Radiant Heating

Anyone who has ever placed their hand over a hot stove top has experienced radiant heating. One does not have to touch the element directly to experience the heat sensation. Radiant heating of homes worked largely the same way. The area is heated via a source located somewhere in the room.

Radiant heating offers many advantages over convection and other types of heat. It is much more efficient than base board and forced air heating. With radiant heating, none of the energy is lost in air ducts or shafts. The heat is contained in one general area.

Moving air can wreak havoc for those that suffer from allergies or other respiratory problems. Radiant heat involved no moving air so dust and pollen contact are greatly reduced. Those that suffer from allergies or asthma will find this a very useful advantage.

Electric radiant floor heaters are somewhat of a hit and miss. They can be cost effective but one has to be clever. The electric radiant floor heaters usually have cables built into the floor. Electricity is quite expensive so using these alone to heat the home isn’t usually cost effective. However, if you have a thick concrete floor and your utility company offers time of use rates, this method can save loads. The trick is to heat the concrete floor mass during the hours when energy is the cheapest. This is usually from after 9 pm until around 6 am. The concrete will store the heat and will supply enough warmth for the rest of the day. This is one way to make radiant heating work to save money.

Radiant heaters can also be placed inside the walls of one’s home. This offers heating in all directions and can be made into a highly cost effective measure. Radiant wall heaters are relatively inexpensive and offer an excellent alternative to high heat and energy bills.

Radiant heating offers many advantages over other traditional types of heating. It is much more efficient that forced air or base bored heating and is much kinder to those with allergies and asthma. It can be made into highly cost effective heating under the right conditions if one does their research. With the rising costs of energy and the constant threat of global warming, radiant heating can present an excellent option.