I received a great answer to the query about radiant heat floor systems from a dear old friend and thought it was worth sharing–let me know what you think!
I did plumbing & heating work for a number of years and installed hundreds of radiant heating systems in homes throughout Long Island. From 20,000 square foot mansions in the Hamptons, to modest everyday houses: existing, new construction and with newly constructed dormers or extensions. Radiant heat is, by and large, not only the most economical form of home heating (in the long run) but it is also the most efficient. The up front cost for Radiant heating compared to traditional forms-such as baseboard or heat exchanging coils- runs in the range of 35-65% above these alternatives base prices.
That may sound steep but due to the high-cost of the specialized parts (mixing valve, manifolds, tubing, talon clips, etc.) the expertise required by the installer, and other additional inputs such as sleepers being laid down where there will be the installation of wood flooring or the cost of Gyp-Crete where there will be tile or rugs laid down. However, in spite of this up-front expenses the heating system itself will begin to return money on your investment, normally within a period of three years from the date of installation. This is an approximate time period, seeing as how the number of zones which were installed, your personal temperature preference during the winter months and other factors such as programmable thermostats will each play an important role in how quickly you will begin to reap the rewards and savings of radiant heating.
The main reason for this savings is a direct result of radiant heats efficiency and placement within a room. Unlike baseboard and hot air which are either placed along the base of a room’s wall or through a vent placed in the ceiling, radiant heat covers the entire square footage of a room, maximizing output and equality that all areas of a room will receive. Moreover, because of the use of a mixing valve, the boiler will fire less often and when it does fire, will only need to heat the water to a certain temperature (recognized by the valve) in order to efficiently heat the space intended. Also, because of the heat loop restriction of 330 ft. (manufacturer’s suggested length) applied to each zone on the radiant heating manifold, each loop independently receives hot water, thereby using less oil/gas for the boiler’s initial firing period and bypassing the continuous pumping of hot-water to a large baseboard loops or hot-air exchangers located in the attic of a home which are typical of conventional heating systems.
As far as drawbacks, there are a few such as the cost and also pesky leaks that can occur underneath flooring after/during construction. However, a simple pressure test on each manifold can overcome such problems and give the homeowner and installer peace of mind that their work and investment are respectively protected. All in all, I can only laud the use of radiant heating, not because I used to install it, but because whenever we performed an installation on a single room of a home, we were inevitably back at that same location a few months later installing it where ever it was possible in the rest of the house and listening to the homeowners not only exalt their new heating system’s wonderful warmth but also how much less their boilers have been firing since the time of installation. In my opinion, radiant heating is definitely worth every penny, but I encourage anyone looking to spend their hard earned money on such an expensive undertaking to do their own research and check the credentials of those they have chosen to install it.
Daniel Bell,
Long Island, NY
