A few decades ago, in-floor radiant heating was considered a luxury item found only in the most expensive Wichita, Kansas, homes. Now, it is seen as an affordable and eco-friendly heating option that is growing in popularity. The following are some reasons why you may consider investing in radiant floor heating.
Uniform Heating
One of the biggest benefits of investing in in-floor heating systems is that they can uniformly heat your home. A forced air heating system distributes warm air via vents. The parts of the room closer to the vents are warmer than those farther away.
By comparison, underfloor radiant heating raises the temperature of the entire floor. This even floor heat, in turn, evenly heats the room, creating a comfortable ambient temperature for the room’s occupants.
Saves Money
Installing radiant heating is a sizable expense upfront during a new construction or renovation project. However, in-floor radiant heating systems will give you cost savings over the life of your home.
In the colder parts of the country, like Wichita, Kansas, finding an efficient way to heat your home is vital. According to the US Department of Energy (DOE), home heating consumes more energy and is more expensive than any other system in the home. For the average American, heating is 42% of their annual utility bill. Some estimates suggest that homeowners can see energy savings of between 10% and 30%.
In-floor radiant heating combats high utility bill prices, offering energy-efficient, evenly distributed heat compared to forced heating systems.
Improves Your Quality of Life
Electric radiant floor heating systems are silent, relatively simple to install, require little to no maintenance, heat quickly, and heat your home uniformly. The professional installers at Fahnestock HVAC will run a series of flexible wires under your flooring, following a pattern that maximizes heat output and coverage from in your home with thermal radiation.
Heating the floor as opposed to the surrounding air is more efficient because there is a reduction in thermal loss. The heat generated in the floor radiates up. It gets absorbed by furniture and surrounding objects that, in turn, help to heat the room.
In-floor radiant heating mimics the sun in that when you step in the sun out of the shade on a cold day, you get warm even though the surrounding air temperature has not changed. Radiant heating does not seep out of windows or doors as it does with forced air heating systems.
In-floor radiant heating eliminates noisy radiators, vents, or baseboards. Gone are systems of ductwork that spew dust and pollutants into the home while drying out the air. Houses with people that have allergies or asthma may benefit significantly from this allergy-friendly heating style.
Requires Less Maintenance
Most radiant heated floors outlast the flooring it is installed under. It is not uncommon to see radiant heating systems that were installed in the 1930s and 1940s still functioning today.
Modern technology has drastically increased the lifecycle of radiant heating. In the rare event of a wire failure, the technicians at Fahnestock HVAC can quickly locate where the failure is without ruining the entire floor. When the break location is identified, only a tiny section of flooring needs to be removed, allowing for a quick and easy repair.
Forced air systems must be cleaned and require annual maintenance, new filters, and replacement parts. Radiant heat requires very little, if any, maintenance.
Increased Comfort
Does your home have wood or tile floors? They are attractive to look at and easy to clean. However, very few things are as uncomfortable during a cold Kansas winter as jumping out of your warm bed or a hot shower and stepping foot on a cold surface.
Once you install radiant floor heating, you may wonder why you didn’t do it sooner. You maintain the look of tile, marble, or engineered wood without needing to wear socks at night or when you get up in the morning.
User Friendly
Radiant floor heating is versatile and offers design flexibility. Our team of installers can install it anywhere in your home, be it the living room, basement, bedroom, bathroom, and every room in between.
After installing the heating system, you can choose the flooring material to cover it. Improvements in radiant heating technology mean that as a homeowner, you are not limited in the type of overlayment you want. Hardwood floors, vinyl, carpet, tile, and stone are just a few options available.
The controls for modern radiant heating systems are more user-friendly than in the past. You can use a traditional thermostat, purchase a Wi-Fi-enabled system, control the floor’s heating with your phone, and use a programmable thermostat that learns your routines, providing a more efficient way to heat your home while saving you money.
What Type of Radiant Floor Heating Should You Invest In?
Air-heated radiant floors are the least cost-effective style of radiant floor heat. Air does not do an excellent job of holding large amounts of heat. For this reason, the systems are seldom installed in residential buildings. When they are installed, they are combined with solar heating systems.
Electric radiant heating floors use electric heating cables that are built into the floor. An electrical mat is mounted below a floor covering, such as stone or tile. Electricity is relatively expensive, so electric radiant floors are only cost-effective if they are coupled with a floor covering that has a thick thermal mass, like concrete. With a dense enough thermal mass, the heat stored in the floor can keep the home comfortable for several hours without needing additional electrical input.
Homeowners who invest in radiant hydronic floors see the most significant return on their investment. Hydronic radiant floor systems use heated water from a boiler and pump it through tubing laid in a pattern designed to maximize heating. The cost of installing hydronic radiant floor systems can be considerable, but this is the most energy-efficient form of in-floor radiant heating. This type of system can also double as a water heater. Modern technology allows tankless water heaters to both heat water on demand and provides warmth to your home through the hydronic floor system simultaneously.
Several factors will influence which in-floor heating system is suitable for your home. The HVAC professionals at Fahnestock HVAC will be happy to evaluate your existing or new construction and help you determine which type of radiant floor heating will give you the best return on your investment.
Providing Unparalleled Comfort for Wichita’s Residents
Fahnestock HVAC is a plumbing, HVAC, and electrical company that has provided Wichita’s residents unparalleled comfort since 1946. We offer residential and commercial services. We are proud to have a team of NATE-, NIC-, and EPA-certified technicians working with us. We are family-oriented, highly experienced, and hold an A+ Better Business Bureau rating.
Our services include HVAC repair, replacement, maintenance, and installation. We install hydronic radiant flooring and do all electrical system repairs, upgrades, and new installations. We install tankless heaters and do general plumbing, repairs, and installations. Contact Fahnestock HVAC today and see why we have been the company Wichita residents have turned to for improved home comfort for more than four decades.
