There is no doubt that radiant floor heating is a superior method of heating your home. Its popularity is steadily increasing as people discover that not only is it the most comfortable form of heating, but also the most cost efficient. The warmth of the floor on a cold winter morning would probably be enough to convince most people that radiant floor heating is the best thing since sliced bread. However, after discovering the cost savings, there is usually no going back.
Low cost and comfort are the two most attractive features of this heating system, but there are several others. These include its silent operation that will not pester you with hums or whistles that arise from forced air systems. Also, you won’t see blowing air or unsightly vents. This system will not distribute dust, germs, and pollen around your house, unlike a forced air system. This system is designed to keep the temperature of your house uniform no matter what the floor surface is, and it won’t dry the air in your home in the way that a forced air system can.
In a radiant floor heating system warm water circulates through tubing beneath the floor. This turns the flooring into an efficient, low temperature radiator. Radiant floor heating concentrates the heat in the lower half of a room where it is most needed. Since heat is evenly distributed in the floor, the thermostat can be set 2 - 4 degrees lower than a forced air heating system which can reduce energy costs by 10 to 30%. Homes and building with high ceilings will save even more in heating expense as heat generated by forced air systems quickly rises to the top of these structures, where it is of little use. A radiant floor heating system radiates heat from the floor and delivers the heat evenly throughout the rooms.
Radiant floor heating is not very complex but there are some important pieces that anyone owning a system should be aware of: The Heating Source, The Boiler, The Pump and the Tubing. There are a number of possible heating sources that range from electricity to natural gas, propane, wood, oil, solar and many other heating sources. The boiler is the component that holds the water that will be heated. The boiler can be used for heating a hot tub, a pool, or the water in a home. The pump is used to move the water through tubing that is placed beneath the floor. Tubing is commonly placed directly in concrete, below wooden sub floors or on an actual sub floor of wood. The tubing may also be placed in pre-cast concrete or concrete slab-on-grade. Once the tubing is placed it is then covered with gypsum.
Once a homeowner makes the decision to install radiant floor heating system, choosing the right installer is imperative. Some companies who design radiant floor heating systems may also install the system. A qualified system designer and a qualified system installer will work together and know which components work well together, the capacities of various systems, special considerations for installations in your area, and manufacturers’ warranties and reliability. The designer should do a room-by-room heat loss analysis of your home or building done as well as a step-by-step system sizing process.
While comfort and cost are a pair of major advantages with an InFloor Heating system, they are not the only ones. Radiant Floor Heating is also clean and quiet.
- Dan Carter