Radiant Floor Heating

Many people are turning to radiant floor heat systems to heat bathrooms, kitchens, and their whole properties. There are several advantages to be had by this approach, some less apparent than others.

When thinking of whether setting up one of these products would be appropriate for you, the first important factor to consider is the installation side. Because the entire heating element is placed underneath the floor, it must be installed in one go, meaning that these systems can be very tough to place in existing homes. So as a result of this, radiant floor heating is growing to be increasingly widespread in newly built houses, and also extensions of older houses.

The Benefits of Radiant Floor Heating

The main benefits of using in floor heating is the even distribution of heat. With houses and apartments that make use of radiators and forced air heating systems, each room has its heat source in a particular place, and therefore the room will be warmer the nearer you get to that source. With radiant floor heating, the whole floor is the heat source, so that the room is heated equally, creating a much more comfortable atmosphere.

Another large feature which is largely unheard-of is the advantage of floor heating when compared to forced air heating. Forced air systems expel air through a vent, which picks up dust, allergens, and other airborn mites. With these in the air every time that the heating is on, those people vulnerable could very well prefer the fact that under floor heating does not have this result. Because the floor area is the heating element, air does not have to circulate around the room to distribute the heat, which will keep dust and allergens down, and therefore under control.

Types of Radiant Floor Heating

There are two predominant varieties of under floor heating, both with their own advantages over each other. These are electric, and hydronic floor heating.

Electric floor heat is used largely for its simplicity of installation, as all it consists of is a wafer thin pad that is placed underneath your targeted floor, meaning that installation can be accomplished fairly quickly and easily, and as it is fueled by electricity, you can easily install this solution in a single room.

Hydronic radiant heating on the other hand involves pumping hot water underneath the floor, with the pipes set in a specific concrete. This means that a lot of work is necessary for installation, and therefore is suited for new houses, and extensions to current houses. These pipes are then joined to a water heater, and each room can have individual thermostats. These systems are normally more efficient than electric setups, but the cost and time of installation are issues to take into account.

For more information on electric, hydronic and do it yourself in floor radiant heating, please visit our website.

Published by Adam Norman on 13th August '10.