Keeping your home comfortable while reducing energy use is a goal of most home owners, and using radiant hot water heat can accomplish both of those goals. Basically, water tubes, usually made of copper, are installed in the flooring and hot water is pumped through them to heat the room.
Users of hot water radiant heat experience many advantages, including:
* Comfort and efficiency
* Improved health
* Cleaner environment
* Safer environment
* Reduction in pollution
How it works: Pipes are installed under the floor boards of every heated room in the house. Each room is equipped with a zone valve and a separate thermostat to control the comfort level of each room. Water is heated in a central boiler, and when the thermostat calls for more heat in a room, the zone valve opens, allowing hot water to flow through the floor of that room, and when the desired temperature is reached, the zone valve closes. This provides comfort in each room of the home while only using the energy demanded for that room.
Since the system is "closed," meaning the water is continually recycled through the heating system; it rarely requires adding water and only heats the water when needed.
If you have a forced air system in your home, you probably already know how much dust, pollen and other air-borne particles are blown around the house when the furnace blower kicks on. By eliminating these particles, your family will breathe in less of them, improving overall health. Additionally, that dust being blown around is going to land somewhere, usually on top of picture frames and on top of your coffee table. Eliminating the need for a fan improves the cleanliness of your home.
It is not uncommon for "little Johnny" to drop a toy into a heating duct or under a baseboard heater, and he can be burned trying to retrieve it. Even pets have been hurt by getting too close to a heat source. With the hot water radiant heating system, there is no threat of carbon monoxide entering the living areas of your home, providing a safer environment for your family.
This type of system is energy-efficient, reducing the need for carbon fuels such as gas, oil or coal. On average, users of hot water (under-the-floor) radiant heat system realize a reduction in heating cost of about 25-percent. Many systems can also provide hot water for the radiant heating system by using electricity, meaning they can also be powered by solar energy - the most economical and environmentally safe source of power.
Ideally, installation of a hot water radiant heat system should be installed during initial construction. However, they can be retrofitted into existing homes to reduce energy costs and provide a safer and healthier environment, while saving the planet by using less fossil fuel. Homes with two or more stories may present a bigger challenge, but it is not one that can not be overcome by a qualified experienced installer. Systems for single floor homes can also be installed by the do-it-yourselfer to save installation costs.
