Avoid Radiant Ceiling Heat

Radiant heat in homes is usually installed under the floor but it can be installed in the ceilings as well. It is common for each room to have its own thermostat which is great for saving energy as you can easily heat just the rooms you are going to use rather than the whole house.

Radiant floor heat works better than radiant heat in the ceiling. If you are thinking about ceiling ideas for your home, radiant heat should not be one of them. This is because heat rises and can more easily heat a room if the heat is rising throughout it. If the heat starts from the ceiling, it never has any chance to heat the room. Heat also feels better beneath your feet rather than above your head. If a contractor wants to put radiant heat in your ceilings, make sure you ask him specifically why the floor is not a better choice. If you do want it installed in your floors, stand firm in your decision and don't let him talk you out of it.

Electric radient heat is the most common type of heat and your contractor may recommend installing it in your plaster ceilings or by using ceiling panels that come from the factory with heating cables embedded in them. Many people complain that radiant ceiling heat is not comfortable and that it does not heat the rooms to well. This is why you should start by finding out whether radiant floor heat is practical to install in your situation and not the ceiling heat.

Radiant Heat Feels Like The Sun

If you want to know what radiant heat feels like, imagine a bright sunshine on a spring day. It feels like warmth from the sun that is natural, even, silent, draft-less, and odorless. The effect of radiant heat is nearly instantaneous and even throughout the room when you switch it on in your home. Radiant heat is gaining popularity because of its increased comfort level and energy efficiency.

Whether your house is traditional, or modern in design, radiant floor heat is the most economical method for heating because it can reduce your home's energy needs up to 40% over conventional heating systems. Because the average home is large and very poorly insulated, it requires multiple zones and large heating sources or multiple heating sources. Radiant heat floors enable the heat to be hidden below the floor, so there are no baseboards, radiators, or air ducts to get in the way.

Electric radiant heat is a clean and energy efficient way to warm houses, condos, and cabins. Whichever system of radiant floor heat you choose, electric or hydronic, the benchmark of this type of heat is even, consistent heat. The technology of radiant heat is very old and even the Romans used this technology and referred it as Hypocaust heating. Basically, radiant heat is the transfer of heat from a warm surface to a cooler surface.

Because radiant heat does not blow, it helps greatly for those with allergies and asthma. Many contractors still think radiant heat floors are too difficult to retrofit into existing homes with some other type of heating system. If you find a good contractor who is familiar with radiant heat and radient floor heat, he will know how to install it for you.