The idea of In-Floor Heating isn't new, but it has gained popularity as of late. The general idea is to provide heat to a home, but to do so through the floor rather than through Heating ducts. You will essentially have special tubing embedded into a concrete foundation, and heated water will be flowed through the tubing. Water can be substituted with food-grade antifreeze mixture if you so desire, and in the end it will serve to heat the entire mass of the concrete floor.
Benefits of Heated Flooring
Produces even heat unlike conventional methods
Warms room in it's entirety
Provides high levels of comfort without wasting energy
Lower monthly fuel bill
Warm water can be generated by means of solar panels
In hydronic Heating there are three steps. The first step involves the boiler system using conduction to quickly heat the water. In the second step, hot liquid is pumped throughout the house and will serve to heat the various flooring types. Finally the flooring surfaces, having been heated, will actually radiate into the entire room.
In the end what you will have is a consistent temperature that will radiate from the floor in addition to any solid objects that happen to be touching the floor. Keep in mind that these solid objects could be a wooden chair or even a couch. Just imagine having the benefits of a heated chair without having a heated cushion. That is without a doubt one of the greatest features of the heated floor, and you will undoubtedly find that it is much cheaper to heat the floor in this fashion.
The upfront expenses of the hydronic Heating system will be a bit much, but when you are buying such a system you will need to take into account the lifetime costs. Believe it or not, using in floor Heating you will be able to save between 20% and 40% using a radiant Heating system. When held in comparison with the costs of a traditional Heating system, you will more than likely find this to be acceptable.
You are probably thinking that it cannot get much better at this point, and here you would be wrong. As a matter of fact, it does get quite better with the fact that the government has offered tax incentives for those who install energy efficient in floor Heating. That being said, hydronic Heating will save you more than your power bill -- it will save you on on your taxes. This is a great reason to install these floors, and you will soon find that they provide you an incredible level of comfort.
Before you can actually take advantage of this method, you are advised to speak with a Heating and air conditioning specialist. There are many tricks you can use to reduce the cost of your system as far as your power bill is concerned, for instance using a concrete slab would be much cheaper than using a hardwood floor in the long run. It is up to you of course, and in the end, you are the one who will have to be concerned with the power bill. That being said, it's time for you to make your choice and heat your floor! It's only a matter of time before you stop paying and start saving.
The Inner World of In-Floor Heating
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment