Why You Should Convert to Radiant Heading

Most heating systems direct heat into the various living areas of a home. However, the heated air rises to the ceiling because warm air is lighter than cool air. This leaves the actual living spaces at cooler temperatures, which means you have to turn up the thermostat and waste fuel to stay warm.

If your heating system is contained within your floors, the floors themselves are warmed, allowing the heat to warm the spaces actually used by the occupants of the home. Entire rooms are eventually heated by the rise of warmed air, but the surface levels also stay warm because the floors themselves hold in the heat.

If you aren't familiar with radiant floor heating system, this guide will tell you how this type of heating system can help you be more comfortable in the winter months.

There are three options available in radiant floor heating, but only two are practical in homes. One system that involves pumping heated air under flooring is better suited for non-residential use because air can't retain heat for a long enough time to be cost effective. This leaves the options of floor heating through electrical cables or hot water pipes embedded under the flooring.

Electric systems involve the placing of electric cables in either a concrete foundation slab or in a layer of concrete subflooring that is installed over existing flooring. Ceramic tiles are then used for surface flooring because they stay warm longer than other materials. The concrete is heated by the cables and retains the heat without using additional electricity.

The greatest benefit of using electric cables for floor heating is available if the cables can be added when a foundation slab is poured because the large amount of concrete can stay warmed long after the power shuts off. The slab can be heated overnight when electric rates are normally lower and release the heat gradually during the day when rates are higher.

However, it's often best to operate the heating system at a comfortable level around the clock because concrete is as slow to warm as it is to cool down again.

The main drawback of electric floor heating, just as in any type of electric heating system, is the cost of electricity, which can vary in different areas of the country. If your home isn't already sitting on a concrete slab foundation, a thin layer of concrete subflooring won't hold as much heat.

Of course, adding electric floor heating to a single room such as a bathroom or bedroom where bare feet meet cold floors in the winter season can make a big difference in the comfort level of the home.

Hot water systems use the same principle of using concrete to retain heat as electric cabling systems.

The main advantage of using hot water to heat flooring is the minimal use of electricity. Water is usually heated by a gas, oil or wood-fired boiler, but solar heating can also be added in for additional savings. Electricity is only needed for thermostats, pumps and automatic valves to control the flow of water to areas that require heating.

The main disadvantage of hot water flooring systems is the initial costs associated with installation of pipe tubing along with the additional expense of electrical work to connect thermostats and other controls.

Wet installations are described throughout the article in the use of poured (wet) concrete for to hold heat. Dry installations eliminate the concrete to save on installation costs and use either insulation or multiple layers of traditional flooring to help retain heat. While dry installations aren't as efficient as wet options, they're getting better as the technology improves over time.

If you are curious about how a radiant heating system might influence your hot water or your plumbing, you can contact Express Plumbing & Drain for more information.