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Radiant heating is a system of heating that supplies heat directly to the floors, walls or ceilings of a house. To put it simply, radiant heating is direct supply of heat to the occupants of the house through radiation. The most common form of radiant heating is the radiant floor heat and it is basically of three types: air heated radiant floors; electric radiant floors and hydronic radiant floors.

Air heated radiant floors are the not commonly used when making use of radiant heating. This is because they are not generally cost effective and can be problematic especially when combined with solar air heating systems. These are only available when there is sunlight and days when there is no sunlight or in the night, the solar air heating systems will not function. Therefore making use of air heated radiant floors is not really advisable.

Electric radiant floors utilize a high level of electricity which makes them cost ineffective. When they are combined with a huge thermal mass however, they become more cost effective because the heat stored in the thermal mass will keep the house warm even without connecting it to electricity. This makes it energy efficient.

Hydronic radiant floors are the most popular forms of radiant heating. They make use of liquid and are cost effective in temperatures that require a lot of heating. It makes use of heated water pumped from a boiler through pipes that are laid underneath the floor. By controlling the flow of the hot water through the pipes, the temperature in the room can be controlled, though this is only possible in systems that plan for it.

There are several advantages to radiant heating, primarily the fact that is it generally more efficient than force air heating. Forced air heating makes use of ducts which allows for loss of energy. Also, the fact that there is no air moving around can be a huge plus for those suffering from one allergy or the other. If you are making use of a hydronic system, you get to save on energy costs because they use very little electricity.

Radiant floor heating can be installed either through wet installation or through dry installation. Whichever system is used for installation, it requires the expertise of a heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) technician who would also offer advice on the type of radiant floor heating you should use.

For the flooring, thick carpets should not be used so that the heat can radiate efficiently into the room. If you must make use of a carpet, use a thin carpet with a lot of padding. Ceramic tile floors are usually preferred as they act as great heat conductors and thermal storage. Avoid flooring that increases the insulation of the room because they will hinder the efficient flow of heat into the room.