How does electric floor heating work?
When turned on, the heating cable emits heat upward through the flooring which is then radiated throughout the room, heating all solid surfaces. Did you find this helpful? Yes No How much does it cost to heat a bathroom floor with electric floor heating?
Can electric floor heating be used as a primary heat source?
Typically, electric floor heating is used as a supplemental heat source but in some cases, it can be used as a primary heat source. Electric floor heating is more energy efficient, less prone to spreading dust and allergens, and easier to control from room to room.
Can electric floor heating be used in a basement?
Electric floor heating systems are commonly installed in bathrooms, kitchens, and bedrooms but can also be used to provide extra warmth for rooms like the basement that are hard to heat with traditional air heating systems.
Can electric underfloor heating be installed in one room?
Electric underfloor heating does not need to go back to a manifold so installing it in one room without any disruption to adjoining rooms and passageways is also more easily done What are the Drawbacks of Electric Underfloor Heating?
What factors contribute to heat loss?
Does moving air create convection heat?
Can I use radiant heat in a room?
Do floor heaters produce more heat than baseboards?
Is electric underfloor heating enough to heat a room?
While it's true that underfloor heating does not produce as much heat as a conventional radiator, it does generate enough heat to create a comfortable environment. The system works to evenly distribute heat over the entire floor surface, so the room temperature can reach up to 25°C.
Can radiant floor heating heat an entire room?
The short answer to “Can you heat your entire home with radiant floor heating”? is yes. In theory, as long as you have a floor, you can utilize radiant floor heating. The heating system goes right into the floor, heating water or using electricity in an infrastructure of pipes.
Will a heated bathroom floor heat the room?
Heated floors do more than just heat the floor. In most cases, they do a great job at heating the whole room. Forced air overheats the perimeter of the room, relying on air circulation to warm the entire room. But you always have to contend with the pesky fact that heat rises, so circulation isn't always even.
Can radiant floor heating be the primary heat source?
If the heating capacity is just slightly lower than the heat loss, then a WarmlyYours radiant floor heating system can usually be the primary heat source for three seasons of the year.
Is electric floor heating worth it?
Energy efficient Radiant floor heating is one of the most energy-efficient ways to heat your home. In fact, they are considered at least 20 to 25% more energy-efficient than forced-air heating systems.
What are the disadvantages of underfloor heating?
Underfloor heating consCost – The initial cost can be considerable and the installation of the system can cause a lot of upheaval in your home. ... Time – Underfloor heating takes longer to fire up than a radiator, so you have to use a timer to predict when you want heat in certain rooms.More items...•
How long do electric heated floors last?
With proper care and maintenance, a floor heating system can last up to 35 years. It can save money, too. Radiant floor heating warms a room from the floor up. As a result, most people will feel more comfortable with their thermostat set at a lower temperature.
Are heated floors expensive?
Hydronic or water-based radiant heated flooring costs between $6 to $20 per square foot. Electric-based radiant floor heating runs between $8 to $15 per square foot. Both range in cost from $1 to $5 a day to run.
What is the best heat source for in floor heating?
Solar energy is a good heat source for radiant floors because solar thermal collectors are very efficient at supplying the lower water temperatures that such systems require.
Is it expensive to run electric underfloor heating?
The average cost per kilowatt-hour in the U.S. is $0.12, but it may be more or less in your area. In this example, a 90-square-foot system would cost $0.13 per hour to run. But remember: floor heating systems do not need to run 24 hours a day in order to keep a floor warm.
Is electric floor heating expensive to run?
According to WarmlyYours's Operating Cost Calculator, a floor heating system running 8 total hours a day in a 160 square foot room would only cost $1 a day. That's $30 a month.. That's still $6.50 in savings each month when compared to a portable heater.
What are the disadvantages of radiant heating?
Cons of Radiant Floor HeatingInstallation Cost. When estimating the cost of an installation, a safe cost estimation bracket is between $10 to $20 per square foot dependant on the type of system you choose for your home. ... Installation Time. ... Floor Height Issue.
Can underfloor heating heat a whole house?
Underfloor heating can heat a whole house. The choice of the type of underfloor heating is now dependent on where it is to be deployed. Electric and Water underfloor heating can both be used, but each of them is more suited to a particular home setting.
