Removing tile over DITRA-Heat when repair is necessary.

Occasionally it may be necessary to access a wire or sensor for repair after the tile has been installed and grouted.  There is typically hesitation as one does not want to understandably cause additional damage to the heat wire.  DITRA-Heat wires, if snapped into the membrane correctly, are actually pretty well protected.  

Wires that sustain damage during installation are outside of Schluter warranty support, and Schluter reserves the right to place the repair back on the contractor or installer.  Schluter may help locate the location of the damage, but may not be able to do the repair depending on circumstance.

Repairing a wire or sesor is a pretty simple process.  Schluter Systems NA has created a Tips and Tricks video that demonstrates the locating of heat wire as well as the removal of tile over DITRA-Heat.

Wire repair kits can be purchased through distribution or direct from Schluter.  Instructions are included in the repair kits.  Repairs will require a heat gun and wire strippers.

• Wire Repair Kit - cut or damaged wire.
  

• Splice Repair Kit - repair damaged wire and/or repair a splice (cold splice/end splice).

Useful tools for determining wire location and sensor placement. 

• Referencing photos from installation.  Always photo document your install.  Place photos in a digital folder and sercure them in the cloud so you can return to them at a later date if needed.  Include pictures of…
• Cold splice
• Sensor locations (with measuring tape from fixed object).
• Wire layout
• Silver tag front/back from heat wire
• Breaker assignment
• End splice
• Test paperwork

• Use pucks as gauges to determine distances from walls, vanities and other fixtures.  Reference pictures and use a scrap piece of DITRA-Heat membrane to replicate sensor location to mark the tile that will need removed.

• Purchase a thermal imaging camera such as a FLIR for iPhone or Android.  You can also source through FLIR direct.

• For locating sensors underneath tile, a KORAD may be helpful. Also including a link for this unit from Amazon. A KORAD sents a small current into the low voltage wire making it detectable with a FLIR camera underneath the tile.
  

• Fluke Fault Finder - Used to determine how many linear feet into the wire the damage is.
  

Sensor Replacement

• Locate the sensor using above methods.
• Mark tile(s) that need to be removed, and remove tile. (Watch tips and tricks video for removing tile over DITRA-heat from link above).
• Cut off sensor head, or cut sensor wire to leave sensor head dead in floor.

• Cut off new sensor head (sensor wires are 15 LF - you will only need the sensor head and app. 6” of lead).
• Strip leads of sensor wire in floor and sensor leads from the new sensor head.

• Overlap leads in clear shrink connections with solder bead in middle of overlapping leads.  It does not matter what lead from the new sensor attaches to the leads of the existing sensor wire in floor.  Use heat gun to melt solder and weld leads together inside the shrink tube.
• Test for kOhm in thermostat end to make sure weld was successful.  You should be getting a reading from around 7-10 kOhm.

• Measure, cut and dry fit a small piece of black heat shrink to slide over the two clear splice tubes.  Use heat gun to melt black shrink tube over splices.  Notch out DHE membrane and secure back in the floor for tiling.