Electric Floor Heating Information
Many homeowners are looking to radiant floor heat systems to heat bathrooms, kitchen areas, and their entire properties. There are several positive aspects to be had by this method, some less apparent than others.
When thinking about whether installing one of these systems would be appropriate for you, the first major point to take into account is the installation side. Because the total heating element is placed underneath the floor, it must be installed in one go, meaning that these systems can be very tough to install in current 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
The main advantages of using infloor heating is the even distribution of heat. With houses and apartments that use 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 entire floor is the heat source, so that the room is heated uniformly, generating a much more comfortable atmosphere.
Another large benefit which is largely unknown is the advantage of floor heating when compared with forced air heating. Forced air systems pass air through a duct, which stirs up dust, allergens, and other airborn mites. With these in the air every time that the heating is on, those people susceptible could very well prefer the reason that under floor heating does not have this effect. Because the floor space is the heating element, air does not have to circulate around the room to spread the heat, which will keep dust and allergens down, and therefore under control.
Types of Radiant Floor Heating
There are two main varieties of under floor heating, both with their own benefits over each other. These are electric, and hydronic radiant floor heat.
Electric radiant floor heating is used mostly for its ease of installation, as all it consists of is a wafer thin pad that lies beneath your targeted floor, meaning that installation can be achieved fairly quickly and easily, and as it is powered by electricity, you can easily set up this option 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 required for installation, and therefore is suitable for new houses, and extensions to current houses. These pipes are then connected to a water heater, and each room can have separate thermostats. These systems are generally more economical than electric setups, but the cost and time of installation are issues to think about.
