Your Edmonton Guide to In-Floor Heating
There is nothing more terrible than walking on your cold floor early in the morning. It will shake you up, confuse, and annoy you right after waking up. You can try to remedy such circumstances by wearing more socks than usual, or laying blankets all over the floor in anticipation.
The most convenient remedy to cold floors might already be staring you in the face. Or perhaps, it is somewhere below your line of vision. Edmonton in floor heating seems extravagant but it is affordable and highly energy efficient. For those Edmonton homeowners who are not yet familiar with in-floor heating or perhaps shopping for their next home heating alternative, here is a short introduction.
HOW IN-FLOOR HEATING WORKS?
The installation of an in-floor or underfloor heating system in your home requires the installation of water heated pipes or perhaps electric heating coils below the floors of your home. The usual kind of flooring related to radiant heat is tile. But then, there are certain systems that incorporate laminate or hardwood flooring, or even a carpet. And since heat goes up, it is not only the coils or tubes underneath your floor heat up your feet or toes, but your entire room alsoheats up as if you are using radiant heat. To know more how in-floor heating works, take a look at a furnace that only generates heat out of a register and ends up circulating inside the room. With an Edmonton radiant heating system, your floor becomes one big vent. This method is not new since Europeans prefer this kind of heating as early as the 1970s. They adopted this practice from the early Romans who utilized heated pipes to make their floors warm.
VARIOUS KINDS OF IN-FLOOR HEATING
Even if there are several kinds of flooring put above in-floor heaters, there are only three types of heating systems:
- AIR HEATED FLOOR SYSTEM –this kind of in-floor heating system is not a practical choice for most Edmonton homes since the air is not a good heat conductor.You’ll realize that air heated in-floor heating is not common because it is pricey to install and operate. But you can make it more cost-effective and practical if youpair it up with solar air heating systems. However, it only allows you to generate heat during the day. But it is important that you are aware that such an alternative exists.
- ELECTRIC RADIANT FLOORS –this type of in-floor heating is more common because you can directly connect it to your home. It also spells convenience since you can control it using the same power circuits as your fans, lights, and several other appliances. This kind of radiant floor heating comprises of mounted cables below your floor or underneath your actual floor that is being covered by mats of electrically conducive plastic. Maybe the best advantage of radiant floor heating is also its biggest flaw, the capacity to connect with your home’s power circuits can drastically increase energy bills.
- HYDRONIC RADIANT FLOORING –this happens to be the most prominent and cost-effective radiant flooring model. This system utilizes a boiler pump that heats water that passes throughtubes set below your floor. Hence, it manages to create a warm surface and temperature in your room.
AFFORDABLE INSTALLATION
To a lot of Edmonton homeowners, the cost of installing a heating system below your floor is beyond their capacity. The truth is; most of them do not research about this option and just goes with the common concept that it is a pricey investment. You can usually expect such methods that improves the comfort of your home and can significantly lower your monthly utility bills to come with a big price tag. In contrast, installing an in-floor heating system fits most homeowner’s budget. You can safely assume that your in-floor heating installation will cost you around $3 per square foot. But it all varies on the size of your house and the kind of underfloor heating system you plan to install. All in all, you might have to shell out around $5,000 up to $14,000 to cover the size of your home. But if you want to start small, like your bathroom perhaps, you’ll likely spend less than $700 for the entire project. But you must take into consideration though that such an installation will significantly lower your monthly heating bills, especially during winter. Best of all, you no longer have to do tedious floor heating upkeep once you make the shift.
IN FLOOR HEATING CAN LOWER ENERGY BILLS
You’ll also feel more comfortable with your radiant heat installation when the weather becomes unusually cold. That means you can manage to get by even with lower thermostat levels. Your whole body feels warmer even though your furnace’s performance stays the same because it delivers heat through your entire floor. It is undeniable that an in-floor heating system increases your energy bills, but you can save fuel and energy with a hydronic system. Also, if the entire expanse of your floor serves as your radiator, you’ll only require a lower water temperature.Hence,your boiler will live longer since it no longer has to work so hard.
THE NO-MAINTENANCE METHOD
The best thing about radiant floor heating, depending on the kind that you use,is its almost no maintenance feature. In essence, it is a closed system that manages to keep you warm for a long time. It is true that the pipes in your hydronic units will likely be victims of corrosion. However, it is a clear warning sign that your unit is no longer close, but now an open system. Hence, it is high time you take it to an Edmonton HVAC contractor and let it undergo the necessary checkup and repairs. Just like any other pump as well, its valves may get broken,and it’ll likely experience a list of other issues. Just bear in mind that it mostly involves your pump and not the flooring itself.
CONVENIENCE
The comfort a radiant floor offer is incomparable. Add to that, it also does not need any maintenance, and even lowers your monthly utility bills.While you snuggle in your couch as you watch a good movie late at night, think of all the heat you lose as this hot air makes its way from the vent until it gets to you. Whereas, think of how warm you can get if the heat that circulates in your home comes from the floor instead.
As you consider in floor heating, maybe it is also the perfect time to ask the advice of a certified HVAC expert. As previously mentioned, its advantages are far much more than having a warm surface to step on in the morning, or enjoy having lower energy bills from then on. It will also warm up your home like no other heating system can, and let you enjoy your life without constantly worrying about heating maintenance and repairs. You can now be thankful that you are aware of in-floor radiant heating and is now reaping its benefits.