Monday, July 28, 2008 Radiant heating systems involve supplying
heat directly to the floor or to panels in the wall or ceiling
of a house. The systems depend largely on radiant heat transfer:
the delivery of heat directly from the hot surface to the people
and objects in the room via the radiation of heat, which is also
called infrared radiation. Radiant heating is the effect you
feel when you can feel the warmth of a hot stovetop element from
across the room. When radiant heating is located in the floor,
it is often called radiant floor heating or simply floor
heating. Radiant heating has a number of advantages: it is more
efficient than baseboard heating and usually more efficient than
forced-air heating because no energy is lost through ducts. The
lack of moving air can also be advantageous to people with
severe allergies. Hydronic (liquid-based) systems use little
electricity, a benefit for homes off the power grid or in areas
with high electricity prices. The hydronic systems can also be
heated with a wi