electric radiant heat

Back when we were growing up, we probably expected life in the twenty-first century would be full of cool technological advances. Maybe everyone didn’t dream of heating that’s embedded in a home’s flooring, but that’s exactly what is available now. It’s actually a kind of residential (or business) heating system that has been used overseas for some time, and is now becoming well-known and more commonly used here in the U.S. Instead of warming air and then circulating it throughout your home using ducts and vents, electric radiant heating is embedded under your floor and uses the entire floor to evenly distribute low-temperature heat.
No matter the method, technology, or system used, a homeowner quickly discovers that the benefits of electric radiant heat are the same. Electric radiant heat is a unique transfer of energy that naturally searches out colder objects to warm. Instead of rising like warm air, radiant heat starts by warming the coldest and closest objects from its source in any direction. Since floors are usually cold, radiant heating systems are commonly placed under them.
Electric Radiant Heat Tip: Whether you’re renovating your current home or building your dream home, you’ll soon find that electric radiant heat is available for many different applications, including bathrooms, kitchens, heated towel racks, and heated walls and ceilings.

All too often, we hear of people needing to upgrading the heating system for a small space in their older home, yet postponing the project over and over for fear of the cost. Older homes often times don’t have the necessary heating ducts needed to install a traditional forced air system, and installing these ducts is very expensive. However, there is a very cost effective and efficient solution to this problem.
It’s just situations like these that electric radiant heat systems are great, and very cost-effective, solutions for smaller spaces (1-5 rooms). You’ll be surprised to learn how easy to install they are, and also have a very low start-up cost. An electric thermostat is all that is required and costs only about $100-$200.
Another advantage of electric radiant heating over a traditional warm-water heating system is the floor build up or height. Floor build up can be from as little as 2mm. The electric cables are usually installed onto an insulation board or directly onto the subfloor or padding (under carpet or laminate), then the floor covering is placed directly over the heating system or thinset.
Electric Radiant Heat Tip: Warm up times for electric radiant heat systems are generally a lot quicker than “wet” systems because the cables are installed directly below the finished flooring making it a direct acting heat source rather than a storage heater.

If you were to poll homeowners who use electric radiant heat in their homes, among the users’ favorite benefits to this heating system would likely be amazing comfort. Doesn’t seem important to you? Well, have you ever noticed during the winter how your feet can be icy cold, while you’re upper body and head are sweating? This is because traditional forced air heating puts the heat in the air, which rises to our head level. This leaves the air at our feet cold, and the air at our head hot.
This is really not optimal, because our upper body and head areas are generally hot due to the fact that this is where the majority of our body heat escapes. Having electric radiant heat in the floor increases our comfort by bringing the heat to our feet, which leaves the air at head level cooler. This scenario creates the perfect level of comfort.
Electric radiant heat is a unique transfer of energy that naturally searches out colder objects to warm. Instead of rising like warm air, radiant heat starts by warming the coldest and closest objects from its source. This is why radiant heating systems are generally placed under floors – either during construction or even later during a remodeling.
Electric Radiant Heat Tip: Radiant floor heat combined with the proper fuel, a high efficiency heat source and good building practices will give you dramatic fuel savings and a greater level of comfort over any other system. Your electric radiant system could use 30% less fuel than the average new forced air heating system. Installing a high efficiency air conditioning system will result in dramatic energy savings year-round.

Dreaming of a new master bath? Wishing for a kitchen makeover? When you are considering remodeling a bathroom or kitchen, you probably think of fixtures or appliances as the most important parts. However, the heating system is also crucial to consider! We’d like to suggest that you look into implementing electric radiant heat.
It’s simply a thin electric mat installed in thin-set cement. This electric mat is controlled by a timer-thermostat To install this type of heating is very cost effective, especially when you consider how much money you’ll save on your heating bill. For example, when installed in an average-sized bathroom, it will operate on less than 10 cents a day of electricity. You’ll soon find that electric radiant heat systems are incredibly economical. They are made of a heat resistant wire that serpentines over a supporting material. They are safe, relatively easy to install, and extremely energy efficient.
Lastly, there’s another major plus to electric radiant heat: amazing comfort. Having electric radiant heat in the floor increases our comfort by bringing the heat to our feet, which leaves the air at head level cooler. This scenario creates the perfect level of comfort.
Electric Radiant Heat Tip: If you are remodeling 1 to 5 rooms, electric radiant heat is the perfect solution. It’s inexpensive, and easy enough to install that most any DIY remodeler could install it.

So what is radiant heat? Have you ever used your hot cup of coffee to warm your hands? It’s then that you’ll be feeling radiant heat. Objects absorb radiant heat until they are the same temperature as the heat source, after which the heat slowly escapes to other areas that are colder, such as the air. The same principle is available to heat your home, using electric radiant heat.
Electric radiant heat is a unique transfer of energy that naturally searches out colder objects to warm. Instead of rising like warm air, radiant heat starts by warming the coldest and closest objects from its source. This is why radiant heating systems are generally placed under floors.
Heating a bathroom can be responsible for a significant amount of your utility bills year-round. Bathroom heating is one such energy consideration because you want the heat quickly, but for only a short period of time. Therefore traditional forced air heating systems for a bathroom can be very inefficient, and waste a lot of energy. However, electric radiant heat can make you feel comfortably warm without having to heat all the air in the bathroom.
Electric Radiant Heat Tip: Not just a cost-efficient heating system for bathrooms and kitchens, electric radiant heat can also increase the comfort level of these rooms because they concentrate the heat in the areas that are generally the coolest, such as tile floors.

A buddy of mine confided in me yesterday that he’s not looking forward to going to his in-laws’ for their vacation this spring.  Not because he doesn’t enjoy their company, but because he knows that there are some areas of their homes that are practically freezing while other areas are comfortable and warm.  And it’s usually the guest room!  It’s a common problem with traditional heating systems, but is easily solved by installation and use of electric radiant heating systems.
Such electric radiant heating systems can be easily and independently controlled by zone, enabling a homeowner to increase the temperature for defined areas of the home during occupancy and conversely allows a particular zone to remain off during down times.  It might remind you of a programmable thermostat on traditional heating systems.  It is similar to that, but actually far more efficient and controllable.
Use of electric radiant heat systems not only saves the homeowner money, it gives complete control to efficiently warm your most used living spaces without fearing an enormous utility bill at the end of the month.
Electric Radiant Heat Tip:  The radiant consultants and designers at Warmzone have been trained in all of the latest heating systems to properly assess your project and prescribe an electric radiant heat system that will add value to your home inside of your budget