6 FAQ's About Radiant Heating

If you are considering an alternate heat sources for your home then there are several choices. You may opt for geothermal units, solar heating, tankless water heaters or radiant heat. If you have been thinking about ways to improve your energy usage, then consider these frequently asked questions regarding radiant heating.

1. What is the difference between radiant heating and traditional forced air heaters? Radiant heaters are as much as 40% more efficient as it gently warms the solid surfaces in the room resulting in the air becoming warmer.
2. Will this heating method harm my wooded floors? As long as the building is energy efficient, then under floor heating will not harm the wooden floors. While in years past, radiant heating was not recommended, today's buildings are better built and have the proper insulation to accommodate radiant heating. However, if you have an older home, it would be wise to have professional look at your floors/insulation and determine if radiant heating would be a good idea.
3. Is it possible to combine this method of heating and conventional air conditioning? Yes. However, if this is your choice, it is best to have both systems installed at the same time. Typically, the recommended form of air conditioning is a system that is installed in the attic. It is not recommended that you combine a forced air system with a radiant system (one for heating and one for cooling) as this is not only more expensive, but is not as comfortable in regards to the temperature of the home and the quality of the air. In fact, only 5% of the heat transfer is by convection, ensuring cleaner air than traditional energy sources.
4. Do flooring materials such as carpet, tile or wood have any effect on how well this system works? Ceramic tile, wood and linoleum are great for conducting heat; however, carpet is thicker so it takes more energy to heat through the carpet into the room and often results in heat loss below the house. However, in multiple story homes, carpet is good for the upper stories as the "heat loss" will simply go to the floor below.
5. Can this form of heating have specific zones and how many controls are possible? As a rule of thumb, each floor is its own zone and will have its own control.
6. What type of quality of living features does a radiant heating system offer? Not only is the air cleaner with a radiant heating system, but additional benefits are more even heating throughout the home with no dry heat or hot air drafts to cause shifts in humidity and temperature, the ability to arrange your furniture in any formation you want without regard to where the vents are, the system is quiet so you don't hear it "click" on or off and a radiant heat system will last considerably longer than a forced air system as it is corrosion, impact, crush and pressure resistant.

For additional information on the topic of radiant heating visit Northern Air Plumbing & Heating. Article independently authored by Janet M. Slagell. The content herein may or may not reflect the views and opinions of Northern Air Plumbing & Heating. Click for search engine optimization and search engine marketing or visit WebDrafter.com's Blog.