Getting acquainted with loop layout programs

By Paul Rohrs, Radiant Expert
Biggerstaff Radiant Solutions, Lincoln, Neb.

A rite of passage in the radiant floor heat industry is getting your hands on tubing for the first time and attaching it in a manner to accommodate the requested zoning and heat loss for that zone. Whether it is residential in-floor, commercial in-floor or a snowmelt system, a tubing layout must be determined before starting the work. In this article, I will discuss software programs that accommodate designing the layout as well as companies that provide this service for you.

Some contractors say that they don't need a pictorial view of a tubing layout for a project, but the more zones, loops or details that are introduced into a project the greater the need for a physical loop layout diagram. There are several methods of developing such a diagram. For instance, if a contractor is installing tubing in a 50'x 50' building with one zone, loop layout and design should be pretty straightforward. In a large residential application, where zoning is completed on a loop-by-loop basis and controlled by MVAs, Telestats or Thermal Actuators, completing the loop layout successfully is a critical aspect of a tubing install.

One mindset for contractors is, "If my customer wants this type of artwork, let them pay for it." Or, "I typically don't insist on a visual loop layout for my jobs." These are valid business decisions; these diagrams can bog down a job or can be considered an unnecessary expense. Some radiant contractors are very successful just installing tubing with a zone chart and heat loss. Other projects can require the drawings, which are usually necessary on commercial bid and spec projects.

You can design the layout yourself with pen and paper (blueprint), you can find the right software and learn to do it on the computer, or you can hire the project out to a company. I know that I really don't want to hand over many aspects of my company to someone else, but drawing out the loops for each job is one facet of my business that I would not mind turning over to companies that can provide this service to me. Keep in mind that investing in these types of drawings can save you time and money once on the job site and that the "greener" the rookie on the job, the more valuable the drawings may become.

AstraCAD is a company that I became acquainted with at the 2008 REX show in Chicago. This company, currently based in India and the UK and soon to have a branch in the U.S., can provide complete calculations, CAD design and material lists for all types of radiant systems. AstraCAD will take your print, digitize it, follow your guidelines for heat loss, zoning and tube size and e-mail you the loop layout for your project in DWG, DXF, or PDF formats.

AstraCAD can also provide some pretty snazzy 3-D ducting designs for the HVAC industry. Uponor is another company that can provide detailed drawings of loops, manifolds and zoning. You can expect companies to charge a flat fee or, more commonly, to charge by the amount of square footage being designed around.

Loop drawing capabilities can add another facet to your business. This is a potential "value added service" that you can add to your list, further differentiating you from your competitors. You may consider buying a software package like this so that you can produce your own drawings, which can be modified if there are changes or additions as a job progresses.

LoopCAD is one such software package that will let you replicate your blueprint into individual rooms or zones and then, based on heat loss, let you adjust tubing centers to meet the requested Btu load. The most recent release of this software allows you to perform integrated heat loss calculations with flow, head loss and temperature. This software has a snowmelt design module, as well as a dynamic 3-D CAD view and allows more flexibility in drawing walls and rooms.

LoopCAD now allows you to import custom add-ons from equipment and system manufacturers that can generate a material list for you. A nice thing about the LoopCAD software is that it comes in Standard and Professional versions. You can see which software package fits your needs.

There is new software out from Taco and, although it is not a specific loop layout program, it does have some features that I think are notable; features that I haven't seen in other software. The Taco FloPro System Designer performs a real-time heat loss and heat gain analysis as fast as you can draw the structure. You can actually lay out the entire hydronic system, from boiler room to heat emitters. While it doesn't actually draw the tubing layout, it will design and size everything from the boiler room to your manifolds. It will size and specify the circulators, as well as size the boiler main supply and return piping. It will also provide you with a materials list and, if you're ambitious and input your materials costs and labor estimates, a job cost estimate. You can also use it to draw a boiler piping schematic with a cast iron boiler or a mod-con boiler.

Hopefully, this article has given you the information you need to help you decide whether you would like to purchase the software yourself so that you can draw and accommodate changes in projects quickly and "in-house." Having the loop layout drawn for you by outside vendors is another way to provide drawings without investing the time and money needed for proprietary software. Whichever avenue you choose, your company will benefit when such drawings are needed.