Bathroom Floor
Heating
What Type of Floor Heating is Best?
Floor heating has been used in many homes in the U.S. for more than 10 years now. Electric heating systems are normally installed beneath the bathroom and kitchen tile to provide the warmth that people need in their homes especially during the winter season. These products are truly popular today and experts in the kitchen and bath industry see this trend to continue for a long time to cater to homeowners in need of practical heating solutions.
Radiant heating
The radiant heating system is ideal for bathroom flooring and it comes in different types. Some need meticulous installation works while the others can easily be installed without too many requirements.
This heating system can be used in various glass flooring such as ceramic, porcelain, glass, stone, marble, granite or slate owing to the fact that they are effective conductors of heat. In other words, the can easily transfer heat to the flooring materials.
Radiant heating system uses hot water, steam pipes or electric resistance coils in heating floors. It is environment friendly in that it releases less greenhouse gases and use less fossil fuel.
A great benefit of using radiant heat in bathrooms is the ability to control individual spaces. With a programmable thermostat in place, you can individually control the heat in each room. All you have to do is program the system to a specified time and temperature that you want heat to be provided in a room. In this way, you don’t waste so much energy in your home.
If you’re constructing a new home or renovating certain parts of your home, be sure to decide first which floor material you will use in the bathroom. Choose the thickness as well as it’s an important factor in the heating process. Naturally, thick flooring will require longer heating time compared to the thinner types. However, an advantage of the thick ones is that they can also hold heat longer.
Types of radiant heating systems
The open direct system makes use of the same source of hot water for bathing and laundry. This is a cheaper alternative as homeowners no longer need to buy a hot water heater. It can even be modified to use
solar energy to further lessen your energy consumption.
A closed system provides heat to the floor only when the thermostat turns on the pump. The pump then sends warm water from the boiler or water heater which eventually spreads throughout the floor.
The heated floor mats are also popular. They are easy to install and are available in various sizes and voltage (120v or 240v). You just need to roll them out on your sub-flooring.
In the indirect radiant heat system, water is usually pumped to a heat exchanger which in turn transfers heat to the water. As soon as water is heated, it is then spread throughout the floor by a pump to provide heat to the bathroom flooring.
Another type is the cable electric heating system which comes in kits in 120 or 240 volts. With this type, a cable system comprised of wires is laid out on the floor and covered. This is considered to be durable as high-tech cables are used.
A homeowner has so many choices when it comes to heating bathroom floors. You just have to make sure that you get a certified electrician when installing the wirings so everything is safe.
