I can't answer your questions but I would first call the manufacturer of the mats before you do anything. I wouldn't start ripping up floor until they told me to, and then perhaps only when you have isolated the problem to a specific plank. Don't panic (easier said, I know) just call and deep breath. Post back please and tell us how it goes.

K -- I'm so sorry to hear of your problem, believe me :(. What brand is your heat?

We had covered our mats in a skimcoat of thinset, which I don't think is as tough as self-leveling compound(? maybe someone can answer this), but it wasn't that much of a problem to isolate and figure out how to get up after all. Mongo had recommended a chisel, but I'm so clumsy that a sander was easier to control finely than the chisel. Just make sure whoever's doing it (NOT YOU) wears a dust mask and even covers her/his hair unless s/he wants to take a shower immediately afterwards to uncake a mass of self-leveled hair.

Don't do anything until you've gotten the fault finder and isolated, as ladycfp said.

Hang in there, think of little K and take comfort that at least hardwood isn't *quite* as cold without heat as tile is...if that helps at all. Please post updates!

Now you making me feel nervous. I just installed heat cables though not mats and waiting for thinset to cure. I have been checking and rechecking for continuity at every step of the process and it always shows the same value of so many Oms.
So you had it checked for continuity and everything was fine and now when you started the system it trips?
Suggestions you received are sound ones and am sure companies that sell heating mats have several back up plants to find problem. My DIY experience is while it is not easy or fun, it is entirely possible to chisel out one or several tiles/ you have wood which is easier IMHO/, thinset and grout including and if whoever does the work pretty slow and carefully you do not need rip it out and start anew.
Good luck and let us know what happens.

Thanks for everyone's thoughts. They started ripping out the wood flooring, and found that a few sections of cable weren't entirely buried. Thought maybe one of those sections got pinched. Turns out that upon further inspection, they found a place where someone drove some nails in and one of them nicked a wire. Why there were nails is anyone's guess-- we installed a floating floor over the top specifically to avoid nails. Hmmmm.....

Anyway, they chiseled up a small section of the SLC and I am now waiting for the repair kit to come in (tomorrow) so they can splice together a new section of wire where the nicked one was. I hope that is the only place with a problem. At least at the moment it looks that way, and thank goodness that it doesn't appear we have to rip out the entire floor and start over. Keep your fingers crossed for us for one more day.

Thanks everyone!
K

See? You're not the new me. You'll be o.k. I'm the only one with medically problematic cold feet and no warm floor to help them. :(

Hey flyleft, I haven't followed closely enough to know this, but if your problem is Raynaud's (I have this also) have you ever tried the little hot packets that hunters use to keep your feet warm? I get them in a large pack at Sam's Club (they are seasonal) and have also seen them at Dick's Sporting Goods. They warm up when they come in contact with air and are disposable, and I use them often in the winter in my shoes. Just an idea until you get your floor fixed. I can't wait to have mine installed and in use!

Update: Not the only problem (of course...). They fixed the two obvious areas where the wire was nicked. They turned the system on, but there are apparently a few other areas in between those two that are also problematic. So he needs another 2 repair kits. Of course, he doesn't come to work on this problem until the end of the day, so by the time he discovers he needs more repair kits, the store is long closed and I can't order them until the next day (today)!

Luckily, they are letting us go down and pick up the repair kits from the warehouse, but the warehouse is an hour and a half away. I'm having my contractor go get them rather than driving down myself, but now feel helpless as I wonder if he's on his way yet or if he's stopping by his other job sites and won't get down there until this afternoon, or what?!

So, hopefully he can fix the other broken sites this afternoon. Then they can reinstall the flooring tomorrow. Then cabinets can go in on Monday. I'm just really afraid that there are more breaks because they didn't cover the wires enough and they'll repair the pieces today and it still won't work, we'll have to rip out more floor, and we'll have to delay the cabinets, countertop, the entire kitchen for even longer.

Please keep good thoughts that this all gets fixed today!

K

I'll keep a good thought for you, fauson. I won't even tell you what the newest disappointment is with our "heat". At least you're close to the warehouse. What brand is your heat, again? It's worth mentioning so that folks can know. Ours is Thermosoft and with this newest disappointment I'm about ready to throw in the towel.

And ladycfp, *thank you* for taking the trouble to write with that idea. My DH actually got me some of those for a day when we were going to be outside for a long period of time one day last fall, but I was...well...scared of them! Atually if my feet get too hot, too, that's a problem (it's not Raynaud's--it's a very odd thing I'd never heard of before until we moved to the PNW--drives me crazy) I'll try them now that you say they're useful. I really appreciate your thoughtfulness.

Flyleft,
We have heat!!! We bought Suntouch mats. And it wasn't a problem inherent in the mat, it was our installers/contractors. They nicked the wire in several places, then buried it underneath our mahogany floors. The electrician seems to have fixed it, as the floor is starting to feel warm to my feet when I go in now.

Here's to toasty toes for everyone!
K

Flyleft, Have you had your thyroid checked? I used to think I had Raynaud's. Then I came down with 25 other symptoms and it turned out my thyroid was shot. I'm now on medication (took a year to get the right dosage) and my hands and feet, while still not WARM per se, are not cold anymore. The real test will be this coming winter, to see if with the medication, fingers and toes turn yellow after only one minute outside. We shall see.

Ivette

fauson, I'm glad your heat worked out. I knew there was no one else like me :)

Ivette, thanks. I just had my annual physical and I haven't seen the bloodwork yet. I've also learned that low iron can be a partial cause, so I'm going to become better about taking my iron supplement.

Flyleft- you definitely want to wear socks with them, they can heat up. My Raynauds is such that I do not ever go barefoot, even in summer. It is tough to wear sandals even, if I wear them and go into a store (the AC I guess) I am miserable and the soles of my feet are white in no time flat. Anyway, I wear socks or slippers around the house and have been known to slip these heat things in my slippers as well, I really love them.

I so miss my bathtub during this remodel, my favorite time of day is submerging in HOT water. I am really looking forward to that heated bath floor (and plotting how I can put it in the rest of my house that is tiled!)

flyleft, you can't necessarily trust the bloodwork. Find a doctor who's willing to treat your symptoms. But before you do that, get your self a book and learn the many symptoms (there are approximately 30) and see if you think you may have a thyroid issue. I've been very lucky to find a physician who realizes that my body tells me what I need better than any blood test. I did test low, but not nearly as low as I actually am.

Ivette