3 Facts Regarding Radiant Floor Heating

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When it's time to replace the heating in your home, you may assume a furnace is the best choice. However, there are many ways to heat your home, and radiant floor heating is one excellent option. There are many benefits to this type of heat, making it popular among many homeowners. If you are not sure if radiant floor heating is right for you, check out these three facts.

It Works By Heating the Floor With Liquid

Most radiant floor heaters use water or water solution to heat the home. The water is heated in a boiler inside the home. Once it is hot, it is sent to tubes that cover the underside of your floor. The hot water heats the floors, and heat naturally rises, so the room becomes warm. Because the tubes are stored under the flooring, there is no risk of burn. Unfortunately, if you need repairs in the future, the floor or part of the floor will need to be removed to reach the tubing, increasing the price of the repair. Some systems have tubes in the walls or ceiling too, but these are typically used for cooling.

Electric Heat Is an Option Too

There is another option besides liquid. Some people choose electric heat. The system works the same as a liquid-based radiant heat system, but it has no boiler or tubing. Instead, electricity is sent to coils that sit under the flooring. The advantage of an electric system is it is typically less expensive to install. However, while an electric-based radiant heating system is effective, it is not as effective as a liquid so that you won't save as much each month on heating costs.

It Works Best on Certain Floors

Radiant heating can be installed under all flooring materials, including carpet. However, some flooring materials have natural insulation (carpet, wood, etc.). If you have radiant heat with these types of floors, some of the heat is not transferred to you. The best type of flooring for radiant heat is ceramic tile because it has little insulating properties. For this reason, many people choose to install a radiant heat system for their bathrooms, but they use other heating for the rest of their home.

Just because you've relied on forced-air heating all your life, it doesn't mean you have to stick with it. Radiant floor heating has many advantages, but it works best on certain types of floors. For more information regarding radiant heat or other heating options, check out a website like http://www.rbincorporated.com/.

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26 February 2018

preparing your furnace for winter

I know it can be difficult to make yourself think about getting your furnace running when the skies are sunny and the temperatures are hovering around 90, but it is the best time for you to think about your heating system. Getting ahead of the winter preparation game will help to save on the cost of the repairs because the need for furnace maintenance is usually at a low during the fall season. This blog will show you what you can do to prepare your furnace for winter and when you should hire a professional HVAC technician to take care of it for you.