Radiant Floor Heating

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Electric Radiant Floor Heating
Electric radiant floor heating systems are heating systems designed for use under carpeting, area rugs, tile, stone, and laminate wood floors and have been used in Europe, South Africa, and Australia for over 20 years.

Radiant heat does away with the age-old problems of cold rooms by offering easy-to-install zone heating. You can choose to either have radiant heat installed by a professional installer or DIY with their plug-n-play portable system for under area rugs. Concentrating on the advantages of floor heating , radiant heat offers comfort from the ground up, heating the room evenly from floor to ceiling.

The product is designed to solve zone heating problems one room at a time without adding the expense or mess of adding additional ductwork and-or baseboard heating units. The ultra thin heating mat that can be assembled and installed by floor installers or do-it-yourselfers, is perfect for whatever your situation. It appears that homeowners, flooring dealers, and builders agree, as sales have already started to expand, and the line has been taken on by several high-end flooring retailers and builders alike.

What makes electric radiant heat so unique is its installation flexibility. Manufactured in multiple size heating mats consisting of looped heating coils sandwiched between 4 layers of polyester for the carpet and area rug product, the resulting system measures less than 1-16". The ultra thin construction makes the heater thin and flexible enough to be installed between a carpet and its pad or under laminate wood without impacting floor height. Installers simply follow the easy to follow installation instructions provided with each system when placing the mats. Once in position, the leads from each mat are either connected to a 120-volt electrical circuit and 7-day programmable thermostat or simply plugged into a wall outlet. A qualified electrician should be used for final electrical connection if the system is to be hard-wired.

Beyond the installation and radiant heating benefits, radiant heat owners will find their systems to be 100% maintenance free and extremely economical to operate. With no moving parts to wear out or filters to change, the system virtually operates itself once the thermostat has been programmed. Simply set the thermostat and forget about it. Equally impressive is the system's average cost of less than a dollar a day to warm a 16' x 20' room for a full 10-hour cycle. The radiant heat fills the entire room with warmth from the ground up, eliminating the cold air zone close to the floor, which is created by traditional heating systems.

Studies show that heating is the largest energy expense for most homeowners, accounting for almost two-thirds of annual energy bills in colder areas of the country. Radiant heat’s ability to warm a home from the ground up produces evenly heated rooms that are not only more comfortable to live in, but are more energy-efficient to maintain at the desired comfort level. In addition, radiant heat also reduces the levels of dust, pollen, and mold spread by conventional forced air heating systems, making your home a healthier place to live.
Individuals interested in obtaining additional information on the only UL-listed plug-n-play electric floor heating systems, or radiant heat for under ceramic tile, stone, hardwood, and vinyl installations, may contact Speedheat at 1.800.430.2690, by email at info@speedheat.us, or on the web at http://www.speedheat.us.

Electric Radiant Floor Heating
There are a number of things that people enjoy about electric radiant floor heating compared to other ways to bring heat into a cold room. Having toasty feet is very welcomed in the bathroom and rooms that have a cold floor touch otherwise. Keep in mind that ceramic tiles and certain floorings are best suited for this style of heating.

One thing that is attractive to many people about electric radiant floor heating is that you don't have to worry about dust flying around like in a forced air system. This is helpful for those with allergies as well as certain sensitivities. Of course another positive is to save a bit on heating compared to forced air heating. Also I remember in college the continuous noise of the fan going on and off when the forced air system went on. Though of course I learned to block it off, it was still a subtle noise I knew existed. Not needing to stare at those little grates is also a treat! Of course I also remember the warm air rising quickly and it seeming to be a waste that the top of room was warm and not me.

With the electric radiant floor heating the temperature is often set lower than other heating systems. Energy costs are cheaper than forced air furnaces though people think this wouldn't be the case. What I think I enjoy the most is coming out of a shower on a cold day to flooring that is a nice and comfortable temperature. Of course another plus is to not hear pipe noises as well as having to change filters!

As someone who likes efficiency , not heating the ceiling or dealing with inefficient circulations through ducts is something that warms my heart as well. It also is nice to be able to use some rooms in winter that you may have ruled out due to fact that they never seemed capable of comfort.
Find the right option for you to heat your home and save money. Read more about Electric Radiant Floor Heating and plan your winter heating properly at http://www.heating-help.com

Radiant Barriers Cut Heating Bills
With heating cost skyrocketing, energy efficiency is becoming an ever increasing concern. Anything you can do to cut heat loss from your home will help reduce the amount of heat required and lower those bills. Adding fiberglass insulation and sealing air leakage are some of the most common strategies for increasing home efficiency. Not to be overlooked, radiant barriers are gaining popularity in the north.

Radiant Barriers have been promoted for over 20 years in the south as a way to lower cooling bills in the summer. In reality they can work just as well at keeping heat in during the winter months.

A radiant barrier works on two principles: reflectivity and emissivity. First, the aluminum is reflective on the hot side which reflects some of the heat back to where it came. Second, and most importantly, aluminum has a low emissivity value of between 0.03 and 0.05. This means that only 3% to 5% of the heat is emitted to the air on the cold side. In order to benefit from both of these properties, the radiant barrier must be double sided and installed so that there is an air space or low density material, like insulation, on both sides.

Conventional insulation works to slow down the rate at which heat conducts through it. The higher the R-Value is the slower the rate of heat loss. Radiant Barrier has no actual R-Value as it works to redirect radiant heat. It holds heat in similar to an aluminum thermos. In addition, it keeps the insulation warmer, slowing down the rate of conductive heat loss.

In heating dominated climates, such as those in the northern parts of the country, installing the radiant barrier in a way to keep heat in, is important. To achieve the desired results the material must be installed on top of the attic insulation, or on the exterior side of wall and floor insulation. In this location the radiant barrier holds heat inside the radiant barrier by not allowing it to radiate off the insulation to the surrounding cold air. It is important to use a perforated radiant barrier product which has small holes punched through the material so it can "breathe" allowing moisture to escape.

Basic installation involves crawling around the attic to spread the material over the attic insulation being careful not to step through the ceiling! Most handy people can tackle this job, but if you have any doubts hire a professional to install it for you.

No matter the age of your house, or how much insulation you already have, adding radiant barrier will help reduce heating and cooling cost saving money on utility bills.

More installation tips and general information can be found on our website, www.energyefficientsolutions.com.
Energy Efficient Solutions is your source for information, sales, and installation of radiant barrier products. http://www.energyefficientsolutions.com

More articles coming soon!

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