Radiant Snow Melting and Floor Heating Systems Rock Our World

It’s not something you might think of every day but radiant snow melting systems are certainly something you’ll wish you had at certain times of the year. Automated snow melting systems have proven critical in many parts of the country – for both commercial and residential applications. How much easier can it get than to pull into a snowless driveway after a full day of snow fall? Or better yet, how about waking up to a snow covered landscape and a clear driveway?

From heated driveways and roof ice melting systems to cozy heated floors, radiant heating has provided new levels of convenience, comfort and safety in the last few years. And not only do you have a choice nowadays to install these conveniences when building a home or commercial project, but existing driveways and floors can be retrofitted with electric radiant heating systems. The technology and products have advanced to the point where radiant heat offers reliable, fully automated, maintenance-free performance. You owe it to yourself to explore the many snow melting and floor heating options.

Radiant Heaters Tip: Radiant energy is totally pure radiation and is absorbed by an object without physical contact with the heat source or by heating the surrounding air, as is the case with convective, forced air systems.

As demands for lower energy costs increase, homebuilders, househunters, and home renovators alike are looking for energy-efficient heating options for houses.  We say they need look no further than radiant heaters for their ideal home heating solution.
In a nutshell, radiant heating is among the most efficient forms of heat available in today’s market. Significantly less operating time is required to attain and maintain the desired warmth compared to furnaces and other, traditional methods of heating, which keeps operational costs to a minimum.

High efficiency boilers or electric radiant floor systems makes radiant heat one of your most efficient ways to heat your home. Combined with a well-insulated home, these radiant heater systems can quickly warm your home and then shut down or wait idle for long periods of time before being called upon by the thermostat to operate.

Radiant Heaters Tip:  Being more environmentally friendly doesn’t have to involve major renovations. Many people waste a lot of energy by not sealing cracks, doors and windows. Checking to make sure a home’s insulation is in good shape and replacing it if it’s not is another good surefire way to stop, prevent, and reverse energy waste. 

When replacing a home heating system, there are a lot of questions that people have in regards to new home heating systems.  Here is a questions that was recently asked.

Q: My 1,200 square foot home used to be heated by a furnace from 1949 that ran at 25,000 BTU. Recently I changed the system to a newer, 7,000 BTU system. I thought this newer heater would be more efficient, but I find that it takes much longer to heat the house than the older system did. Is there something wrong with my furnace or do I need one that has a higher BTU?

A: It’s a good idea to replace old heating systems with newer, more efficient models. These new models can work just as well or better than old systems, but they do work differently. Where old furnaces could be turned on and heat the house within a matter of minutes, new heating systems can take longer. If you want your home to be warm at a certain time, set the heat to go on about 45 minutes prior to that.

Another important factor is whether your home is “weather-tight.” Make sure all doors and windows are properly sealed. If not, you may be losing heat at the same rate your heating system is producing it. Check with a heating contractor who can tell you whether the new unit is sized correctly for your home’s square footage.

Heating Systems Tip: With new advances in technology snow melting heating systems for driveways, sidewalks, and patios are more affordable, and economical than you might assume.

Are you having a hard time deciding which radiant heat system is right for you?  We know, it sometimes can be hard to narrow down what kind of radiant heaters to install. There are dozens of products available to purchase, and there are even more companies telling you that their product is the best.

For many homeowners, electric cable heating systems, often called line- or high-voltage systems, are gaining popularity and are ideal for heating smaller areas like bathrooms, kitchens, and sun rooms. These systems are comprised of a thermostat and a heating cable. These radiant heater systems are oftentimes less expensive, and give the ability to customize a layout that will heat every square inch of your floor.

Every available radiant heater cable system is equally effective, so when determining which system to purchase, you should look at the warranty of the product, along with the ease of installation. Some cables must be embedded in a separate layer of concrete or mortar, whereas other systems can simply be installed in the thinset. Most radiant heater cable systems can only be installed under tile. However, on others, if the cable is embedded in mortar or concrete, any flooring can be installed on top of the concrete.

Radiant Heaters Tip: When heating smaller areas, it is nearly impossible to beat the simplicity and price of an electric cable radiant heating system. 

We’d risk a guess that a majority of homeowners are probably most familiar with forced air unit heaters and might not realize that there are other options for heating a home – other options that are more efficient and even more comfortable. One such option is radiant floor heating, which, as opposed to warm air systems, delivers the source of heat upwards from the floor level, not from the ceiling. Radiant heaters or radiant energy is the oldest form of heating used to provide comfort and is the basis for all heating systems. Radiant energy is heat efficiently radiating outwards, and is absorbed by an object without physical contact with the heat source or by heating the surrounding air, as is the case with convective, forced air systems.

It might be hard to believe, but under floor heat was first used by the Romans. While under floor heating was initially reserved for the rich, it eventually became increasingly commonplace in public buildings and villas. This form of radiant heating was used particularly in the colder regions of the Roman Empire. The Roman system was based on hypocausts, comprising ducts that underlay the floor (itself built on raised brick piles) and flues that were built into walls. Hot air or steam from fires circulated up through this system, warming the floor and walls, with heat passing into the rooms.

If you’re looking for efficient, comfortable heat for your home, radiant floor heating could the solution you’ve been looking for.