Ouellet Therma Cable Installation Manual

INSTALLATION GUIDE

October 2009 Edition

1 Therma Cable Floor Heating System 4

1.1 General Information 4

1.2 Always 6

1.3 Never 6

2 Technical Information 7

2.1 Surface Area and Power Output of Therma Cable Products 7

2.2 Insulation Test 8

2.3 Resistance Test 9

3 Types of Heating and Floor Covering 10

3.1 Floor Warming 10

3.2 Radiant Floor Heating 10

3.3 Typical Floor Coverings 11

4 Installation Instructions 12

4.1 Planning Work 12

4.2 Preparing the Subfloor 13

4.3 Marking the Floor 13

4.4 Installing the Therma Cable Floor Heating System 14

4.5 Installing the Temperature Sensor 17

4.6 Applying Self-Levelling Cement 18

4.7 Connecting the System 19

4.8 Measuring Resistance and Measures' Table 20

4.9 Using the Therma Cable System 20

5 Temperature Regulation 21

6 FAQ 22

6.1 Floor Heating System 22

6.2 Installation 22

7 Expert Tips: Installation and Floor Covering 24

7.1 Installation Tips 24

7.2 Floor Covering Tips 24

8 Warranty 25

8.1 Warranty Statement 25

3

Table of Contents

1.1 General Information

The installation must meet the following building codes, as applicable:

- Canadian Electrical Code (CSA C22.1)

- American National Electricity Code (ANSI/NFPA 70)

- Any other national or local code

The Therma Cable floor heating system is composed of a heating cable along with
a lead for connection to an electrical power source. Therma Cable meets the fol­lowing in The Canadian Electrical Code standard: series heating cables set.

Shut off power supply to the floor heating system to prevent electrical
shock.

Important informations

- The Therma Cable floor heating system is designed exclusively for interior floor
heating. The system is not designed for snow melting or any other outdoor uses;

- Therma Cable is mainly designed to complement a building’s primary heating
source by serving as a secondary (floor warming) or primary room heat source
(radiant floor heating);

- Refer to Section 3 for instructions on heating a room using the Therma Cable
system only;

- Floor temperature varies based on insulation and floor characteristics;

- The Therma Cable system can be installed under a shower floor only if the
floor is ceramic or natural stone. A waterproof membrane must be used to
maintain the heating cables in a dry environment. Canada: A ground fault

circuit interrupter (GFCI) must be used with this heating device in bathrooms.
USA: A ground fault circuit interrupter (GFCI) must be used with this heating
device in bathrooms and in hydromassage bathtub locations;

- The Therma Cable system must be embedded in cement or an equivalent
binder (cement glue, ceramic glue or self-levelling cement);

- The system must be installed by a master electrician who is: able to evaluate
proper electrical resistance and wattage, familiar with installation-related risks
and knowledgeable about construction techniques as well as the installation
and use of the Therma Cable floor heating system;

- The system is only one step in the floor construction process. Each trade is
responsible for the quality of its work and must ensure that the work performed
by the previous tradesman has been duly completed according to code. All
tradesmen are engaged in the installation process and share joint responsibility
for it.

4

1. Therma Cable Floor Heating System

IMPORTAN T!

IMPORTAN T!

5

Components

aramid fiber roving

ground wire

(bare wire)

Two-phase conductor
120V: phase - neutral
240V/208V: phase - phase

heating cable

junction

cold lead

channel

strapping

cold lead

plywood

or concrete slab

strapping

heating cable

self-levelling

cement

cement glue

floor covering

aluminum

sheath

ground

wire

heating

wires

aramid fiber

roving

wire

insulation

PVC sheath

Fig. 1.1

Fig. 1.2

Technique for interlocking the plastic strappings

1.2 Always

- Read this guide in full before installing the product;

- Install the Therma Cable system with a regulating device;

- Use copper wires only;

- Perform the mandatory tests described in this guide and record readings on the
table of measures;

- Only use cement or an equivalent binder compatible with floor heating systems
(cement glue, ceramic glue, self-levelling cement);

- Ensure that the black heating cable is completely embedded in cement or an
equivalent binder (cement glue, ceramic glue, self-levelling cement);

- Ensure that the voltage supplied equals the nominal voltage of the Therma
Cable system;

- Repair the product only using the Therma Cable repair kit available at your
authorized Ouellet Canada Inc. dealer;

- Consult Ouellet Canada Inc.’s team of technical specialists for any questions
or for more information;

- Install Therma Cable at temperatures over 5 °C (40 °F).

- Heating cables must be at least 13 mm (1/2”) away from any combustible surface.

- Metal structures or materials used for the support of or on which cables or sets
are installed be grounded in accordance with the Canadian Electrical Code
(CSA C22.1 Section 10 and National Electrical Code).

- Installer of series heating cable sets must inspect and remove damaged or
defective heating cable sets before they are covered or concealed;

- Installer of series heating cable sets must mark the appropriate circuit breaker
reference (label) indicating which branch circuit supplies the circuit to those
electric heating cables.

