Radiantly Speaking

August 12, 2020 By Kevin Kilbride

North American Made, North American Quality

Yes, that’s correct. Our electric radiant heating systems are made in Canada. We are not just a sub-assembler or a person importing product from overseas and slapping a label on the product. We actually do manufacture the products in North America.

This means you have someone to talk to, we can answer your questions and we have North American quality.

Sure, we have supply chain logistic challenges just like everyone else. However, most of our materials are sourced in North America which means we have better control over our production. The quality of the material is better, and we know why we make the product the way we do. There is no guessing as to how some foreign manufacturer makes the product the way they do. We have been manufacturing for 35 years.

We meet U.S government rules and regulations when it comes to foreign content in construction projects. Some or many building products are not allowed in for use in certain types of Federal projects. Our products are. So please verify before you purchase any non-North American product to be sure you can use them in these projects.

If you’d like to talk to a North American made electric radiant heating company, you can reach us by the tried and true method of calling us, 1.866.457.4600 or email: info@thermaray.com

We wish everyone success in your projects during these challenging times.

March 23, 2020 By Kevin Kilbride

Historic Crown Building in Manhattan chooses ThermaRay electric radiant heating systems

There’s no shortage of over-the-top, high-priced condos in Manhattan, but one ultra-luxury project near the sky-piercing skyscrapers on Billionaires’Row has managed to fly somewhat under the radar.

The landmarked Crown Building, located at the corner of 57th and Fifth Avenue will be transformed in Aman New York, a hotel/condo hybrid.

The engineers chose 2 different ThermaRay systems to meet both aesthetic and heating requirements. For the condos, radiant ceiling heating panels are hidden behind the drywall ceiling. In the hotel, metal radiant ceiling panels will be connected to the hotel’s central building control system.

Unfortunately, you can’t buy the 22 apartments as they have already been sold including a $180 million penthouse.

The Aman hotel will include 83 guest rooms, three restaurants and a 7,000 square foot outdoor dining area along with other amenities. Each of the 22 condos averages more than 4,300 square feet. The lower level is occupied by retail tenants.

You don’t need a $4.65 Million condo to enjoy the benefits of ThermaRay’s radiant ceiling panels.

January 16, 2019 By Steve Kilbride

Toronto’s Massive New Market Made Entirely Out Of Shipping Containers Heated by ThermaRay’s Electric Radiant Architectural Series (AS) Heaters

Overview

The Stackt Container Market is the city’s first-ever shopping and dining destination made entirely out of shipping containers. The two-level market occupies a massive area on King Street West (Toronto), and will be home to tons of pop-up shops, restaurants and artist spaces.

About 15 per cent of Stackt will be dedicated to retail, while 85 per cent will go to culture and programming. (COURTESY OF POMP & CIRCUMSTANCE)

Urban Renewal Background

The now-vacant 100,000-square-foot lot at Bathurst and Front Streets in Toronto that was used by a slaughterhouse until 2014, and previously housed a smelting plant, has been an unpopular (and smelly) mainstay of its southwest downtown neighborhood for decades.

Two former residents of the area are aiming to change that. Matt Rubinoff and Tyler Keenan are working to transform it into a modular, shipping-container marketplace for community gathering, programming, retail and social enterprise called Stackt by the summer of 2018. (Alex Mckeen – Toronto Star Dec 19 2017)

Shipping containers can be outfitted for retail, office or meeting purposes, and combined to make larger spaces. For aesthetic and architectural purposes, they can also be stacked like blocks to create interesting and appealing structures.

The Heating Challenge

How do you heat a container? ThermaRay was approached to help engineer the heating solution. These are containers after all with little to no insulation, no floor space for heaters of any kind. The only option is an electric ceiling radiant heating system.

ThermaRay’s AS 2×4 heaters have the highest level and best grade of insulation in the industry which results in a much more efficient heater. By placing them on the ceiling, it maximizes floor and wall space. Radiant heating technology is highly effective in this case by providing heat where it is needed. After working with the engineers, a proper mounting method was agreed upon and the number of units were determined. Not only was the heating problem solved but it solves a space challenge as well. Don’t expect to get this type of engineering support from an on-line retailer. You’d be on your own.

