If you are diligent with annual boiler maintenance, usually involving little more than a checkup, a properly installed RFH system will serve you well for a long time. It has a higher initial installation cost (less when planned in a new construction), but it rewards with worry-free operation for years. The clearest advantage of a hydronic system is maintenance. As with any project of this type, you should consult with a licensed contractor and consider the advice you get. For areas that see smaller temperature fluctuations between seasons, an existing water heater could be sufficient. A larger home situated in an area where the seasons change, will generally require a boiler. The heat source you choose will, once again, be determined by the size of the house but also by how cold it gets where you live. They work fine with oil-fired boilers, gas-fired boilers, or gas, kerosene or solar-powered water heaters. Hydronic systems also have the clear advantage of working with a variety of existing heating systems. Again, if your space is small or you only want to outfit one room, electric might work out just fine anyway. In those cases, electric may be the only choice. It is much more difficult to install hydronic heat in an existing structure owing to the need to first pull up the floor to install it. The bigger consideration is whether the home is existing or new. So if you plan to use radiant heat throughout, the best option will almost invariably be hydronic. Electric heat throughout the house is very costly (unless you live in a VERY small house). You can either go with electric or hydronic. When you select radiant floor heating for your home, you have two options. The end result is a very stable, uniform temperature throughout the entire space. As it cools, it falls back down to the floor only to be heated up again, and the cycle continues. Sine heat rises, the warmed air also rises. It radiates out and around, warming everything that it touches. Putting it into new construction is easy: Special wood plates screwed to the joists double as subflooring. Step out of a shady spot into direct sunlight and it feels much warmer, even though the actula temperature in both spots is practically the same. Though installing a radiant floor heating system can run up to 50 percent more than, for example, conventional forced-air heat, it saves 30 percent in energy costs, eventually paying for itself. ![]() Radiant heat works in much the same way as the way the sun heats your body in the summertime. Just one time walking on a floor with radiant heat in the dead of winter will tell you all you will ever need to know about its advantages, but there are others as well. It is also the most comfortable, especially on cold mornings. ![]() It radiates much more efficiently and evenly than any other method. Radiant Floor Heat (RFH) involves the installation of either electric coils or water tubes under your home’s floors to generate heat from the floors upward.
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