The Basics Of Floor Heating
Keith George
Indoor climate control in cold regions is very important. As
per ergonomics the floor temperature should range between 19 to
29 degrees C and the air temperature should range between 20 to
24 degrees C for maximum efficiency. There are two types of
indoor climate control namely convection type and radiant type.
Convection type heats the air then air is moved around the
interiors. Convection type uses systems like radiators, blowers
and fireplaces. Radiant heating systems heat the floor using
air, liquid or electricity.
A radiant system is a modern and superior system to a
convection type system. The convection system heats the air and
does not heat the floor whereas the ideal system should heat the
floor more than the air. In a convection system the air tends to
escape as it becomes lighter and moves towards the ceiling.
Further convection systems can be harmful to people suffering
from allergies or asthma as air is circulated. A convection
system is not aesthetically good to look at, whereas the
radiant systems go underneath the floor and are invisible.
Air Type Floor Heating System
In this system the air is heated in a central radiator and
passed through pipes underneath the floor. However air heating
systems are not popular because they are unable to retain heat
over time. Hence they are used only where little heat is
required such as mildly cold regions.
Water or Liquid Type Floor Heating System
In this type warm water is circulated in pipes laid under the
floor. Usually 5/8-inch tubes are used. The water is heated in
a boiler and circulated by means of thermo siphon. Thermo
siphon is a natural system to flow water in tubes. A small pump
is used to purge air bubbles trapped in the tubes. There are
cutoff valves in case you want to heat a particular room and
not other rooms. The tubes usually have a life of 100 years and
require very little maintenance. The same system can be used to
circulate chilled water if the weather becomes hot. This system
is the most common and electricity savings of 40 to 15% are
common.
Electricity Type Floor Heating
In this type of system electric coils are laid underneath the
floor. The main advantage of this system is the floor build up.
It can be as low as 3 millimeters. The coils are installed on an
insulation board like marmox and then the flooring is tiled over
using tile adhesives. This system has faster warm up times
compared to other systems. Floor heating systems can be
installed on almost any type of floor such as concrete, tile,
vinyl, linoleum, ceramic tiles, hardwood etc. Ceramics are most
commonly used as they have higher thermal mass and good
aesthetics.
About The Author: Keith George always writes about valuable
news & reviews. A related resource is
http://great-floor-heating.info/ Further information can be
found at http://the-equipment.info/
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