Warm Floors : The Benefits of Radiant Floor Heating

Radiant Floor Heat

A radiant floor heating system is a highly efficient way to heat a house, increasing comfort by creating warm floors while reducing energy costs.

The warm floors are heated by a radiant floor heating system with the heat supplied by hot-water tubes or electric wires installed underneath the floor. The electricity or heated water warms the flooring material which in turn radiates the heat throughout the entire room. The room temperature remains relatively constant and you stay comfortable in contrast with what typically happens in the conventional forced-air heating system found in most modern homes. Conventional forced air systems blow hot air out of registers and the heated air immediately rises to the top of the room, then drops back down much cooler than it was originally. This rising and cooling phenomenon does not occur with heated hardwood floors, heated marble floors, or heated cement floors. The warm air radiating from the heated flooring still rises, but rises more slowly than the forced air evenly heating the air where the people are. You are more comfortable and the temperature remains more consistent.

There are two common systems used to supply radiant heat to residences: hot water systems and electric systems. Electric radiant systems use loops of resistance wire to conduct heat beneath the floor. The electric systems are generally used when retrofitting a single room, such as a bathroom or kitchen. Many homeowners, especially those in areas with cold winters retrofit bathrooms for the luxury of having heated marble floors, heated cement floors, or heated tile floors when they step out of their shower or bath.

Hot-water or hydronic systems are a more cost effective way to heat an entire house. These systems circulate water from a boiler or hot water heater through polyethylene tubing. The flexible tubes can be installed on top of the subfloor in grooved panels or inside snap-in grids; the tubing may also be clipped into aluminum channels which are installed on the underside of the floor; or the tubes may be embedded in concrete floors. Once the hydonic system is in place, it can be covered with hardwood, marble or tile. Radiant heating systems do not work well however with carpeting. It is just not efficient to radiate heat through the padding and carpet.

Hot-water radiant heat systems cost more to install than other heating systems. The exact installation of a heated floor cost depends on the type of system you are installing, whether it is being installed in a new build or is a retrofitting, the size of the area you are heating and where you live. New builds using tubes buried in concrete tend to have the least expensive heated floor cost. The payback of installing a heated floor system comes in the operation of the systems. A radiant system can use up to 30 percent less energy making the system more efficient than a forced-air heating system. So with a radiant system you can save on energy costs and create a much more comfortable living space.