15 watts vs 12 wattsLet’s step out of the blog for a moment into the real world where things aren’t perfect though. If you’re integrating a heated flooring system into an existing home, it may not be possible to provide a dedicated circuit. In this case you’ll most likely have to tap off of an outlet. In a room with multiple outlets, each one of the circuits will lower the amount of of power available. Power aside, another determining factor when choosing a 15 watt or 12 watt system, is how it will be used. Infloor heating can be used to add comfort to a room that already has a forced air system in it. In these cases, less power is needed, so our engineers may recommend 12 watt mats. If you are using the flooring as your sole heat source, more power is required which is why we also produce 15 watt mats. Call us today and we’ll help get you started choosing the system that’s right for you. |
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November 5, 2013
Making Sense of 12 Watt and 15 Watt Floor Heating Systems
There are a number of factors that go into determining what the power requirements of your heated flooring system should be. These include:
- The size of the area being heating
- If the system will be a primary or secondary heating source
- The amount of power available from an existing or dedicated circuit
The Numbers
Unfortunately, to get things rolling, we’re going to have to start with a little math lesson. Here’s the first equation:
Amps X Volts = Watts
Now lets plug in some numbers. In a perfect world, (and it’s okay to imagine one in a blog), we’ll have a 120 volt dedicated circuit with a full 20 amps to work with. That means if we choose a 15 watt system, it will cover a 160 sq ft space, and a 12 watt system will cover 200 sq ft.
20 amps X 120 volts = 2400 watts. 2400 watts ÷ 15 watts per sq ft = 160 square feet
20 amps X 120 volts = 2400 watts. 2400 watts ÷ 12 watts per sq ft = 200 square feet