Tuesday 18 December 2012

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.

We will now talk about sources, before we really get into hydronic heating benefits. Your system can use either a single heat source, or it can use a combination. Most common are boilers that use natural gas, oil, waste oil, or coal. They may also use electricity or wood depending on the construction of the home. Heat pumps or chillers could be used in addition, and you might even use a geothermal heat pump.

What are the benefits that accompany in floor heating? For one thing, if you get out of bed at two o'clock in the morning, the last thing you want to do is step on a cold kitchen floor, or even a cold living room floor if you happen to have hardwood. That being said, your in-floor heating solution is a great idea, and it extends much further than your floor. Along with floor heating, it will also cause a radiant heating effect, which ultimately causes the air around you to be heated quite nicely. 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 feel you need more heating in your home, then now would be a most excellent time to start looking into the different hydronic heating options. Keep in mind that some methods work well for different floors. For example you would not use the same type of tubing for concrete floor heating as you would for hardwood floor heating. The biggest problem of course is that the wrong tubing in a concrete floor will tend to crack and leak over time.

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. Now would be a great time to search the internet or even get in touch with a contractor you already know. Your solution could be within reach!




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