Forced-air heating has been around for a long time, and has many advantages. However, it isn’t the only option when it comes to keeping your home warm. Radiant heating has been around for quite a bit longer than forced-air heating; the Romans used it to heat their homes thousands of years ago. The technology has changed a bit since then, of course, but it’s still a great way to keep warm this winter. Read on to find out more about the advantages of installing a radiant heating system in your home.
What Is Radiant Heating?
The most common form of radiant heating is a boiler system, although electric systems are used as well. A central boiler heats water, then distributes it throughout the home using a pipe network. These pipes are installed in the walls and/or subfloor of each room in the house. As the hot water flows through the pipes, it radiates heat through the walls and floors to warm the room.
The Advantages of Radiant Heating
Radiant heating is more energy efficient than forced-air heating, for two primary reasons. First, water is a much better thermal medium than air is. Water warms up faster, and can hold heat for longer, than air. Second, radiant heating systems don’t have to deal with air duct leaks. While this may not seem like a big deal, the average forced-air heating system loses up to 30% of its total output to duct leaks.
Radiant heating systems also tend to heat rooms more evenly, eliminating hot and cold spots. This is because all of the heat tends to stay near the floor of the room, rather than hot air which floats to the ceiling and sinks as it cools.
If you’d like to install a radiant heating system, call SPS Mechanical Inc. We install radiant heating systems throughout West Deptford, NJ.
