radiant floor heating cost to operate hydro vs electric

Radiant floor heating cost to operate hydro vs electric how to#
Radiant floor heating cost to operate hydro vs electric install#
Radiant floor heating cost to operate hydro vs electric plus#
Radiant floor heating cost to operate hydro vs electric professional#

Comfort, energy-efficiency and safety are major issues when choosing a heating method for a home.

Today, of course, we have other concerns besides simply survival during a cold winter.

Radiant floor heating cost to operate hydro vs electric how to#

In one way or another, and at different times in human history, people have had a similar choice to make when deciding how to make a structure warm and livable. For more on electric radiant heating, visit our Radiant Heating Knowledge Center and review an excellent article written by Angie's List called, 'Radiant Heating: Pros and Cons for Your Bathroom Floor.The choice between forced-air heating and radiant heating is not a new phenomenon. The sheer ease of installation, along with the more attractive cost and non-existent maintenance fees make electric floor heating systems a natural choice over their water-based, or hydronic, counterparts in many cases.

Radiant floor heating cost to operate hydro vs electric plus#

The floor heating materials in many average bathrooms can be sourced for around $500, plus electrician fees (final hook-up and circuit installation if needed).

Cost - When dealing with remodeling jobs and smaller bathrooms, it’s most likely that installation costs, maintenance costs and operating costs will all be lower using an electric floor heating system rather than a water-based one.

Floor elevation - Thin electric systems will elevate the floor by only 1/8' compared to adding a couple of inches to your floor’s elevation when you add water-based systems.

Here are some other reasons that you may prefer to go electric: This coupled with the thermostats that allow you to preset ON-OFF cycles to provide heat only when and where you need it makes electric systems the more energy efficient. On the other hand, hydronic heating takes longer to warm up overall, and because of this, many people simply leave their water-based systems ON for months at a time, which consumes energy over a far longer period. Electric heating systems are placed above the sub-floor, just under the flooring material so that the heat can rise, usually within 30 to 60 minutes, this compares favorably to water-based alternatives which are often placed 1.5' or 2' into a cement slab and can take up to 7 hours to heat up when they are first turned ON. So beyond the intensive maintenance and high installation cost, many people choose electric heating for the quick heat up time. In comparison, electric systems are virtually maintenance-free without the risk of leaking or eroding hydronic pumps.

Radiant floor heating cost to operate hydro vs electric professional#

In the future, a professional will need to be called in to make any repairs, big or small. Hydronic systems are not maintenance-free and there are moving parts that can wear out and fail.

Radiant floor heating cost to operate hydro vs electric install#

Warming a bathroom floor will be much faster, easier, and wallet-friendly using electric floor heating, because extensive construction may be required in order to install a hydronic radiant heating system. Hydronic radiant heating works well if you already have a hydronic boiler, pumps, and valves and other related hydronic plumbing, however, the cost to install hydronic heating along with all of its necessary components tends to be very costly. The decision to install radiant heating splits between installing hydronic or electric radiant heating and the question on the homeowners' mind is which type will be more efficient, cost-effective, and the easiest to maintain? In an effort to explore these questions, here is our case for electric radiant heating. For the homeowner, the goal is to begin enjoying the warm comfort and luxury that radiant heating offers without breaking the bank or expending too much energy or work to install.

Radiant heating continues to grow in popularity for homes - new construction and remodeling projects alike.