Radiant electric heating systems are very different from other heating systems most notably the warm air systems that are in use for some time now. Instead of blowing warm air through fans, radiant heating systems heat the floor in order to warm the room.
The principle is simple. The radiant heating system first heats up your floor and then the heat will be transferred to the different objects in the room. Through various heat transfers, the room will be heated up evenly all through out. Cold spots will be virtually non-existent meaning every place in your house will be as warm as you want it to
There are two types of radiant heating systems. The first type of heating system is the one that uses electric heating and the other one uses water to heat the room. Electric heaters use electricity to heat rubber mats that are laid on top of your floor. These mats are fully insulated heavy duty rubber so you do not have to worry about safety issues. Water radiant systems on the other hand, use pipelines that are installed underneath your floor. Hot water passes through these pipes and warms the floor above it. If you do not know which of these things you need, then consider these things:
Population – the number of people is important
The number of people that is inside the house will impact the way that you heater will perform. It is important for you to know approximately how many people will be in the room or house before buying the radiant heating system.
If you have only a few people inhabiting your home, then it will be a great idea to buy electric radiant heating system. This is because when there are only a few people, you need to be able to switch the warming system on and off. When you do this in an electric heating system, it is easy. However, this will not be possible when you attempt to do this on a water based heating system. On advantage of hyronic heating systems is that it can retain heat for a longer period of time. You can turn it off when you reach the desired temperature and it will keep warm up to a fairly long amount of time.
The size of the house – size always matter
One hundred fifty square feet. Keep this measurement in mind when you want to buy a radiant heating system. A house or room size that is over 150 square feet should alost always warrant the use of hydronic radiant heaters, using electric heaters to warm big areas is not practical since hydronic heaters can retain heat for a longer amount of time. For small areas however, electric heaters is the way to go since it will allow you instant heat generation. In 20 to 30 minutes, electric heaters can warm your room up to the temperature that you want. Remember that hydronic heaters take a long time to warm up but once they do, they stay warm for a long time.