Light and Heat

Jun 15, 2022 | Homeowners, Uncategorized

What if every light switch in your home controlled every lightbulb in every room? You’d basically have two choices at night – light up the whole house or sit in the dark. 

Sounds crazy, right? Who would want that? Not many, I’d guess. It also would not be very energy efficient. Yet this is how central heating works (in essence). If you want more heat in the living room in the evening, you have to turn up the heat in every room. Unoccupied rooms during the day get more heat just because you’re cold in your office, ad nauseam. Arbitrarily changing the heat for the occupants of other rooms not only can affect their comfort levels but also start a thermostat battle.

Forced air systems, even energy efficient mini-split systems, are also limited in effectiveness because of a fact about ambient air temperature. Cool air readily travels from the source throughout a home since it flows down where everyone is. But warm air begins to rise as soon as it enters a space. And, with central air systems, heat is lost as it travels through ducts. Closing the register in an unused room just means the heat will move through the ducting to that room, cooling down the whole way, only to have no access and, therefore, to wasted effect.

In contrast to hot air, far infrared light is the invisible part of sunlight that heats the land, water, etc. directly. Then, the heat is shed into the air. So, just as we simulate the visible light of the sun with electric lighting, we can do the same with the heat of the sun using technology that shines far infrared light into our spaces.

Infrared radiant heat allows for room-by-room control. A warm bathroom doesn’t affect a cooler, unoccupied bedroom. A boost of cozy warmth in the family room on movie night doesn’t affect the temperature of the laundry room. Since one of the most significant factors in both comfortable and energy efficient heat comes down to control, infrared radiant heat can maximize efficiency without sacrificing comfort.

Think about what happens when you need to change a lightbulb. You take the old one out and put in a new one. And, just like changing a lightbulb, only the room it is in is significantly affected. Whereas, if your furnace, heat pump, or mini-split system fails, your home will be left in the cold until a repair or replacement can be made.

As such, when you think about infrared radiant heat, approach it like you might approach lighting — room by room control. Infrared radiant heat will help you achieve maximum comfort while using as little energy as possible to get the job done.

For more information, contact us at info@mightyenergy.net or 206.880.1558

 

Radiant Ceiling Panels are a smart choice – wireless thermostats make them smarter!

Radiant Ceiling Panels are a smart choice – wireless thermostats make them smarter!

Apr 13, 2018 | Contractors, Designers, Export, Homeowners

by Steve Abercrombie, Connected Buildings

Wireless thermostats are a perfect way to improve comfort, make your home smarter, and save money and energy. Radiant Ceiling Panels supplied by Mighty Energy Solutions are a perfect complement to wireless thermostats. Since they offer precise heat on a per-room basis, you can fine tune your comfort while keeping your energy bills low for the rooms that are not in use. Radiant heat makes you start feeling warm in seconds, so you don’t have to worry about a long lag between turning up the heat and feeling comfortable.

“Wireless” thermostats are a bit of a misnomer. While they can be controlled from anywhere you have an internet connection, they still need power to run, and need to be connected to your home heating system. In some projects, you don’t have to run wire to mount a controller on the wall, which saves a lot of hassle and allows for a cleaner look. However, code requirements vary so make sure you get approval from your local building department. Wireless thermostats often allow control of your heating system from not only the next room, but from across the globe.

 

Ideal Applications

Smart, wi-fi enabled thermostats and radiant ceiling panels are an intelligent home-heating solution. Have a heat-pump serving the main part of your house, except for that cold guest bedroom or basement? You need to consider supplemental radiant ceiling panels controlled by a smart thermostat. If you replace your heat pump thermostat and use a home automation system you will be the envy of all your neighbors while also saving money on your heating bills! The radiant panel / smart thermostat combo is also ideal for vacation homes or Airbnb rentals where you can warm things up for maximum comfort just prior to arrival.

Have you ever wanted to say “Alexa, turn on the heat in the bedroom” so that it is warm and toasty when it’s time to go to sleep? A wireless thermostat integrated with your home automation system or controlled by your smart phone is just the ticket. Including such other conveniences as: turning off your heat from the airport before you depart for vacation, automatically setting your house to a lower temperature whenever you leave home, or warming up the house when you leave the office.

 

Wireless Thermostat Basics

Wireless or “wi-fi enabled” thermostats connect to your wireless network to allow you to control them via the internet. This control then allows you to use Amazon Echo, Apple Home, Google Home, IFTTT, or a variety of other Internet of Things (IoT) services to automate your home.

There are too many wireless thermostats on the market to review them all, but below are a couple of the most popular ones. Almost any wi-fi enabled thermostat can be paired with radiant panels!

