| So what is radiant heat? | | | | is terrible if you have allergies, because it stirs up |
| This is a climate control method that involves | | | | dust, mold particles, spores and other allergens. |
| heating a room by heating it surfaces -- whether | | | | But at least it heats the room, right? Wrong. Sure, |
| it's the walls or, more often, the floor. Older | | | | it works if you're standing directly below the |
| homes were built with radiators in the corners, | | | | heating duct (and you don't have any allergies). |
| which heated the room by getting very very hot. | | | | But it also creates erratic air currents that create |
| The problem? Often they got too hot, and would | | | | hot and cold spots in the room. With floor heating, |
| burn anyone unlucky enough to touch them. Or | | | | the heat rises uniformly from a broad swath of |
| they only heated the five square feet around | | | | the floor, so the room is heated more evenly. |
| them. Modern radiant heating systems utilize | | | | Is it efficient? |
| broad surfaces that don't need to heat up as | | | | It's much more efficient than many other home |
| much. | | | | heating methods. It's most efficient, though, in |
| What's the science behind it? | | | | large homes with high ceilings. If your home is |
| Radiant heat is a form of thermal radiation, or | | | | very small, methods like forced-air may be |
| energy that radiates from an object's surface; it's | | | | efficient, but you'll still need to deal with the allergy |
| the same principle as those old radiators. All | | | | problems. Most of all, though, it's very important |
| objects have temperatures, and all objects | | | | that your home be well-insulated; no method will |
| radiate energy in the form of heat. Objects also | | | | work at its best if you're losing heat through the |
| absorb radiant heat from other nearby objects. | | | | walls and ceiling. But in the grand scheme, radiant |
| So a relatively cool object -- like your feet -- will | | | | floor heat is the most efficient way to heat your |
| absorb heat from a warmer object -- like the | | | | home. |
| floor, if it's warmed by a heating system. | | | | What methods of radiant heating are out there? |
| What's the difference between radiant heat and | | | | There are three kinds: Electric, which uses electric |
| forced air? | | | | coils like those in your oven, or mats made of a |
| A forced-air heating system uses ducts to blow | | | | specialized conductive material; air-heated, which |
| heated air into the rooms of your house. It's a | | | | pump furnace-heated air under your floors; and |
| very inefficient system that loses energy | | | | hydronic, which heat your floors with hot water. |
| throughout the process. What's worse, forced air | | | | |