Essential Information About Radiant Floor Heaters

Radiant floor heaters directly supply heat to the house flooring, and they depend heavily on convection – the natural circulation of heat within a room – to cause heat to rise above the floor. You should know that radiant floor heaters are entirely different from the radiant heating systems used in walls and ceilings. However, they offer the same advantages, which include the following:

• They are more efficient as compared to baseboard and forced air heating systems.
• They lack moving air which makes them perfect for people with serious allergies.
• They can be powered with the use of varying energy resources.

In general, radiant floor heaters can be classified in three major types — air-heated, electric, and hydronic.

Air-heated Radiant Floors: They are seldom installed for residential application because of the inability of air to hold large amounts of heat. Despite the fact that they can be used in conjunction with a solar air heating system, radiant air floors can still suffer from major drawbacks since they can be only used during day (because this is the only time that heating demands are generally lower).

Electric Radiant Floors: These heaters are usually composed of electric cables that are built into the house flooring. Some models feature mats of electrically conductive plastic, which are mounted unto the subfloor or below a floor covering, like the tiles. Since they are electrically-charged, the installation will surely produce high electricity cost. That being said, they are best used when the floor’s thermal mass is large enough. This way, the stored heat can  keep the house warm and comfortable for at least eight to ten hours, without drawing further electrical input.

Hydronic Radiant Floors: Among the three types, the hydronic floors are the most popular and cost-effient floor heating option. They produce heat by pumping heated water from the boiler through the tubing laid underneath the flooring.

Like when choosing a heater repair technician, careful evaluation and thorough assessment is needed to come up with an informed decision. Therefore, you really have to weigh the pros and cons of each type of radiant floor heaters in order to end up with the best choice!