Radiant heating is an efficient way to heat your home and gives your home a wonderful cozy feel. Space heating is costly and inefficient. Forced air and baseboard heating are good options but there is still room for improvement. Radiant heating may be something you have some questions about but after we go over the common questions, information and other specifics.
How does radiant heating work?
Radiant floors heat the house from the ground up. There are heating coils or water tubes installed in the floor to radiate heat through the room and warm it. This type of heat works similar to how the oven heats the house. Heating coils use electricity while water tubes can be heating with different techniques like gas or wood fire.
Cost of radiant heating
Radiant heating and the forced air cost comparisons are a big concern for homeowners. This is an important are to consider when deciding if radiant heating is right for you. Radiant heat can cut your heating bill by up to 50 percent. Radiant heat cuts out the air ducts which loss a lot of heat. Attics and basements are cold and the heating vents running through these spaces can cool significantly Radiant heat also eliminates the stratification. Stratification is what happens when the cool air falls as the warm air rises. These can create drafts and additional issues.
Base-boarding heat is another heating option that is commonly considered and used. When radiant heat and baseboard heat are compared radiant heat comes out on top again. Baseboard heating again falls short of being as efficient as radiant heating. Baseboard heating has to combat against large windows especially in cold spells. Baseboard heating does have its advantages but is also very costly.
Floor based heating has been studied for efficiency and performance. The Scientific American stated that occupants feel warmer at a lower temperature with radiant heating. This form of heating transmits heat at 15 percent greater efficiency.
Forced air is still the most popular way to heat a home but radiant heat offers a lot of benefits. Radiant heating can be installed under a lot of different flooring types including real hardwood floors, engineered wood and even some laminate flooring choices. Radiant heating can make your home feel cozy and warm all winter long while reducing costs.