1.3 Never

- Install Therma Cable sections so that the heating cables are less than 76 mm
(3”) from each other. The temperature could be too high and could cause
damages;

- Shorten or alter any part of the heating cable (fig. 1.3);

- Cross, overlap, or stack heating cables (they must not touch);

- Connect a 120V product to a 240V/208V power source;

- Use a bending radius under 20 mm (3/4”);

- Install a temperature regulator (thermostat or other) where it is accessible from
the shower or bath (install at least 1 m [3’ 4”] away);

- Staple heating cable or floor sensor end to the subfloor (fig. 1.3);

- Install the Therma Cable system if the safety seal is broken;

- Install the Therma Cable system under a closet or fixed items.

- Series heating cable sets shall not extend from beyond the room or area in
which they originate;

- Series heating cable sets are not to be installed in walls.

6

N

e

v

e

r

c

u

t

t

h

e

h

e

a

t

i

n

g

c

a

b

l

e

N

e

v

e

r

s

t

a

p

l

e

t

h

e

h

e

a

t

i

n

g

c

a

b

l

e

t

o

t

h

e

s

u

b

f

l

o

o

r

N

e

v

e

r

s

t

a

p

l

e

t

h

e

f

l

o

o

r

s

e

n

s

o

r

t

o

t

h

e

s

u

b

f

l

o

o

r

D

o

n

o

t

l

a

y

h

e

a

v

y

i

t

e

m

s

o

n

t

h

e

c

a

b

l

e

Fig. 1.3

2.1 Surface Area and Power Output
of Therma Cable Products

208V = 75% of wattage at 240V.

7

2. Technical Information

P

roduct #

120V

Length Surface 12W/sq. ft. Surface 9 W/sq. ft. Power Resistance

f

t.

m s

q. ft.sq. msq. ft.sq. m

W

atts

o

hm

OTR0082

32 9.75 8 0.7 11 1.0 85 169.4

O

TR0122

4

0

1

2.19

1

0

0

.9

1

3

1

.2

1

20

1

20.0

O

TR0152

52 15.85 13 1.2 17 1.6 150 96.0

O

TR0172

6

0

1

8.29

1

5

1

.4

2

0

1

.9

1

70

8

4.6

OTR0242

8

0

2

4.38

2

0

1

.9

2

7

2

.5

2

40

5

9.9

O

TR0302

1

00

3

0.48

2

5

2

.3

3

3

3

.1

3

00

4

7.5

OTR0362

120 36.58 30 2.8 40 3.7 360 39.6

OTR0422

140 42.67 35 3.3 47 4.3 420 33.7

OTR0472

160 48.77 40 3.7 53 5.0 475 29.8

OTR0602

200 60.96 50 4.6 67 6.2 600 23.3

OTR0722

240 73.15 60 5.6 80 7.4 720 19.0

OTR0842

280 85.34 70 6.5 93 8.7 840 16.2

OTR0962

320 97.54 80 7.4 107 9.9 960 14.2

Product #

240V/208V

Length Surface 12W/sq. ft. Surface 9 W/sq. ft.

Power Resistance

ft. m sq. ft. sq. m sq. ft. sq. m Watts ohm

OTR0170 60 18.29 15 1.4 20 1.9 170 338.8

OTR0240 80 24.38 20 1.9 27 2.5 240 240.0

OTR0300 100 30.48 25 2.3 33 3.1 300 192.0

OTR0360 120 36.58 30 2.8 40 3.7 360 159.8

OTR0420 140 42.67 35 3.3 47 4.3 420 137.0

OTR0475 160 48.77 40 3.7 53 5.0 475 121.1

OTR0600 200 60.96 50 4.6 67 6.2 600 95.0

OTR0720 240 73.15 60 5.6 80 7.4 720 79.2

OTR0840 280 85.34 70 6.5 93 8.7 840 67.4

OTR0960 320 97.54 80 7.4 107 9.9 960 59.0

OTR1080 360 109.73 90 8.4 120 11.2 1080 51.8

OTR1200 400 121.92 100 9.3 133 12.4 1200 46.6

OTR1440 480 146.30 120 11.1 160 14.9 1440 37.9

OTR1600 560 170.69 140 13.0 187 17.4 1600 34.1

OTR1920 640 195.07 160 14.9 213 19.8 1920 28.4

2.2 Insulation Test

Measure Therma Cable’s insulation resistance at each step using a meg­ohmeter (fig. 2.2) and record readings on the measures’ table (this label is
available at the opening of the product).

For the warranty to be valid, fill out the measures’ table and ensure that the
10 readings have been correctly noted.

A qualified electrician must measure the system’s insulation resistance as follows:

- Use a calibrated megohmeter only;

- Measure insulation resistance at the free end of the cold lead, between the
phase conductor and ground;

- Write the reading in the measures’ table;

- This reading must be over 1,000,000 ohms;

- If the reading is under 1,000,000 ohms, stop work and contact Ouellet Canada
Inc.'s technical specialists at 1 800 463-7043.

8

CAUTION!

cold lead

Fig. 2.2

CAUTION! Dangerous Test