Electric Radiant Ceiling Heat Heating Systems
Effective Underfloor Home Heating
Furnaces situated beneath ground floors in cellars or other open spaces in ancient Roman buildings marked the beginning of underfloor heating. There are many advantages of using underfloor heating, and as more people have realised this, both water-based and electricity-based underfloor heating systems have become a preferred heating choice.
Underfloor heating works with a combination of radiant and convection heat. Electric heating cables or water pipes carrying warm water from a boiler system are buried in the floors structure. The radiant heat from the cables or pipes travels in rays until it encounters the floor, and the floor then becomes warm. The heat from the floor converts into convection heat as it travels into the air, expands, and rises. This convection heat warms the air as it proceeds up to the ceiling. With underfloor heating, the warmest air is in the lower part of the room because the heat moves from the floor to the ceiling. Heating from a radiator works only by convection heat, and the room is heated from the ceiling down to the floor, with the ceiling having the warmest air.
One of the benefits of underfloor heating is the comfortable room temperature it provides. By using both radiant and convection heat, rooms are heated more evenly, and the warmer air is at the floor level where it is needed, not up at the ceiling. The underfloor heating emits heat to the entire floor area, and every section of the room is heated to the same temperature. Each room has its own thermostat, so you can control the temperature in each part of your home. Rooms that are not used regularly can be kept at cooler temperatures in the fall and winter and at warmer temperatures in the spring and summer, saving you money in energy bills.
Because underfloor heating requires lower temperatures to heat a home than radiator heating systems, homeowners can save 20-25% on their heating bills. Heating bills for more expansive homes can be lowered up to 40%. Energy-efficient underfloor heating saves you money and helps protect the environment by using less energy.
You will have fewer limitations for furniture arrangement with underfloor heating. Not only do radiators occupy valuable space, but items cannot be placed in close proximity to them. With underfloor heating, you can plan on using the entire room for furniture and other objects. Fewer maintenance issues are a welcomed benefit for homeowners since this translates into less money spent. Underfloor heating promotes faster drying of floors in bathrooms and kitchens that often get wet from everyday use.
Concrete and timer suspended floors are good candidates for underfloor heating. Almost any floor finish, including stone, hardwood, carpet, lino, and laminate, can be used with an underfloor heating system.
About the Author
Tal Potishman, editor of Heating Central, writes articles about central heating, boiler, Birmingham plumbers, underfloor heating and solar thermal. He specializes in helping save money by advising on efficient heating.
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