How Does Radiant Heat Work?

Radiant heat is often used today in heating homes and buildings. It has been growing in popularity due to its many advantages over the traditional heating systems. Consider these - energy efficient, low maintenance due to the absence of moving parts, no noise, environment friendly, space efficient, even heat despite low temperatures and room by room zoning.

Many homes in the U.S. today are enjoying the comfort they so desire even in cold weather due to the radiant heating system. But you may be surprised to know that the use of radiant actually dates back to the Roman empire. During those ancient times, the Romans were already heating their bathhouses and villas using fire in the sub-floor tunnels. In Asia, the Koreans also heated their homes and royal palaces with radiant heat. What the Romans did then was to build fire under the floors and around pipes that have water supply to provide hot water and warmth to people. Ceiling vents were utilized to control temperature and release carbon monoxide.

Today, the radiant heating system comes in different types. Theres the hydronic radiant floor heat which uses hot water and the electric which uses electric coils. They can be installed both indoor and outdoor. And although this type of heating is best installed during construction of a home, it can still be utilized when remodeling a house.

In a hydronic system, plastic tubing with several fittings is installed in a series of loops underneath the floor. A boiler then heats the water and pumps it through the tubing to provide heat to the entire floor area covered by the series of loop. Heat eventually rises upwards and warms objects as well as people in the house. With a thermostat, temperature can be controlled but whats noteworthy in this type of system is the even heat it provides despite lower temperatures.

In the electric radiant heat, coils or wires covered with plastic or mats with electric wires are placed beneath the floor. These are heated by electric current to keep people warm during cold weather. They need to be properly insulated to make sure that all of the heat rises upwards from the floor. This specific radiant heat system is best installed in individual rooms such as the bathroom, kitchen, garage and drive way. When used in a driveway, you will no longer need to shovel snow when winter time comes as the radiant heat will melt the ice.

A great advantage of this system is the absence of moving air thereby eliminating dust, allergens and other airborne particles that can cause allergies. This also keeps your furniture, draperies and walls clean and your floors dry all the time. Additionally, it reduces the loss of heat through the roof since the heat is concentrated on the lower part of the house and around people and objects. In other words, the temperature in the ceiling remains cooler.

The best part of it all is that radiant heat warms people and objects directly without heating the entire interior space. Remember that when choosing a heating system, its benefits for the long term should be considered more than the cost.