As described at HydronicHeating.net, in simplest terms, today’s hydronic heating is an energy efficient home heating system that uses tubing to run a hot liquid beneath the floor, along base board heaters, or through radiators to heat your home. Also referred to as radiant heating, this type of system has become increasingly popular among families that want added comfort and control in their heating zones, savings through lower heating bills, and a decrease in their environmental impact by making smart green building choices.

The hot water, or alternative heated liquid, of the hydronic radiant heat system is circulated throughout the home through loops of plastic piping. Most often, these tubes are installed within your homes concrete slab or floor joist system as radiant flooring, and allow the heat to radiate evenly across the entire floor surface. In addition, baseboard heating units and radiators can be used as sources of hydronic heat.

The liquid in a radiant system begins in an energy efficient boiler, where it is heated before flowing to a plumbing manifold system. Your plumbing manifold acts as the control center by connecting to the thermostat and directing the correct temperature of water to the various heating zones of your home. This allows each zone to maintain a personalized, steady temperature. Pumps work to constantly circulate newly heated water into the tubing, while cooler water is returned to the boiler to begin its journey again.

This closed loop system of heating allows for flexible temperature customization, while maintaining an incredible level of energy efficiency.

Radiant heating provides superior comfort because the entire floor radiates heat up from the ground in an even and consistent manner. Traditional forced air systems work by blowing warm air through a series of duct work in the floors, walls, and ceilings, and finally to its destination by way of one or two vents in a room. This method can lead to hot and cold spots due to poor air circulation, as well as temperature spikes and dips when the system turns on and off. Underfloor hydronic systems eliminate this issue by producing a steady heat that radiates from the floor throughout the entire room.

Hydronic heating allows you to say goodbye to cold tile floors. Your kitchen and bathroom tiles will never be chillingly cold to the touch, but instead, radiate a gentle warmth that makes the morning walk to the shower easy on your bare feet.

Comfort

The single most important element that a heating system must give you and your family is comfort. Hydronic heating takes comfortable to a new level, as can be seen from the many benefits below:

• Multi Zones – Radiant heating allows for personalized temperature control through the use of multiple zones throughout the home. This way parents and children can custom set their bedroom temperatures to their personal taste, while the kitchen and family room are kept comfortable for everyone. In addition, you don’t have to worry about keeping the doors closed in your rooms to trap heat. This is because radiant heat has no bursts of air that push warmth out of the areas you want it and into the spaces you don’t.
• Warm Tiles and Floors – There is nothing as discouraging to the thought of getting out of bed in the morning then that frigid walk across cold bathroom tile on your way to the shower. Radiant flooring solves this problem by infusing the floors with heat, so that those previously chilly tiles become your source of warmth. People aren’t the only ones affected, since pets love nothing better than to stretch out on a warm floor.
• Balanced Humidity Levels – It is far easier to maintain a balanced humidity level in the home with radiant hydronic heat because it will not dry out your home. Cold winter days already do enough to dry out skin without help from a forced air heating system, which sucks additional moisture out of the house in the process of heating the air.
• Quieter – Radiant flooring and hydronic heating equipment work in silence while providing warmth for the whole house. There are no sounds of the heating unit kicking on and off during the night. Instead, steady heat radiates into the room with nothing to notice but the comfortable temperatures.

Health

Dust and allergens can be a concern for any family. They create sneezes and make it hard to breathe at times, especially for those with strong allergies or asthma. Unfortunately, traditional heating equipment pushes air around the home, which stirs up the allergens and dust, and carries it throughout the house. This is why filters are so necessary for force air systems, and why the infrequent changing of filters can have an impact on your family’s health.

Hydronic heat avoids this issue entirely, as it does not require the movement of any air to warm the home. This provides a healthier environment for you and your family.

Efficiency

Energy efficiency is talked about more and more these days. Aside from the benefit that reduced energy consumption can have on the planet, the immediate impact of a hydronic system is the money that you will save on your energy bill each month.

Hydronic heat is more efficient than traditional air heating for many reasons. For one, water is a better heat conductor than air. This means the warmth is more easily transferred throughout the home, so less energy is needed in heating the medium. In addition, forced air units create pressure which pushes heat out through the gaps in insulation. Any home with poor insulation or drafts will suffer from heat loss, but radiant heat does not raise the air pressure in the home, so that warmer air is actively pushed out through the nooks and crannies. You will need to speak with local installers to get a specific understanding of the savings potential in your climate when using hydronic radiant heating, but it has been shown to produce comfortable living conditions at a 20-40% lower cost than traditional heat systems.