What are the disadvantages of radiant heating?
Cons of Radiant Floor HeatingInstallation Cost. When estimating the cost of an installation, a safe cost estimation bracket is between $10 to $20 per square foot dependant on the type of system you choose for your home. ... Installation Time. ... Floor Height Issue.
Can radiant floor heating replace a furnace?
Can radiant floor heating replace a furnace? It depends. In some homes, yes, in-floor radiant heating and cooling can take care of all of your heating needs for the winter. In others, no, you'll need a furnace as a back-up or at least another furnace alternative.
Is radiant heat cheaper than forced air?
Even though radiant heating systems are much more expensive to install than forced-air systems are, they're much more efficient than forced-air systems. This means the cost to operate a radiant heating system is going to be less expensive month-to-month.
Can you lose heat from a heated room?
If the room being heated has a lot of outside walls that are not properly insulated or if there is an unheated space such as a basement beneath the heated floor, some of the heat may be lost through the walls or subfloor. Most modern homes are very well insulated and do not have this problem.
Can electric floor heating be used as a heat source?
Posted on October 5, 2018 | by Warm Your Floor. Yes, electric floor heat can be used as a primary heat source in most rooms. In fact, the average floor heating system puts out as much, if not more, heat per square foot than other heating systems. It also heats rooms more evenly than forced air heating.
How much does an electric floor heating system cost?
At WarmlyYours, an electric floor heating system costs between $10 and $20 per square foot.
How long does it take for an electric floor to heat up?
Finally, electric floor heating systems heat up quickly (usually within 30-60 minutes), making them more energy efficient.
How Does Underfloor Heating Work?
Instead of heating the air, the sun’s rays directly warm the people and objects they come into contact with. Think about it — when you’re standing in the shade, it feels noticeably colder than when you’re standing in direct sunlight. That’s because the infrared heat from the sun is in action. Similarly, radiant floor heating systems heat the flooring in a room, which then transfers to the items in the room — including your feet. This heating method takes the chill off even the coldest flooring materials and leaves any room feeling comfortably warm — even when the ambient temperature is cooler. Typically, this type of heating can be delivered two ways: via hot water (hydronic) or electricity.
How Does In-Floor Heating Compare to Central Air Heating? Is Underfloor Heating Better than Central Heating?
Central air heating, also known as forced-air heating, uses a furnace to heat the air and distribute it via ductwork throughout the home. This is one of the most common forms of whole-house heating in America, but it’s also one of the least energy efficient and least cost effective. Ductwork is subject to small openings, which means it’s prone to air leakage. Ductwork also typically travels through cold spaces, like the attic or basement, which leads to heat being lost along the way. Plus, because heat vents are only located in certain areas of the home, you’re left with uneven heat. The way the heat is distributed also leads to the distribution of dust and other allergens throughout the home, which can be problematic for allergy sufferers.
Does Floor Heating Work with Every Floor Type?
In the United States, yes, radiant heating will work with any flooring replacement. WarmlyYours Radiant Heating offers floor-heating systems for use under tile (tile floors are the most commonly heated floor covering), stone, vinyl flooring, hardwood, carpet, laminate, and even under a floating wood floor. It can even be embedded in concrete. The only exception is that electric floor heating has not been approved for use under carpet in Canada. Please note that the radiant heating systems used for floating floors will differ from those are designed to be embedded.
Is Electric In-Floor Heating Safe?
Yes. WarmlyYours floor-heating systems are UL listed and have withstood rigorous safety tests in the United States and Canada.
Can Electric Floor Heating be a Primary Heat Source?
In most cases, yes. However, if a room is outfitted with a drafty fireplace or outdated windows, it may be prone to air leakage. In this case, in-floor heating would not be an ideal candidate for primary heating; however, it would be a great supplemental heat source. To find out whether radiant floor heating will work better as a primary or supplementary heat source in the room you want to heat, check out WarmlyYours’s Heat Loss Calculator.
What is electric floor heating?
Electric floor heating is used as an effective and energy efficient way to provide heat for many of the most used rooms in a home while keeping energy costs low. Electric floor heating systems are commonly installed in bathrooms, kitchens, and bedrooms but can also be used to provide extra warmth for rooms like the basement ...
