Filed under: Material/Building Systems | Tags: heating, Material/Building Systems, radiant
The most common radiant heating systems consist of two types: hydronic and electric. Hydronic radiant heating systems typically utilize a gas boiler to heat water and an electric pump to circulate heated water throughout the floor area. Electric radiant heating uses electric heating elements within the floor. Electric systems are usually less expensive than a hydronic system to install and do not require the installation of a boiler. However, the overall efficiency for electric does not compare to a hydronic system -generating heat from a power plant requires more energy than using heat directly from a liquid source. Additionally, electric systems cannot be paired with a geothermal ground source loop. Electric systems are most efficient when used in a smaller space such as a bathroom or kitchen. (Wikipedia, Under-floor Heating) On average, a hydronic system can cost as little as $2/sq. ft. An index of radiant heating information, installation and pricing can be found at the Radiant Design Institute website. Diagrams, manuals and cad drawings can be found through Warmzone.
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