the last 3 installs with a dead battery so the thing couldn't even alarm if there was a problem.... well, that will probably be the last time you trust that, and get out the ohm meter.

Those loud mouths are good for a continuous test while it's being installed, the idea is it will go off the instant you screw the mat up so you know you just screwed it up.

For a final check after it's installed and I come on the site to see everything I want the ohm meter on it so I know, the tile setters know, everybody knows at that moment the mat is perfect and if there is a problem after that, it's a result of something else.

We've never had a single issue with a mat using that system. The mat gets checked before another sub does work and after he leaves. It's a lot of babysitting, but that's what project management is all about.

mdshunk

I've installed the 'Warm Tiles' system 7 times now, with only one call-back. That was related to having the heating cables too close to the toilet tank, causing tank sweating. The tank was fitted with an aftermarket liner and different flush valve overflow, and all is well now.

Mr. D

Mike, finish pics will be posted in july. I've got to admit this is my first 80k master suite + 1/2 bath.