Thursday

A Matter of Heat

By Georgie McNeal


One of the biggest problems presented to us during the winter is actually keeping the floor heated, which is perfectly understandable. Keeping the air around us heated isn't a particular problem but keeping the floor heated is another matter entirely. Undoubtedly, if you have air hot enough to keep your floor heated, you have a problem. That stated, hydronic heating is a great solution. What exactly is hydronic heating? This is one of the most popular methods of in floor heating.

Firstly, hydronic systems tend to use a water mixture. Just like with your vehicle, you would not want your cooling solvent to freeze in the floor, so a contractor typically insists on the use of propylene glycol. There are also a few different types of piping available, for example polyethylene. More specialized construction projects might call for copper, teel, or Polybutylene. Older construction projects also find these to be popular.

Before we move on to discussing the benefits of hydronic heating, we should discuss the sources of in-floor heating. You might select just one heat source, or you might go for more of a combination. Most common are boilers that use natural gas, oil, waste oil, or coal. They might additionally use electricity or wood. You could also use heat pumps or chillers in addition to a geothermal heat pump.

How can you benefit from in floor heating? Just as one example, you do not want to step onto a cold kitchen floor at six o'clock in the morning. That said, in-floor heating is a great solution, and it will do far more than heat your floor. In addition to that it will cause a radiant heating effect, which means the air around you will be well heated. Furniture touching the floor will also benefit from this mode of heating and in the end, you will experience what most would consider to be an extremely comfortable house.

If you think you would benefit, then you should most definitely look into your hydronic heating options. Remember that some methods work better than others on different floors. For instance it would be a good idea to avoid tubing meant for concrete floors if you plan to use hardwood floor heating. If you have the wrong tubing, it will not be unusual to experience cracks or leaks.

These installations would be best handled by an experienced contractor and there are plenty these days who are well versed in in the art of in floor heating. If you already know a good contractor, you are set, if not, it's time to search the internet. Your solution could be within reach!




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