 

Nest Learning Thermostat

The original ‘smart’ thermostat, the Nest is a great choice if you are looking for style and simplicity that you can control with your smartphone. If you want a minimalist look to accompany the low-profile radiant ceiling panels, and just want to save energy, consider the Nest. It works best when you are controlling a large room, say a great room or integrated kitchen / living room. This is because its learning algorithm works best in places that get regular activity, as compared to a sparsely-used spare bedroom. The Nest costs about $250. It also has a built-in occupancy sensor to detect room usage without other home automation components.

 

Ecobee 3 Lite thermostat

Ecobee produces a popular wi-fi enabled thermostat that can be controlled via a tablet, smart phone, or home automation system. The “lite” version of this thermostat is about $150. It is a good choice for folks looking for multiple room thermostats, while still getting a modern look, or for people with an established home automation system. To get a built-in occupancy sensor function or to be able to add native room temperature sensors, you have to upgrade to the non-lite version, the Ecobee 3.

 

Honeywell RTH6580WF

Although they don’t have the sleek design of the Nest or the Ecobee, Honeywell is a trusted name in thermostats. They have a line of wi-fi enabled and smart thermostats, with features rivaling their upstart competitors. After some evaluation, I chose the Honeywell RTH6580WF for my home. At less than $100 apiece, installing two of these was a snap to heat my office and guest bedroom!

 By reading online reviews and doing a little shopping it isn’t hard to find the thermostat that is right for you. Don’t forget, security is always important with any internet-connected device you get. Make sure to buy from a reliable manufacturer and change the default password immediately upon installation.

Bring it all Together with Relays

The key to making a smart thermostat work with radiant ceiling panels is a relay with a built-in transformer. The relay acts a switch that turns the heating panel on and off when commanded by the thermostat.

The Aube 840T is the relay that I used to connect my Honeywell wi-fi thermostats to the radiant ceiling panels in my office and guest bedroom. Besides allowing the thermostat to cycle the power on the radiant panels, it also provides power for the thermostats via 3 small wires that are run from the ceiling to the wall-mounted thermostats. The Aube relays cost about $40.

I almost never use the thermostat controls on the walls, although I notice when guests stay over on cold nights, they love bumping up the temperature a few degrees to bask in the heat from the panels. Of course, I can check the temperature on my cell phone after they depart to set things back to normal.

You’ll want to consult with an expert to help you with the design of your control system and make sure everything meets code – Mighty Energy Solutions can help direct you. There are a lot of possibilities depending on the number of zones that you set up and how many thermostats and panels you want to install. They will also make sure that the relay you select matches the voltage of your heating panels.

Here is a diagram that I used to work with my electricians on the installation in my house. They took it from there and made everything look easy!

 

I found setting up an efficient, comfortable, and smart home with a couple of wireless thermostats and Radiant Ceiling Panels from Mighty Energy Solutions wasn’t nearly as daunting as it sounds and was made even more simple with assistance from Mighty Energy.

Tiny House Owners from Across the U.S.

Tiny House Owners from Across the U.S.

Aug 12, 2017 | Contractors, Designers, Export, Homeowners, Multi-Family

Did you know there are an estimated 10,000 people in the United States who now have a tiny house as their primary residence? And the reasons people are making this shift vary almost as much! From sustainability to affordability, and improving family relationships to living a simplified lifestyle. This article introduces you to a diverse group of people who have made the choice to downsize. Efficiency and simplicity are key factors when choosing how to heat a tiny home. And our radiant heating products are an ideal solution. Contact us for more info!
How To: Safely Remove Hole Plugs

How To: Safely Remove Hole Plugs

Jul 16, 2017 | Contractors, Export, Homeowners, Multi-Family

In the case that you need to take your Radiant Ceiling Panels down (for returns, warranty replacements, etc.), there is a simple way to do so without damaging or scratching the heater itself.

Tools Needed:

  • Drill with 1/8″ bit
  • Needle Nose Pliers

Steps:

  1. Drill a hole in the center of the locking hole plug, using the forward setting
  2. Reverse the drill, and slowly engage bit while pulling out slightly
  3. If the plug does not come out after steps 1 & 2:
    1. Insert one half of the jaws of a pair of needle nose pliers into the hole you created
    2. Being careful not to scratch the panel with the half of the jaws not in the hole, use the pliers to wiggle and pull the plug out

 

Introducing Comfort Cove Heaters!

Introducing Comfort Cove Heaters!

Jun 13, 2017 | Contractors, Designers, Export, Homeowners, Multi-Family

We are excited to announce a new addition to our line of energy-saving, ultra-cozy heating solutions, Comfort Cove Heaters by Radiant Systems! These slimline heaters are installed high on the wall in the “cove” of the ceiling, which keeps them out of the way of furniture and in an advantageous spot for effectively warming everything in the room. Similar to Infrared Radiant Ceiling Panels, they heat the objects and people in a space directly instead of blowing air and allergens around. This creates a more comfortable temperature, faster. Which in turn, results in energy savings for you. It’s a great solution as a stand-alone or hybrid heat system! More here.

Contact us today for a FREE QUOTE on heating your space!