Floor Radiant Cooling System

Types of radiant cooling systems.

Floor radiant cooling system.

Since radiant heating systems tend to be in the floor the obvious choice would be to use the same circulation system for cooled water. Similarly water can accumulate on flooring cooled by a radiant floor cooling system. While this makes sense in some cases delivering cooling from the ceiling has several advantages. Radiant cooling slabs use similar design and sizing principles as a hydronic radiant floor system using the same types of pex pipes manifolds and pumps as in heating.

Homes built on concrete slabs are prime candidates for radiant heating systems and radiant floor cooling takes advantage of the same principle using chilled water. Radiant cooling from a slab can be delivered to a space from the floor or ceiling. The capacity of a radiant cooling system depends on factors such as insulation pipe spacing floor construction and indoor air temperatures. Radiant cooling systems typically use chilled water running in pipes in thermal contact with the surface.

But mackay writes that he is building in climate zone 6a where humidity ranges between 20 and 35. Radiant cooling systems have been embedded in the ceilings of adobe homes taking advantage of the thermal mass to provide a steady cooling effect. Under optimal design conditions capacities of a floor system up to 16 btu h ft can be achieved with more typical capacities in the 8 to 12 btu h ft range.