No one can resist the sensation that is brought about by heating a floor especially during the winter. However most people go for radiant floor heaters without considering their types, their capacity or even their preferred application sites. A radiant floor heating system is an under the floor heating system that heats up the floor surface. There are two main types of radiant floor heating systems; the electric system, which operates by conducting heat via electric cables, the Hydronic system which conducts heat via hot water tubes. However, both systems are buried beneath the floor and they operate much under the same principals.
Whenever you want to install or purchase radiant floor heating systems, there are some considerations that you should put in mind. Well the first being they type of the system as we have mentioned above. Therefore consider your finances and go for the one that will oversee minimal energy consumption and one that will be easier to maintain and operate. In this aspect, you will find out that electric systems are very cheap to purchase, however, they consume high amount of energy and in the long run they might end up being very expensive to run. Hydronic systems however are cheap to maintain except that the initial installation cost is very high. So if you are considering a small house or just a single room radiant heater installation, go for the electronic but if you need a larger area installation, for example in an entire house opt for the hydronic system.
Similarly, consumers neglect considering their floor types when they want to install these floor heating systems. The first thing you need to do is check with a professional heating system installer, or a floor expert so as to make the best flooring choice. If you are intending to get the best floor type, consider going for the ceramic, porcelain or stone tiles. These are ideal floor types for good heat conduction and thus they will definitely work best with your radiant floor heating systems. Similarly, they do not contract or expand with variations in heat thus keeping your floor safe.
Similarly, you will need to consider efficient heat control to ensure optimal comfort and save maximum energy with variations in temperature. Thus, for you to ensure that you can comfortably control the heat emitted by the radiant heating system, you will need to purchase on that has a control system that will evenly manage the heat and temperature within specified limits. If your home is in a climatic area with few variations in temperature, then a heating system with just a simple thermostat will be effective. However, for those living in climatic areas where there are huge fluctuations in temperature, a system with sophisticated controls will be required. Here, we are talking about radiation systems containing separate sensors that will monitor outdoor and room temperatures and several other controls to manage these temperatures at a constant level.
Efficiency of the radiant heating system is also a major factor to consider. How effective do you need your heater to be? If you are looking for an instant heater, go for the electronic system but if you are looking for a heater that will take its time to heat your floor but in the long run maintain the heat even after the energy source is removed, go for the hydronic system. Efficiency of the radiant floor heaters depend on the requirements of the user. A user may require efficient energy saving systems while another may require efficiency time saving systems. With these in mind, you can now acquire yourself a reliable and easy to run radiant floor heating system.
