In-Floor Heating Vs. Radiators

To increase efficiency, radiators should be free of any obstructions, such as furniture.

In-floor heating and radiators heat homes in very different ways. Before investing in one or the other, a homeowner should know the advantages and disadvantages of each heating mechanism to determine which one is the right choice for her home.

In-Floor Heating

In-floor heating, also known as radiant heating, is the installation of heating device beneath an entire floor space to warm a home. Two main types of radiant heating are electric radiant and hydronic radiant. Electric radiant is generally used for individual rooms, while hydronic heating usually involves heating an entire home when boiling water is pumped through a series of pipes that are hidden in concrete.

Radiators

Radiators in the home can either be portable or built into the house. The device functions as a heat generator to warm up a room, although it isn't considered the most efficient kind of heating as radiators distribute heat from only one point, instead of distributing it across a large area.

Comparison

For in-floor heating, heat is distributed over a large surface area, which means the temperature may be lower than what would be set on a radiator to accomplish the same amount of heating. However, in-floor heating can depend heavily on movement of the air in the room to circulate heat. Installation of in-floor heating can also involve a lot of expensive home renovation.

References

• RadiantFloorHeating.org: Radiant Floor Heating
• Energy Savers: Radiant Heating
• Click4Carbon: ECOinfo on Radiators