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What is Radiant Heating?

Jun 30, 2012

You may not give a lot of thought to the different ways heat is generated and used as many of us take it for granted every time we turn up the thermostat.

However, how that heat is produced and distributed will have an impact on you and your family in terms of comfort and utility costs. Radiant heat is all around us. Every time you feel the warmth of the sun or the heat pouring out from a campfire you are experiencing radiant heat. It is the heat that is emitted from a single source.

Call a RESNET certified auditor or rater who will visit your home and not only suggest how you can improve your energy efficiency, they can explain ways how a radiant heat system may be a benefit.

At one time radiant heat systems were the norm, however they were not very cost efficient and could be noisy. They also required rather unattractive radiators to be installed in a room.

New technology has improved these systems so a radiant heat source can provide a constant source of warmth that is economical and healthy.

There are three types of radiant heat systems currently in use:

  • Air heated: Uses warm air to heat floors and walls. This is effective but not cost efficient, as air is not the best way to contain heat.
  • Hydronic: This uses hot water from a boiler that is circulated through tubes to the area being heated.
  • Electric: Uses electric built in cables to create radiant heat in a flat surface.

Radiant heating can be a convenient and cost effective way of heating a home. It is more economical than baseboard heating and quite often more efficient than forced air type heating as there are no ducts and vents to allow leaks.

Radiant heating systems are very well suited for floor and wall installation and are considered a very clean way of distributing heat. Since there is no moving air, as in a forced air system, there are no particles of dust being moved around a home.

Besides being a costs saving type of system, you may be eligible for a Federal Tax rebate when you install a radiant system.

Contact a RESNET certified contractor in your area to best advise you on how you can benefit from radiant heating.