Heating your home is critical for staying comfortable during the freezing nights around Henderson between December and March. While forced air furnaces and heat pumps get most of the attention, other options include radiant heating.
What Is Radiant Heating?
Radiant heating is installed in the floor or walls and radiates heat into the room. While forced-air heating focuses on heating air, radiant heating warms surfaces that continue radiating the heat with less additional energy consumed. This makes it exceptionally efficient, often providing more even comfort.
How Radiant Heating Works
The concept behind radiant heating is that surfaces tend to hold heat better than the air. Most radiant systems are installed under the floor, so you’ll feel the heating when you’re barefoot or in socks. It won’t get hot enough to be uncomfortable but will prevent the notoriously cold flooring many homes experience over the winter.
Additionally, heating the floor also transfers heat into other items that make contact with the floor, such as furniture. With this concept, you have more items throughout your home that can radiate heat rather than leaving everything cold and trying to keep the air warm.
Types of Radiant Heating Systems
There are two primary types of radiant heating systems: electric and hydronic. Electric systems use an electric resistance heating coil with a thin resistance wire that heats up when an electric current passes through it. This connects to a thermostat and a power source.
Hydronic radiant systems use heated water that pumps through tubes installed under the floor. While older systems used copper tubing, modern systems use durable PEX tubing. These systems require a boiler to be installed to heat the water that runs through the tubing.
Cost Difference Between Radiant Versus Air Heating
There are two aspects of costs to consider for heating. The first is installation costs and the second is operational costs.
Radiant floor heating typically runs between $6 and $20 per square foot, which would equate to up to about $40,000 for a 2,000-square-foot home. Costs are less when you install the system while performing other renovations, like replacing your floor. Furnaces tend to run between about $5,000 and $10,000 for the unit. However, if you have to install ducts in your home, that could effectively double the cost or more.
The water used in radiant heating stays in the piping under the floor, so the system doesn’t need to continually reheat the water to the same degree a furnace has to reheat the air. Consequently, the average cost for running floor heating is usually between $120 and $600 per year. Over the 2023-2024 winter season, furnaces cost between $400 and $700 on average to operate. Homeowners who switch from furnace to radiant floor heating typically report a 10% to 30% reduction in annual heating costs.
Lifespan and Maintenance
Furnaces and radiant floor systems have similar expected lifespans, usually 15 to 20 years. However, furnaces require annual maintenance to keep the system tuned for optimal performance. This usually includes a deep cleaning, extensive testing, lubricating bearings and tightening of mounting hardware and electrical connections. Additionally, you need to keep an eye on the air filter and change it regularly to keep the system heating effectively and prevent excessive strain and wear.
Electric radiant floor heating systems require minimal maintenance once they’re installed. Hydronic systems may require some minor maintenance, including inspection for leaks, testing the pumps, checking how well the heating source is functioning and occasionally flushing the system to remove sediment and prevent deposit buildup.
Experience matters for home services, which is why property owners around Henderson turn to OnTIME Service, with more than 25 years of experience. Our team provides AC and heating services including installation, maintenance and repair, indoor air quality solutions, including duct cleaning and residential plumbing, including water softener, water heater, sump pumps and garbage disposal installation and repair, leak detection and repair, and drain and toilet unclogging and cleaning. Call to schedule a consultation with one of our NATE-certified technicians to find the perfect heating solution for your home.
