RadPad Calculator History
FILLING A NEED -
I designed the RadPad for the radiant floor heating industry in 1999. With over twenty-five years in the radiant floor business, founder of the Radiant Panel Association (now the Radiant Professionals Alliance) serving as Executive Director for fifteen years, I saw the need for a simple, compact design tool for engineers and contractors alike. The calculator was originally a cardboard slide chart used by hundreds of radiant professionals as a quick and easy way to find answers to the many variables present in radiant floor applications.
REMAINS A USEFUL TOOL -
The technology and basic design parameters have not changed much since then. Although there are several software programs and online computer apps for designing radiant systems, none give the quick, visual feedback of the slide chart, nor do they instantly show the effect changes have on a design when criteria are altered. The sliding scroll bar of the RadPad allows a designer to rapidly play with design inputs to see their impact on performance.
GOING DIGITAL -
Although the physical RadPad was no longer available, I continued to receive requests for the calculator. As a solution, I created an online version that operates exactly like the original. Rather than using a cardboard slide chart, a designer can now operate the chart on a computer, laptop, pad, or most phones. I have also included additional scrollable tables and a comprehensive spreadsheet for recording and organizing all the design parameters of a radiant project.
USED BY THE PROS -
I am gratified by the fact that well-known and well-respected radiant floor professionals continue to use the RadPad Calculator. It is a tool that has withstood the test of time.
For a very low annual paid subscription, a user can have the RadPad available anywhere there is an internet connection.
Lawrence Drake