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About radiant heating
Radiation, convection, and conduction are the three ways in which heat is transferred, and this article will deal with radiant heat, in which objects and people in a room are warmed by a separate heating source and not by the air around them. You will find three varieties of radiant heating systems for the floors, ones that utilize hot air, ones that utilize electricity, and ones that use hot water, which are also known as hydronic systems. The Romans were the first to use hot air as a method of warming up a room, but this application is obsolete nowadays because air is not a very effective way to transfer heat. Electric radiant heat is comparable to having an electric blanket installed below the floor because it involves an array of thin electric cables put under such flooring as tile, stone, hardwood or laminated materials. Hot water systems, called hydronics, are very popular these days since they are the least expensive, need no electricity, and only involve hot water pumped from a boiler into an array of tubes installed beneath the flooring. Using the right hydronic system you can regulate the temperature for each room by adjusting how much hot water flows through the tubing loops underneath each room’s floor. The two basic methods of installation for both hydronic and electric radiant heat flooring systems are “dry” installation, where the electric cables or water tubes are sandwiched between sheets of plywood and installed beneath the floor, or “wet” installation, where the tubing/cable are embedded in concrete slabs. Ceramic tiles are the most effective flooring products to use with radiant floor heating, and solid, non-laminated wood floors covered by carpet will be the least energy-efficient.

Radiant heating systems
Ecologically sound, money-saving, and safer for families and pets, radiant heating systems are very popular with a lot of homeowners. Technically, radiant heat is accomplished by a series of cables, or a series of panels and pipes, bringing heat straight to the walls, ceilings and floors of homes, which in turn heat other objects prior to heating the air. The more prevalent forced-air heating systems operate in the opposite manner by pushing heated air into an area, but this heats the air next to the ceiling a lot more than the air toward the floor. After considering your needs, you may choose either liquid or electric radiant heating technologies. Hot liquid systems push heated water or oil through a series of pipes, while electric systems involve a series of cables which are the source of heat. Officially called hydronic heating systems, hot liquid radiant systems involve a network of pipes spread out over cement floors, or can be installed in between plywood sheets. The Romans perfected another type of radiant heat employing heated air, however currently such technology is not as cost-efficient because air cannot store heat as efficiently as other materials.

Radiant heating
Hot water radiators in the 1940′s saw the first popular utilization of hydronic radiant heating applications, while hydronic radiant cooling technology has lagged behind and is only now coming into its own. Hydronic radiant heat uses steam or hot water to heat a surface which then warms the objects or individuals in the surrounding room or area, rather than merely warming the air around an object, which is what happens with conventional heating systems. If a surface is cooled down in a radiant cooling system, that surface absorbs the heat from the surrounding area, specifically the body heat generated by people in the room. Through an array of pipes installed in the ceiling, walls, or floor, both hydronic radiant cooling and heating systems pump water to cool or heat those surfaces, and then the people or objects in the room. The most efficient radiant heating systems are in the floor where the heat rises, while the most efficient cooling systems are in the ceiling where the ascending heat is more readily absorbed. Hydronic radiant cooling systems involve more complicated installation because you need to deal with ventilation issues, handle humidity, and allow fresh air to enter the room. Traditional cooling and heating systems, which force hot or cold air into the room through ducts, are not as energy efficient as radiant systems, which will cool or warm you directly. As a home do-it-yourself project the installation of radiant cooling or heating systems are probably too difficult to accomplish, so you would be well advised to call up a professional to do the work.

The category of heating and cooling is going to embrace a variety of diverse things. The links below will lead you to other sites which could be relevant to your interests. For example, when you are interested in oil furnace care, then Maintaining An Oil Furnace will have a lot of valuable tips. You can also pursue this link to learn about the best pellet stoves.