CAA Habitation recommendedFloor heating · Master electricians
Electric floor heating: the hookup
Heating cable laid? Our master electricians do the hookup: circuit, thermostat and GFCI protection.
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In short
Hooking up your heated floor
We usually don’t lay the heating cable or mat: we do the hookup once the cable has been laid. The circuit at the panel, the thermostat and its connection to the cable: that’s a master electrician’s job.
The price depends on your installation and is in the quote, written and at no charge.
What a heated floor requires
What the manufacturer Stelpro requires:
- Its own circuit, reserved for heating.
- A Class A GFCI, in the thermostat or at the panel.
- A thermostat with a floor sensor, one per enclosed room.
How these three parts work together: how a heated floor thermostat works.
The circuit and the panel
According to the Régie du bâtiment du Québec (2018 edition of the Code), heating counts as a continuous load: 80% of the breaker rating at most, unless the breaker is marked for 100%. Beyond 15 A, the maximum for one Stelpro thermostat, the manufacturer calls for an expansion unit, a relay or another thermostat.
Before adding circuits, we make sure the panel can take them. The calculation is done as for any added load: see the load calculation and dedicated circuits.
The thermostat
We install Sinopé smart thermostats for baseboards, heated floors and central systems.
Where to place it, especially in a bathroom: our thermostat guide.
During the flooring work
What the manufacturer requires while the floor covering goes down, worth passing on to whoever lays the floor covering:
- The floor sensor goes in before the mortar, even if the thermostat hasn’t been bought yet.
- The heating cable is never cut: its resistance would change, with a fire risk.
- No nails, screws or anything similar in a heated floor.
A floor that stopped heating
No more heat in the floor? For us, that’s a diagnostic.
What you can check yourself before calling: heated floor not working.
Laval, Montréal, the North Shore and the South Shore
Our master electricians work in Montréal, Laval, the North Shore and the South Shore. For baseboard heaters and their thermostats: baseboard heaters and thermostats. For smart thermostats: smart home (in French).
Electric floor heating: your questions
Do you lay the heating cable?
Usually not: we do the hookup once the cable is laid, meaning the circuit, the thermostat and the connection.
How much does the hookup cost?
The price depends on your installation and is in the quote, written and at no charge.
Does it need its own circuit?
Yes: the manufacturer reserves it for heating, and according to the Régie du bâtiment, it supplies no appliances other than heating appliances.
Does it need a GFCI?
Yes, Class A (5 mA), according to the manufacturer; it sits in the thermostat or at the panel.
Do you repair a floor that stopped heating?
It calls for a diagnostic: we look for the cause first.
Which thermostat should I choose?
A model with a floor sensor, according to the manufacturer. We install Sinopé smart thermostats, heated floors included.
Get a quote: electric floor heating
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