Why do you put electric heating under a new floor?
Comfort The number one reason to install electric floor heating under a new floor is absolutely the comfort , a heated floor is literally luxury you can feel but you probably already knew that.
Why Choose Electric Radiant Floor Heating from WarmlyYours?
We stand behind our floor heating systems with our unbeatable No Nonsense Warranty™ and because we test every electric floor heating mat, roll, and cable before it leaves the factory. And more importantly, we stand behind our customers with our 24/7 Technical Support team and our free custom electric floor heating design services to make sure that customers purchase the electric radiant floor heating system that best meets their project requirements.
Why put insulation on top of radiant floor?
Adding insulation on top of the slab and beneath any electric radiant floor heating system will allow a greater percentage of the heat generated to transfer to the flooring surface. This results in greater efficiency and therefore faster warm up times, higher expected surface temperatures and lower energy usage.
Why is radiant floor heating better than central air heating?
Saves Energy Electric radiant floor heating has higher levels of energy efficiency than central air systems because it heats the people and objects in the room directly via infrared heat. Floor heating systems are also inexpensive to operate, you can heat a typical bathroom for pennies a day.
What rooms are used for radiant heating?
Bathrooms and kitchens are the two most popular rooms for electric radiant floor heating. In a typical year, bathrooms will make up over half of all the projects that use floor heating systems.
What is hydronic heating?
This usually means that hydronic heating systems are reserved for new construction projects (where it is easier to incorporate the boilers and pumps needed to operate the system) and electric floor heating is often used for remodeling projects in bathrooms, kitchens, etc.
How Does Electric Underfloor Heating Work?
Electric underfloor heating is a method of space-heating that uses a thin heating wire installed under the surface of your floor. The wires warm up when required, heating the floor surfaces which then gives off radiant heat to your room. The floor will also feel warm underfoot.
How much electricity does an electric underfloor heating system use?
Therefore if your electric underfloor heating is 125W per square meter then for every eight square meters of floor you will use 15p per hour that the system is on .
What are the Benefits of Electric Underfloor Heating?
Electric underfloor heating usually takes up less space than a wet underfloor heating system. There will still be some build up as you will most likely need a backing board but the wires are a lot thinner and the system can be a lot closer to the surface
How thick is an underfloor heating system?
Try a thin electric underfloor heating system which has wires that are attached to a thin mesh, the whole product is less than 2mm thick. The floor levels are not raised as the tile adhesive is then applied directly onto the mesh and the heater then effectively sits in the adhesive layer.
How much does electricity cost per kilowatt hour?
Electricity is around 15p per kiloWatt hour (kWh) and gas is around 5p per kWh. Electricity costs about 15p per unit and a unit is 1 kilowatt (kW) for one hour so it is referred to as a kilowatt per hour (kWh). Therefore if your electric underfloor heating is 125W per square meter then for every eight square meters of floor you will use 15p per ...
What is underfloor heating?
Electric underfloor heating is electrical wiring that is connected back to your electrical circuit (ra ther than wet underfloor heating, which is a system of pipes that are installed in the floor and circulate warm water. The water can then be heated by your main heat source such as a boiler or heat pump).
Where is underfloor heating installed?
Electric underfloor heating is often installed in kitchens and bathrooms as these rooms usually have fairly hard floors (which often feel cold, especially when barefoot) and there is a lot of furniture and fittings that leaves very little room for effective radiators. The electric underfloor heating is also quicker to heat up ...
How much does it cost to install electric heated floors?
Electric heated floors can have a range of costs, depending on the system you choose. Uncoupled wires with a membrane are the least expensive material, at roughly $5 a square foot, but often cost more to install. Mats particularly those designed to fit a specific area, can be more expensive, costing up to $30 a square foot. However, mats are much easier to install, and can cut down on labor costs.
How does a heated floor work?
Heated floors work differently than other forms of heating. Radiators and forced hot air both work by heating the air in a room. The hot air rises toward the ceiling, then cools and falls toward the floor. This creates very inconsistent temperatures in the room, with warm and cool areas depending on where the heat is coming from, how it’s circulating through the room, and where the heat is in its cycle.
How does radiant floor heating work?
