What is the Ideal Time to Install Radiant Heating?

If you’ve looking for alternatives to a forced-air system, radiant heating is worth investigating. In areas of the country where winters are cold, some types of radiant heating can only be installed when it’s mild outside. Here in Orlando, it’s possible to install radiant heating anytime you choose.

Here’s a look at the two most common types of radiant heat available today:

• Hydronic systems are typically used to heat an entire house. They use a heat source like a boiler or a solar water heater to warm water that’s pumped through tubing embedded in a new concrete slab, or placed in cement on top of an existing slab. Recently, prefab subfloor panels that already contain tubing became available.
• Electric radiant heating is a good choice if you only want to heat one room, or if you’re building an addition and can’t extend your home’s existing forced-air system. This type of radiant system heats via electric-resistance cables placed between the flooring and a subfloor. There are also conductive plastic mats and rolls with the cables embedded available in a variety of sizes for ease of installation.

Radiant Heating Advantages

Installing radiant heating in your home can bring some distinct advantages:

• Cozy comfort. You’ll enjoy a soothing heat that radiates directly through the floor, walls and ceiling and even your furniture so you don’t experience cold spots or temperature fluctuations.
• Healthier indoor air quality. Because there’s no air movement needed for heat distribution, you breathe cleaner air with fewer irritants, pollutants and allergens.
• Better efficiency. In a forced-air heating system, up to a third of the output can be lost to leakage and conduction in the ductwork, but this doesn’t happen with a radiant system.
• Easy zoning. If you want zoned heat in your two-story or large home, it’s easily set up when you have a hydronic system installed. When electric radiant heat is installed in just one room or an addition, you have an instant independent heating zone in that space.

For advice about whether it’s beneficial to install radiant heating in your Orlando home, contact us at Rinaldi’s Energy Solutions.
Our goal is to help educate our customers in Orlando, Florida and surrounding areas about energy and home comfort issues (specific to HVAC systems).

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