Radiant heating is one of the most comfortable and energy efficient ways to heat your home. A radiant heating system consists of a series of small tubes installed under the floor, above a ceiling, or behind the walls in your home. Hot water from a dedicated hot water heater is then pumped through the tubing to warm the floor, concrete slab, or wallboard.
Since heat rises, radiant heating installed under flooring works better than radiant heating in walls or ceilings. In addition, radiant floor heating warms the flooring under your feet, allowing you to lower the thermostat by 2-4 degrees while still feeling comfortable.
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One of the most comfortable, efficient, and therefore, greenest ways of heating your home is by using radiant heat. There are panels you can put on walls and in ceilings, but I like radiant floor heating. The type that uses water is really the most effective, too. They’re called hydronic systems and they pump heated water from your water heater or a boiler through tubing laid in a pattern underneath the floor. You can put it under almost any kind of flooring, although most don’t recommend it under carpet.
The reason I think radiant floor heat is so comfortable is because heat is evenly distributed across the floor, warming up the feet and body, and then the very furniture in the room. Since the floors distribute heat evenly, homeowners can set their thermostat 2 to 4 degrees lower, which leads to reduced energy costs. One more thing I like about it is the fact that it’s easy to retrofit a radiant floor into an existing home.
So, warmer home, warmer feet . . . and all by using less energy. That’s green.
