Points to Ponder

Heating Cables and Mats 

Alcatel/Nexans cables and mats are made of the finest products available, manufactured by one of the worlds largest companies.

Our cable and mats are “construction site tough”, to guarantee that the heating products you purchase today will be warming your floors or heating your home for many years to come.

Radiant heating is a hugely popular item these days. Make sure that what you purchase will provide trouble free service.

Our cables are thicker than other cables; therefore they are made of stronger materials, designed for rough service over many years?

Thin cables are fragile; oft time the heating element is only the thickness of two (2) hairs. Thin cables are normally stiff and somewhat brittle, they can break when a tile setter or construction labourer inadvertently drops a hammer or tile.  Will the slight nick they have caused make your floor warming or home heating system fail in a few years? 

Should you wish to repair or replace a tile in the future, thin cables are difficult to repair. Once harmed, they are almost impossible to repair properly under a finished floor without damaging other parts of the cables.

You know the old saying, “If you can’t stand the heat, stay out of the kitchen”. The same goes for warming cables. Investigate carefully.

Your floors are a major purchase, you’ll want to ensure that the cable or mat you put under them will last, and Alcatel cables should last the life of your home.

Don’t be fooled by long warranties of up to 25 years, sometimes the company has only been in business for 10 years or less. Alcatel has been manufacturing over 50 different types of heating cables since 1927.

Alcatel/Nexans mats and cables are manufactured to warm a floor or heat a home. They are designed for the severe service of heating. Most mats and cables are only designed for floor warming; they can’t stand the long duty cycles of heating.

Installing only a 10 or 15 square foot mat in a room creates problems and embarrassments. Install a mat or cable that will cover the entire walking area of the room. Warming just a small area of a floor will mean that when you have a party or you’re working in the room, you and you’re guests will be traveling from a warm to cold area continually, always reminding you that you should have installed more heating. Should you decide to sell the home, the prospective purchaser may believe there is something wrong with the warming system or find it objectionable.

Our mats and cables can be shaped to fit the entire area, and we’ll assist you in selection at no charge.

Alcatel mats are approved for placement under carpet. No other manufacturer, that we are aware of, will accept responsibility for warranties under this service.

Water vs. Electric Heating 

While there are many responsible, knowledgeable hydronics technicians in the field, there are also many installers not familiar with the intricacies of a complicated system such as a water (hydronic) radiant heating system.

Electric heating can be fully analyzed with a $20.00 meter from any hardware store. Any electrician or homeowner that is familiar with proper safety practices and a working knowledge of electricity can test and analyze electric warming or heating.

Is the installer aware of proper tubing lengths and placement? Are the tubing runs short enough, or long enough to ensure that the water is the correct temperature under the floor?

Does the combination of boiler or heat exchanger suit the application, is the temperature regulator suitable and sized correctly, is the expansion tank of the correct size, are the air bleed valves placed correctly, are the solenoids and pumps sized for the correct flows and pressure drops and flow rates, is the tubing too large or too small, does the installer recommend a cheap water heater or a boiler built for the service cycle, can the boiler withstand the thermal shock of low return water temperatures, is the mixing valve in the correct location, if the tubing is under the floor has there been adequate allowance for thermal expansion to resist noises and cracking, do the pumps run continually or intermittently and maintain temperatures or do the temperatures swing wildly, will constant expansion and contraction caused by incorrect installation harm your wooden floors, is the tubing going to last the life of your home, who will service such an intricate  system that has been designed by the installer should he never appear again, if you bought on price did you get a quality system, will the entire system operate quietly and efficiently for the life of the home, or will you be selling an albatross……………………….???

Are you prepared to live with the possibility of leakage that may be difficult to locate without tearing up a large portion of expensive hardwood, tile or stone?

Does your insurance company request more money for water damage coverage in case of a leak over an irreplaceable item?

If the leak is in a poured concrete slab, how will you know it is leaking?

Is the spacing on the tubing close enough to eliminate cold spots and far enough apart to eliminate hot spots?

Will you have to raise the floors of your home and install expensive thermal concrete to distribute the heat evenly? Is the concrete too thick, adding needless expense or too thin, causing hot spots?

A qualified electrician can locate an electric cable problem quickly and efficiently, usually to within a square foot of the problem, without tearing up a whole floor or driveway.

In areas where natural gas is not available are you being sold an electric radiant hot water system with its inefficiencies and extra accessories you may not need?

Electric heating cables are 99.985% efficient.

High-end condominium builders in Canada, in new construction, usually do not allow hydronics in the floor, water leakage being only one of the problems that are encountered.

Ask your hydronics installer to show you other installations and prove they work,. When you look at the wall of tubing, pipes, pumps, controls, wiring etc., remember, electric systems only need a thermostat, a breaker and some cable!  

If your having Hydronic problems please consult the Trouble-Shooting page.