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Lastest Post. Contrast that with what happens in a conventional forced-air heating system, the kind found in most American homes. Air blows out of the registers at a well-baked degrees, rises to the top of the room where it quickly sheds heat, then drops back down as it cools.
The air in the room becomes uncomfortably stratified: Your head can be bathed in warmth while your toes lie in the frozen zone. Then there's the problem of cycling. The result is a phenomenon he calls "the cold 70," which is what you feel right after the hot air stops pumping from the registers. Those jarring ups and downs are absent with radiant floors, which may reach 85 degrees, tops, on a frigid day. The warm air still rises, but it does so evenly over the entire floor, so the coolest air stays up at the ceiling.
There are two basic types of radiant floor heating that supply this gentle, even warmth: hot water or electricity. Electric radiant, which uses zigzagging loops of resistance wire, is generally retrofitted to a single room, such as a bathroom or kitchen. Once the system is in place, you can cover it with most types of finish flooring, including hardwood and tile. Carpet, however, can be tricky, especially if it has thick padding underneath.
New builds where the tubes are buried in concrete slab tend to be the least expensive. And you'll still need a separate air-conditioning system for cooling.
But if the price tag puts you off, consider this: 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.
And there's no comparison when it comes to comfort. In that category, radiant always wins, feet down. There are two types of installation -- wet or dry. Wet installs layer either a slab of concrete beneath the subfloor or a thin sheet of concrete between the subfloor and the surface. Dry installs place the tubes directly beneath the subfloor during construction, without the concrete on top.
The flooring surface -- hardwoods, tile or carpeting, goes on top of the subfloor and picks up heat directly from the tubes. The concrete acts as a thermal mass to retain heat so that you have a large, hot block under your floor. Concrete owes its ability to retain heat to its density and low conductivity.
Wood has a very high conductivity -- think of how quickly wooden decks or benches cool off when the sun goes down. Because of this thermal mass, systems with wet installs take longer to heat up and need to run longer. Those with dry installs are less expensive, but operate at higher temperatures because there's no thermal mass to store the heat.
They also require reflective insulation under the tubes to direct the heat upward. Your boiler or water heater is linked to a manifold -- a system of separate pipes that channel water from a single source into different zones. This way, you can heat each area of your home separately from a single programmable thermostat. From the manifold, the hot water is sent through a pattern of PEX tubing by a re-circulating water pump. PEX is polyethylene tubing that's leak-free, non-toxic, flexible and capable of handling high temperatures.
Maintenance for a hydronic system is minimal -- the boiler needs an annual check-up, but most modern pumps use water to lubricate the parts and are low-maintenance.
However, if your system breaks, you'll need to hire a professional, because fixing it can be complicated. It's also expensive.
In some cases a unit is beyond repair and must be replaced, which costs about the same as a first-time installation. There are lots of variables, but the good news is your RFH specialist can walk you through the different options.
Electric radiant floor heating RFH uses heat-conducting plastic mats containing coils warmed by electricity. So what are these heating coils? They aren't heated elements like you'd find in a space heater or on an electric stove.
They're actually resistance wires, typically copper or nichrome, wrapped in a water -resistant polymer. Nichrome is an alloy of nickel and chromium with high electrical resistance -- ideal for producing heat. These wires are zigzagged through a mat and then wired for electricity.
Think of a large, rolled-up electric blanket without the fabric and you'll get the picture. On installation day, you or your contractor will roll out the mats and put the flooring material in place. If you are a carpet lover, this may not be the right system for you. To see how much you can save with Square One, get a personalized online quote now. Those figures include the costs of tearing up existing floors, however. Installing radiant floor heating in a new build is often notably cheaper.
There are also different methods of installation, some more expensive than others. Also, see This Old House for more info on heating your whole house, and various methods of installation. In-floor systems, though, can save homeowners a lot on their energy bills. Miguelez says there are three factors that determine what kinds of energy savings you can expect:. Your boiler is what heats the water, and it requires energy to do so.
Like furnaces, boilers have multiple degrees of efficiency, with more efficient boilers costing more. They can be powered by gas, oil, propane, or electricity, so exact costs vary. Next, you need to consider whether you have a concrete subfloor for the radiant heating or a dry layer of plywood. Concrete provides better performance so that you can maximize energy usage. By all accounts, things rarely ever go wrong with a radiant heat system. Before you decide to install one, though, there are some things you should consider:.
Identifying and fixing poor insulation can be an involved process , but a quick and easy thing to check is your attic: if you can see the top of the joists in your attic over the insluation, chances are you need to improve the insulation in your ceilings. Make sure you select a fuel source that is cost efficient in your area. If using electricity, you may be able to get a break on your electric bill if you use it mainly during off-peak hours.
Large concrete subfloors can be heated up or charged using electricity at night and may not need more electricity during the day. One of the easiest things you can do to check if your thermostat is working is to see if there is any electricity reaching it. The safest way to do so is using a non-contact voltage tester. Some floor coverings work better with radiant floor heat than others. For instance, ceramic tiles warm up nicely and distribute heat evenly.
However, carpets act like insulation and will make it more difficult for heat to get into the room. Some experts advise using rosin paper as opposed to tar paper underneath a laminate floor when you are installing a radiant floor heating system. As tar paper warms up, it can off-gas, causing an odour in the home. If your new in-floor heating system is heating the floor unevenly, the culprit may be poor installation.
You will need to call a professional to diagnose and repair most issues. If air gets trapped in the pipework running under the floor, it can cause that zone to stop heating up. Depending on your system, purging the air can be a bit of an undertaking. Like any other heating system, you should plan on yearly maintenance by an HVAC professional.
Even though the pipes will last for the life of the house, there are mechanical parts, such as pumps and boilers, which should be checked. Normally these parts are silent, so it they start making noise, it could indicate a problem. The technician can clean the pump, while also checking the pressure valves. If they are beginning to wear, they can be replaced before any serious problems occur.
One of the benefits of radiant heat is that there are no filters or ducts that require regular cleaning. And there is no need for venting outdoors. Yearly maintenance should include a thorough inspection and a test to check pressure which could indicate the presence of leaks.
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