Radiant Heating Services In Calgary, Airdrie & area

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Radiant heating systems function in a very different manner than traditional forced air heating systems. Radiant heating systems pass on heat through radiation rather than heating air that circulates through vents. 

People and objects in the heated area feel the warming effect much sooner than with a conventional heating system that utilizes a fan to circulate hot air. Radiant heat eliminates the inefficient heat loss created by rising heat, as warmth is not distributed through the air. These systems are allergy-friendly, while forced air pushes allergens throughout the house.

One of the reasons people like radiant heating so much, is because heat can be adjusted for individual rooms to the temperature that you want with a programmable thermostat. Not only does this allow you to have the ability to customize your comfort room-by-room, but it also converts into significant energy savings and costs.

You can get a good idea of the quality of a radiant floor install by how equally spaced out each pex tube is laid out. When radiant floor heating is correctly installed there will not be any cold spots or hot spots in the room – the heat will be consistent. However, if done incorrectly you end up with cold spots in the room, warped flooring where too much heat is being released, and various other issues. 

Popular residential radiant home heating system include: in-floor heating, wall heaters and ceiling heaters for garages and workshops.

• Delivery Of Heat Is Directional. This means that heat is delivered to where is it is required, so instead of warmed air rising to the roof, heat is projected to the occupied areas. Heated air rising to the ceiling is wasted energy.

• Quick Warm Up Times: Generally, the heaters get to full heat output within a minute or two, and the experienced effect is as quick. It then takes a little longer for the surfaces in range to warm up.

• Multiple Heating Zones: Most forced air heated homes have a single thermostat, and therefore a single zone. This is due to the fact that forced air systems are inherently difficult, and expensive, to zone. Radiant heated homes have  multiple zones because they are easy and inexpensive to create. This allows you turn the heat off in a vacant guest room, or turn down rooms for certain times of the day when they are unoccupied. 

• Efficient In Large Spaces: Large office buildings only require specific areas to heated. With radiant heating, you can easily have several different zoning areas and only heat particular zones if and when required. In contrast, forced-air heating systems require that all the air, in the entire building, needs to be heated to the temperature desired in order to warm the one or few areas where the warmth is required.

• A Reliable Source Of Heating For Outdoors: Forced air heating relies on containment of heated air so by default does not work outside. Radiant heating does work, as long as the heaters are suited to the external environment and sized appropriately it will be a workable option. Radiant heating is often used for warming spectators at hockey areas.

• Allergen Friendly: One of the reasons people like radiant heating so much is because it doesn’t spread dust, dirt, and allergens through vents in the home. Instead, the device has the heat rise from the floor to heat the room above without forcing or blowing any air.  

Radiant heaters can utilize energy from several different sources to produce heat. Today's radiant heater systems are basically divided into three categories: electric radiant systems, hydronic radiant systems,  and air-based radiant systems.

• Electric Radiant Heating Systems consist of electric coils that produce heat when electricity is passed through them. They require very little maintenance and have a longer life span. However, electric radiant heater can be very expensive to operate, especially in large areas, due to the ever-increasing cost of electricity. Therefore, they are only cost effective and affordable if used in small areas or sections of a home. 

• Hydronic Radiant Heating Systems, typically installed under the floor using a series of pex tubing, uses heated water to transfer heat to your living space. A central boiler pumps the heated water through a network of pipes. Similar to electric radiant heating systems, hydronic systems can also be installed underneath the ceiling, floor or wall. However, the likelihood of a puncture in the piping and water leaks are higher with wall than floor installations. Hydronic radiant heating systems are cheaper to operate than electric radiant heaters, because there are several fuel sources that can be used to heat up the water such as natural gas, propane, solar power and electricity. To heat up an entire home, a hydronic system is the most cost-effective choice. However, if something goes wrong with a hydronic radiant heating system repairs can be very expensive and complicated

• Air Radiant Heating Systems: Of all the radiant heating systems, the ones that use air are undoubtedly the least efficient. This is due to the fact that air is the least efficient method to transfer and retain heat.  

Overall, hydronic radiant heat systems continue to be the most popular because of their cost-effectiveness and efficiency, especially in colder climates.