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Electric Radiant Floor Heating

Electric radiant heating has large similarities with hydronic radiant heating: it also offers enhanced comfort and the types of floors and installation are largely similar...

The big difference is in the energy sources, in the costs of electricity and in the implications of that. Electric radiant systems are simpler and cheaper to install, but their uses are usually circumscribed to small house divisions due to the high cost of electricity .

Environmentally, unless linked to
Photovoltaic Solar Systems, electric radiant floor heating isn't a sound option.

Cables and Mats

Electric radiant heating systems deal with two different types of cables: 

- cables coated with electrical insulation
- cables woven into fabric mats, similar to an electric blanket.

The last option is a more recent one, and provides a quicker and cheaper installation than insulated cables.


Wet and dry electric radiant installation & Types of floors

Electric radiant floors involves basically a set of electric cables installed into the floor, and the system do not differ much of hot-water-hydronic radiant heating installations.

The several wet and dry systems present in hydronic radiant floor installation are largely applicable to electric radiant systems. See: Hydronic Radiant Heating: Dry and Wet installations


Installation costs

Since electric radiant heating doesn’t involve a boiler/hot water heater, pumps and several of complex control elements of the hydronic radiant heating, its installation is usually much cheaper.


Electricity costs

Because of the (high) costs of electricity, electric radiant floors aren’t usually competitive enough in most applications.

A strategy to turn the system more cost-effective is…

1- to use a floor with a high thermal mass, capable of storing a large amount of energy. A thick concrete floor, for instance, can keep the house comfortable for 8-10 hours at the floor level.
2 - to bet on time-of-use electric rates offered by many electric utility companies.

The goal of this combination is evident: charging the concrete floor with heat during off-peak hours using time-of-use rates, in order to use the stored heat in the subsequent period. Obviously, it all depends on the offer or electric utility companies.

Anyway, it’s just a partial and marginal measure, that doesn’t solve the question of the operable costs of the system. The high costs of electricity determine most of the uses of the radiant electric heating.


Uses of electric radiant floor heating

A hydronic floor heating system is not the best option when to project involves just a small room: installing a boiler and several other controls required by hydronic radiant heating is too costly comparatively to the small amount of operational savings.

And it is in those cases that electric radiant floor systems may be used: to heat small areas like a bathroom or a kitchen (when we don’t want to install a wider system all over the house) and a water boiler is not available.

Hydronic radiant heating system is usually a better choice when the goal is to heat a large area or the entire house. And it is a much better environmental option, when the system is linked to solar energy.


For more information, see:

Basics on Radiant Heating Systems
Hydronic Radiant Under Floor Heating
Radiant Panels Heating
Radiant heating floor coverings
Radiant Systems Prices and Costs
Radiant Heating Systems and Environment
 


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