Radiant Underfloor Heating

I’ve been living with radiant underfloor heating for over a year and I absolutely love it. It’s extremely comfortable, quiet and energy-efficient. Also called hydronic radiant floor heating, these systems are well worth your consideration.

Radiant floor systems use a boiler to heat up water. The warmth is carried throughout the home in plastic tubing. In underfloor systems, the tubing is embedded under the floor providing heat where it’s needed most – within occupied zones.

The benefits of this type of heating are many. Heat is delivered quietly and without pollutants, unlike forced hot air systems or radiators. It’s also delivered uniformly to living spaces which reduces “cold spots” and increases thermal comfort. Instead of the air being warmed to a comfortable temperature, radiant heating warms objects and people.

The radiant heat doesn’t kick up allergens or dust, making it an ideal choice for homes with allergen sensitive residents. This factor also decreases the production of other indoor pollutants like dust mites.

Radiant heat systems can be used with most flooring. The best results are found when these systems are coupled with high conductive finish materials like ceramic tile and concrete.

Wood also works quite well although some concerns with thermal expansion and contraction can leave homeowners weary of installing radiant systems under hardwood. The truth is that water, not heat, is the greater concern. When installed properly, radiant flooring doesn’t pose a threat to wood flooring.

Other finishes, like carpets, vinyl and laminates can be installed over radiant heating system but the thermal comfort can be limited by the conductive capacity of these materials.

In addition to supreme thermal comfort, radiant underfloor heating offers an energy-efficient way to heat your home. The transfer of heat through the water medium provides a more effective heat exchange. Increased thermal comfort allows occupants to be comfortable at lower temperatures and use less energy.

Another benefit is that radiant underfloor heating systems can be used with a variety of heat and fuel sources. The choices include natural gas, propane, electric, wood, heat pump, geo-exchange (geothermal) and solar. Solar and geothermal are especially efficient.

Solar thermal, which uses the sun’s energy directly, can be easily integrated with radiant underfloor tubing. This is an extremely efficient and clean way to capture free energy from the sun. Water is simply heated by the sun’s rays and passed throughout living spaces in the tubing system.

The same applies to geo-exchange systems. Latent heat is gathered from inside the earth (between 100-400 feet deep) in tubing with a fluid medium, either water or antifreeze. The medium is then pumped throughout underfloor tubing in the home where it delivers a steady, clean, 100% renewable energy for heating.

With solar thermal and geo-exchange systems, energy is required to pump the fluid through tubing but the energy of the heat source costs nothing, is renewable and domestic.

Depending on the fuel source and heating method, radiant underfloor heating can yield energy savings between 20-40%. The savings is a result of the transfer efficiency of the medium and the ease which the medium can be heated.

Personally speaking, I’ve barely thought about staying warm since living with radiant heat because I’m consistently comfortable. The only complaint I can recall is that the bathroom tiles were almost too warm. Not exactly roughing it and barely worth a mention.

*Note: The information in this article is general advice and not meant as a substitute for personal guidance from a financial advisor, real estate professional, general contractor or legal counsel. Although the author is a licensed realtor, the advice given in this article does not constitute any client contract or agreement between the author and the user. The author is not responsible for any losses, damages or claims that may result from your decisions.