Choosing electric underfloor heating
Electric underfloor heating is becoming very popular as energy rates rise. The reason is simple: heat rises, too. Underfloor heating is much more efficient than the forced-air heating more commonly used in today’s homes. Rather than a radiator or electric baseboard which heats the air, and the air then heats the objects in the home (from furniture to humans), an underfloor system heats the floor, which radiantly heats the objects and the air. This produces a smoother, gentler heat than that of the forced-air variety.
The laws of physics tell us that heat always flows toward cold. If you are seated on an object that is colder than your body, you will lose your heat to that object until the two of you reach equilibrium. With electric underfloor heating, the floor and the furniture are heated slowly and gently, and when you sit in the furniture you don’t lose any heat. Most people report feeling warmer in a room heated radiantly than in a room heated to the same temperature via more conventional methods. In fact, people who use radiant heating often lower their thermostats a few degrees and feel just as warm as those using conventional heating methods at higher temperatures.
Electric underfloor heating is very easy to install during either new construction or a remodel. Because the flexible mats with thin electrical wires in them are so light and portable, nearly any homeowner can undertake this project with fantastic results. Programmable thermostats increase energy savings, turning the system off when you’re not home and turning it on shortly before you arrive.
Underfloor heating is enjoying a quiet revolution, and if you’re considering new construction or a remodel, it should be an option you seriously consider for a heating system.