Last Steps

Once the building itself is fully complete, the surrounding area will be landscaped for a “terraced piazza and a lawn.” According to Urban Toronto, Stackt will be open to the public for two and a half years before the city redevelops the space into a public park. http://stacktmarket.com/

September 14, 2018 By Steve Kilbride

Is natural gas a safe heating solution? Not so much.

Here’s an article about a natural gas event that saw three towns in Massachusetts evacuated and several homes destroyed due to an accident.

CNN Article

A residence in Lawrence, Massachusetts is reduced mostly to rubble Thursday after a series of explosions.

May 7, 2018 By Steve Kilbride

Transcript of Earth Thermal Storage Installation Video

Here’s the transcript of our Earth Thermal Storage Installation Video

Introduction

Today we’re going to install an Earth Thermal Storage system made by ThermaRay. What it is is a Teflon coated nichrome wire embedded in sheetrock and this sheetrock keeps the wires pre-spaced and it makes it easy for installation.

ETS Panel Connection

Every panel has two wires coming out the ends of the panel so what we do is the wires come out where the labels at here so we want to take a non-sharp edge and break the paper. Get the wires out of the panel. There’s two wires a black and a red and those are our lead wires. They go to our heating element wires. To make our connection, they simply just slip over the 12 gauge USE direct bury wire. It’s a double tumbler connection so we put the feed wire into that window, pull down with a lineman pliers, and that’s our connection. After we’ve completed wiring a circuit we have to ohm test and make sure everything is hooked up properly so that it’ll run once you get the sand and the concrete over the top. Once you get a good ohm reading, then you can close up the connection cover. So we put the connections directly in the center, wires coming out the end, close that up and now you have a completely waterproof connection.

Endcap Installation

There’s a fastener line where it shows you can put a screw safely without hitting any of the wires. Make sure you hit the line when you put the screw in to hold the strap in place. You’re done.

Proper Sizing of the System

ThermaRay representative will help you determine what you will need for your project. Whether it’s a small addition or 100,000 square foot manufacturing facility. The quantity of heating panels required for any space varies depending on things such as R-values, windows, doors, dimensions and actually how you want to use the space.

Summary

Once all the gel caps are in place, six to eight inches of sand is placed over the top of the heating panels that can be compacted and it’s ready for concrete. You’ll have a floor heating system that will last through the life of your building. Thanks for watching! Keep up-to-date with any of our videos by hitting subscribe.

For additional technical details please visit our Earth Thermal Storage Documentation Page

August 14, 2017 By Steve Kilbride

ThermaRay’s Kevin Kilbride on Fredericton, New Brunswick

January 28, 2017 By Kevin Kilbride

Warm Hospitality with Electric Radiant Heat

Download Full Article

Published in Green Building and Design Magazine – January 2017

Kevin Kilbride has a question he likes to ask developers, builders and regular folks alike: Does heat rise?

Most people say yes. But as Kilbride explains, it’s the hot air that rises—not the heat.

With forced air, anyone seated near a large window, whether in an office, restaurant, home or hotel, feels the chill, even though the heat is on. No matter how high the thermostat is turned up, the window will remain cold, Kilbride says.Read More

January 28, 2017 By Kevin Kilbride

Lowest Life Cycle Heating Costs

Listen to Developer Michael Faber

Our brokers found Design Ready Controls, they are our client for this building.

They wanted to own their own building, so we sold them the land and we’re constructing the building for them. They are familiar with heating and cooling systems and they wanted to explore what we have to offer.

January 19, 2017 By Steve Kilbride

Grandma’s Gift of Electric Radiant Heat

Do You Really Love Grandma?

About five years ago, my Dad passed away. His health had been deteriorating for years and he passed quickly after breaking a hip. He never made it home after the surgery, but the drugs made him quite entertaining for the nurses those last couple of weeks.

Mom has always been independent, but my wife and I didn’t think she should be living alone in her late 70’s. The three of us set out to merge two households of furniture into one and find a rhythm that wouldn’t disrupt any of the life patterns each of us had developed over the decades.

December 18, 2015 By Janet Kilbride

Having a Hot Yoga Time in Scranton

Five years after opening their first hot yoga studio in Scranton, Pennsylvania, Steamtown Yoga owners Lara and John Alexiou had grown beyond their original location and were preparing to open a new facility in July 2013.

“Our old location used a gas forced air system,” said John. “We operated in that space for over 5 years and experienced many costly equipment issues every year. After we picked out our new home, we began researching the different heating options available to us.”