Radiant Floor Heat Electric Vs Hot Water

Electric floor heaters are available as either a heated mat or heating cable based system and both convert electric energy into radiant warmth.

Radiant floor heat electric vs hot water.

They both heat hot water this is true but their function is different. As a result electric in floor heating. Electric radiant heat electric radiant heat is a cable or film that generates warmth by alternating currents running in a mat or cable system. Both offer the same end result a room that s evenly heated from the floor up but each operates in a very different way.

The mat is powered by electricity 120v or 240v which is the same cost as hydronic. You can set the system to run during off peak hours to reduce your electric bill and the floor will continue to radiate heat long after the system shuts off. You can either use plastic tubing with hot water hydronic or electric cables. Learning the pros and cons.

Water radiant heat by brian whitehurst 11 26 2012 radiant heating is becoming more and more popular and the benefits are becoming more widespread. By installing your heat source in the floor rather than relying on hot water electric baseboard or conventional forced air heating you can expect comfortable well balanced warmth throughout your home or building. If you want to heat 200 sq. To summarize unlike traditional radiators which can make a room feel chilly at times and too hot at other times underfloor heating does not overheat instead it achieves the desired temperature set by you using an on the wall thermostat.

Boiler many people use these terms interchangeably but the reality is that they are very different. Radiant systems can also usually be run at six to eight degrees cooler than forced air as hot air rises and the latter usually pushes the hot air in at the top of the room reducing its effectiveness. Hot water heater a hot water heater is used to give you domestic hot water for your appliances like dishwashers and washing machines as well as fixtures like showers and sinks. From an architectural point of view electric radiant heat systems have the least impact since heating cable thickness is only 1 8 compared to 5 8 outside diameter of 1 2 pex tubing.

The heat source for a hydronic system can be a boiler or a standard water heater. If your home is already heated by hot water radiators or baseboard units there s a good chance that your existing boiler can handle the hydronic system as well. Radiant heat provides warmth from the floor up throughout the room without any cold spots or stuffiness in the area being heated.