There are two types of radiant floor heating electric and water based systems.
Hydronic radiant floor heating efficiency.
Once it s up and running a radiant heat system can be up to 30 percent more energy efficient than forced air heating depending on how well insulated a house is.
The reason for this is to have the two water uses separate.
Hydronic radiant heat is an energy efficient and effective way of providing an even mixture of warm air throughout a house or building.
A combi boiler is the best way to go to have hot water for domestic use and an energy efficient heater for the hydronic system.
They are quiet and comfortable.
Hydronic systems are typically built into houses upon construction but they can also be added later on.
The water heater to use with radiant floor heating should be a high efficiency unit.
With radiant floor heating you only need the water set to around 85 f to get your house to a toasty temperature that lasts a long time.
The most efficient way to use underfloor heating.
In the summer water will stagnate for the floor heating and if it mixes with your regular water it won t be good.
The best kind is one that has a sealed combustion chamber and an external heat exchanger.
The latter loses lose warmth through ductwork.
In a typical radiant heat setup hydronic tubes or electric coils are embedded within a slab of gypsum concrete a material that in its sluggishness is not perfectly suited to home heating.
But if the price tag puts you off consider this.
They also consume less energy than most other heating systems.
They do not spread dust and allergens around a home the way forced air heaters do.
Resnet adds that radiant systems transmit heat on average some 15 percent more efficiently than conventional radiators.
Hydronic on most other comfort issues radiant heat is far superior.
Hydronic radiant floor heating.
Warm water systems run hot water through pipes to create heat whereas electric underfloor heating heats wiring beneath the floor to generate heat.
They do not dehydrate the indoor air.
Underfloor or radiant heating is more efficient than forced air heating systems.
And there s no comparison when it comes to comfort.
In that category radiant always wins feet down.
The efficiency gains can be magnified significantly with good insulation and.
Due to the lengthy and expensive installation process however it is helpful to consider the overall life span of a hydronic radiant heat system before.
Forced air a benefit to forced air is that it has the ability to quickly raise temperatures whereas hydronic heating can be slow with temperature changes due to the use of thermal mass.