Electronic radiant floor heating use a 15 or 20 amp electrical circuit, wired directly to their own thermostat. They’re made up of a series of wires, often embedded in mats, that are installed directly beneath your flooring. They warm the floor, and therefore the people and objects in the room directly, providing consistent, even and comfortable heat that can allow you to lower the thermostat and use less energy in that area.
Why do people use electric floors?
Because the floors work by heating you directly, rather than heating the air, you stay warmer even when the room air temperature is lower, which can save you energy and money on forced hot air.
Where to install radiant floor heating?
The bathroom is one of the most common places to install this type of radiant floor heating system. It can be installed in the shower, the bathroom, or a wet room. The key is using either a mat-style system made for use with tile, or with uncoupled wires installed over a membrane. In either case, the system should be installed with mortar to ensure the best use.
Can laminate floors be used as floor heaters?
Laminate floors should be treated like wood floors when it comes to electric floor heaters. You will need to float the laminate over the mat, and a foil mat is the best choice. The mat should be laid over an insulated underlayment to help ensure that you don’t lose heat, particularly over a concrete substrate. Your laminate can be installed right on top of the mat in the same way that it would be installed over any other substrate.
Can you use vinyl floors with electric radiant heat?
Vinyl floors come in a wide range of styles and installation types. They can all be used with electric in floor radiant heat systems, either cables and membranes or mats. If you have click-lock vinyl floors, these can be floated right over the mat; vinyl floors that require adhesive should be installed in the same manner as a tile or stone floor with the electric mat first installed using a compound or thinset, followed by the vinyl being installed on top of the mats.
Where did radiant floor heating originate?
Radiant floor heating isn’t a new idea. It actually dates all the way back to ancient Rome, where beneath the elevated marble floors of certain buildings was a system of tunnels that circulated air heated by fires. But it has certainly come a long way since then.
Can you retrofit an electric floor?
And who wants to step out of a nice warm shower onto a freezing cold floor anyway? It’s nearly impossible to retroactively install an electric-heated floor system into an existing floor, so almost always, a new floor must be installed over the top of the heating system.
Can you heat a laminate floor?
So, installing a heating system under a laminate floor should really only be reserved for rooms that are very cold. Like laminate, vinyl flooring can easily conduct warmth from a floor heating system because it tends to be thinner, but there are some things to look out for.
Can electric heating be used with carpet?
Most of the time, electric-heated floor systems are not paired with carpets since the carpet is already such a good insulator, and it reduces the amount of heat that is able to travel through it to your feet and the rest of the room. Remember, the more insulators (i.e., rugs and furniture) you place on top of the heating elements; the less heat will transfer easily into the room.
Can you use electric heated flooring on concrete?
There are even a few less common flooring materials that should never have an electric-heated floor system installed, like rubber flooring, concrete flooring, and any flooring that is joined by adhesive, as the shifts in temperature may cause the adhesive to corrode faster.
Can you put electric heating under wood floors?
Alternatively, installing a heating system under wood floors can be trickier as it can affect the moisture content of the wood, leading to cracks and gaps. If you are looking to install a heating element under your hardwood floors, be sure to talk to a flooring expert at your local Flooring America.
What factors contribute to heat loss?
Many factors contribute to heat loss: outside walls, non-insulated concrete subfloors, non-weather treated windows and unheated rooms beneath the floor the heating system is in. These can lower the amount of heat the floor will provide to the room, but if the room only has a couple ...
Does moving air create convection heat?
Moving air will create convection heat in addition to the heat of the floor, like wind blowing across the sands of a desert. But remember, in floor heating does not heat the air, it heats the objects that are in contact with it, such as people and furniture.
Can I use radiant heat in a room?
Can I use an electric radiant floor heat system to heat my room? In most cases, Yes! It really depends on the room. Our systems can produce a lot of heat, 41-51 BTUs per a square foot to be exact. This means that most of our systems produce more heat than a baseboard heater and heat the room more evenly as well.
Do floor heaters produce more heat than baseboards?
This means that most of our systems produce more heat than a baseboard heater and heat the room more evenly as well. Electric and hot water in floor heating probably would heat a room equally, however, hot water in floor heat systems require a boiler, pump, gas lines and are much more complicated. A room in a well-insulated modern house can usually ...
