It’s time to ditch central heating and expect more for your home heating system.
These days, most of us think of radiant heating as an expensive luxury designed to keep our feet warm instead of treading on icy, early morning floors. But it’s so much more than that. There was a time when every home had cast iron radiators for warmth. And just 40 years ago, radiant floor heating was expensive and prone to failure. But today’s radiant heating systems are much more reliable, efficient and effective. And because costs have come down on some types of radiant heat, it’s become a luxury you can afford.
Energy Efficiency
Don’t be misled by the myth that cast iron radiators waste energy just because they are an older technology. The radiator does nothing to damage or improve efficiency. Your water heater does that. Cast iron radiators do take longer to heat up, but they also stay warm longer, so energy-wise, there is no difference between modern types of radiators and those from the old days.
Radiant flooring is another way to use radiant heat to save energy. Unlike a central furnace that blows hot air from a small box in the corner of the room, radiant flooring uses tepid water to bring up the temperature on the entire flooring area. Instead of pumping a lot of heat out of a small square box, you’re radiating a little heat over a broad surface, creating evenly dispersed, comfortable heat.
Radiant heating can also absorb energy from the sun as it shines through windows and onto your floor or radiator. Just as the sun heats your body when you sit in its rays, water within radiant heating systems gains heat from sunshine. The system transfers this heat to cooler parts of the house, saving you from expending added energy on heating that water yourself. No other heating system can make such good use of a natural resource. A furnace, on the other hand, loses heat while air travels through its ducts, whether the sun is shining or not.
Comfort
Because air systems distribute heat less evenly, you may feel overly warm or cold very easily. They can also make the air feel exceptionally dry as it circulates around you. But temperatures are regulated much more smoothly through radiant floor heating. They bring the floor’s temperature up to about 80 degrees, cooler than your body temperature, but warmer than the air in your home, bringing up the air temperature. They do this without making sound or blowing dry air in your face.
Although the basic design of cast iron heating has changed little because it hasn’t needed to, radiant flooring has come a long way. The materials used are more affordable and dependable.
Call MM Comfort Systems to find out how you can save energy with radiant heat.
MM Comfort Systems sells and installs many types of home heating systems, including radiant heat for flooring and radiators. Call us at 425.533.9058 or use our website’s contact form to schedule a free consultation.
