Warm Up with Radiant Floor Heating

Posted on September 10, 2008 by Joyce Benson
Tag(s): Energy, Green Building, Kitchens And Baths

Want an efficient heating system that will keep you warm and toasty on cold winter days and nights? Look no further than to radiant floor heating.

It is more efficient than baseboard heating, as well as forced air systems. And unlike forced hot air, it doesn’t blow out uneven-feeling air and dust, and there are no ducts that lose heat. It costs more to install than other heating systems, but its energy efficiency pays off in the long-term. You’ll also enjoy lower monthly energy bills. Plus, radiant floor heating is great for for those who enjoy an evenly comfortable, warm interior space and for those with allergies.

Radiant floor heating systems work through radiant heat transfer (heat radiates to people and objects in the room) and convection (heat rising from the floor into the room). Due to the radiant heat transfer effect, this type of heating system works especially well if you have thermal mass (concrete floors, masonry wall or fireplace, etc) in the room. Those surfaces absorb the radiated heat and continue to radiate it back into the room throughout the day and night using little energy.

According to the U.S. Department of Energy, “The most popular and cost-effective way to heat an entire house is the hydronic (liquid-based) radiant floor heating system. A hydronic system can be heated with a wide variety of energy sources, including standard gas- or oil-fired boilers, wood-fired boilers, solar water heaters, or some combination of these heat sources. Hydronic radiant floor systems pump heated water from a boiler through 1/2-inch flexible, polyethylene (PEX) tubing laid in a pattern underneath the floor. In some systems, the temperature in each room is controlled by regulating the flow of hot water through each tubing loop. This is done by a system of zoning valves or pumps and thermostats.”

This Old House explains, “The flexible tubes can be installed in a variety of ways: on top of the subfloor in grooved panels or snap-in grids; clipped ­into aluminum strips on the underside of the floor; or embedded in poured concrete (the least expensive install for new construction). Once the system is in place, you can cover it with most types of finish flooring, including hardwood and tile.”

If you’d like to have radiant floors installed in just one or two rooms in your current home (like the bathroom or kitchen), an electric radiant system will be less expensive to install. “Electric cables are built into the floor. Systems that feature mats of electrically conductive plastic are also available, and are mounted onto the subfloor below a floor covering such as tile.” To operate most efficiently and cost-effectively, thermal mass (like a concrete floor) should be integrated into the room.

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