Spreading contaminants sucking up resources, wheezing and huffing every time they start up, forced air heaters are the 1979 Buick Regals of heating systems. And though most of us still have these clunky beasts lurking within our walls, the smart money in new home construction is on radiant heating.
Electric Versus Hydronic
Electric and hydronic radiant heating systems operate though a circuit of heating tubes that warms the floor; the floor then radiates heat to the room. Unlike splotchy forced-air heat, radiant heat is clean, silent and thorough. Warming not only the air but the contents of the room.
The general thinking is that for smaller spaces, electric heat is the best bet. Up to ten times cheaper to install than hydronic systems (and 20 times cheaper than forced air), electric systems are quicker to respond than hydronic heat and easier to zone. In larger rooms, hydronic systems- though more costly to install- can be more effective and efficient, and are 30 to 50 percent less expensive to operate and install than forced air systems. And most of today’s hydronic systems can operate on existing domestic water heaters and can be powered by gas, oil, electricity, or solar energy.
Best of Both Worlds
The best option – and an increasingly popular one – is to combine both electric and hydronic
systems. Heat small rooms like kitchens, bathrooms, and entryways with electric systems, while saving larger rooms for hydronic. This will allow you to optimize the advantages of both system types while saving a boatload of money in installation and operating costs.
Flooring
Radiant systems can be installed under almost any kind of flooring to various effects. Thinner floors like wood and tile warm quickly but cost more to keep warm; thinker concrete floors with a larger thermal mass will stay warmer much longer but can take hours to heat. Because both thick and thin floors can take over an hour to get warm, it’s obligatory to set up any radiant system on a programmable thermostat.
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