Colorado can experience its fair share of cold temperatures throughout the winter months. Having a reliable home heating system to stay comfortable through the winter season is important. One type of heating system that’s becoming more popular for homeowners is radiant floor heating.
Normal Radiators vs. Underfloor Heating
Many homeowners are familiar with normal radiator systems that provide heating by circulating hot water or steam throughout multiple radiators in a home. While this can be an effective heating system, another great option is radiant heating. Also known as underfloor heating, this type of system produces heat that rises from below the floor to warm your home.
Forced-Air vs. Radiant Heating
Another important distinction is that underfloor or radiant heating is very different from forced-air heating. Forced-air heating comes from a furnace that warms air via the combustion process. These systems use ductwork that runs throughout the walls and floor of your home to deliver warm air to each room. With underfloor heating, there’s no ductwork required. Rather, each room will have its own radiant system underneath the flooring material.
Types of Radiant Floor Heating
All radiant floor heating works on the idea that heat naturally rises. By producing heat at the floor level, you can enjoy more of it as it travels up towards the ceilings in all your rooms. There are two styles of radiant floor heating systems you can purchase for your home. These include hydronic or water-based systems and electric or cable systems.
Hydronic or Water-Based Systems
Hydronic radiant floor systems use flexible PEX piping that gets embedded below the floor. Hot water circulates throughout all the flexible tubing, radiating heat into the room. Hydronic heating systems receive their power from a boiler, water heater, or solar energy system. These do come at a higher upfront cost for installation.
However, they tend to be less expensive to run than electrical or cable-based systems. Your hydronic boiler system can be powered by oil, natural gas, or even propane. This gives you flexibility in choosing a fuel that’s most prominent in your area and less expensive to purchase.
Electric or Cable Systems
Another popular type of radiant floor heating system uses electric cables or mats. This type of system is typically less expensive to install due to its easier installation process. However, electricity can be more expensive when it comes to running costs as compared to hydronic heating systems. Electric radiant floor heating systems are a popular choice for heating individual rooms, like bathrooms.
The Many Benefits of Radiant Floor Heating
Radiant floor heating systems are a newer option that many homeowners are unfamiliar with. It can be extremely helpful to understand the benefits that this type of heating system can provide for your home. This can allow you to make a better-informed decision about whether it’s the ideal heating system to meet your family’s heating needs.
Better Indoor Air Quality
One of the bigger benefits of choosing a radiant floor heating system is better indoor air quality. One of the most common struggles that homeowners with traditional forced-air furnaces face is the continued circulation of unwanted airborne particles in their homes. If you suffer from seasonal allergies, asthma, or another respiratory condition, you can experience frequent symptom flare-ups when forced-air heating systems operate.
With a radiant floor heating system, there’s no fan blowing air in your home. Rather, the heat naturally rises from the floor without the need for any forced air. This eliminates the stirring up of airborne toxins that traditional furnaces do, making radiant floor heating systems better for those with respiratory problems.
Even, Draft-Free Heat
Another major advantage of radiant heating is that drafts are not involved. With traditional furnaces, the vents throughout your home force a draft across the room as they deliver hot air. This can be somewhat irritating as you’ll get a blast of hot air when your furnace starts up, and then it will go away to a colder temperature as your furnace shuts off. With radiant floor heating, there’s always a constant supply of heat coming from the floor that doesn’t blast you with a gust of hot air.
Silent Operation
Because of the way that radiant floor heating systems work, the actual piping or electric cables don’t produce any sound. The only component that can produce noise is the boiler, which is usually in a basement or utility room. With a traditional furnace, you can hear the blower fan operating the entire time the unit is running.
More Comfortable
Many homeowners find that radiant floor heating systems are more comfortable than traditional options. They’re perfect for heating the floor, allowing you to avoid the discomfort of walking across a chilly floor during the winter. Radiant systems provide an even, consistent warmth to every room in your home. There are no hot or cold spots, as your entire home will have uniform comfort.
Understanding Fuel Types for Hydronic Systems
A gas boiler system for your hydronic heating provides fast and consistent heat production. Many modern condensing boilers can reach efficiency levels between 90% and 95%. This provides an excellent heating option for your entire home, especially if you live in a colder climate. This type of system does require piping for the natural gas or propane line. If you choose propane, you will need a fuel storage tank.
Another fuel option is to go with heating oil. Oil-fired boiler systems are extremely powerful and have a high heat output that’s ideal for larger, older homes that aren’t well insulated. This type of system also requires an on-site fuel storage tank for your heating oil. Most oil-based boilers have an operating efficiency between 80% and 85%.
Electric radiant floor heating systems have the highest operating efficiency of 100%. One of the benefits of an electric system is that it doesn’t produce any combustion gases, so there’s no venting required. These are quiet units that require minimal maintenance. They can be a good choice for smaller homes or for heating individual rooms. They’re typically not recommended for larger homes in cold climates due to their high operating costs.
Other Aspects to Consider
If you decide that a radiant heating system is the ideal choice for your home, there are some things you want to consider during the installation process. The first is the type of flooring material you use. It’s best to choose a material that is an excellent heat conductor, meaning it allows heat to transfer through it.
There are excellent heat-conducting materials, including tile, stone, and even polished concrete. If you want a more cost-effective flooring material that’s still a relatively good conductor of heat, consider vinyl, engineered wood, or even laminate. It’s best to avoid carpeting or solid hardwood, as they are poor conductors of heat.
Expert Radiant Heating Installation Services
Fox Heating, Cooling & Plumbing offers expert radiant heating installation services for the Wheat Ridge, CO community. We can also assist with all your radiant heating repair, maintenance, and replacement needs. Call our office today to schedule your next appointment with one of our helpful heating professionals.
