How Radiant Heating Works in Highland Park Homes

Radiant heating is an efficient and effective alternative to traditional forms of residential heating with furnaces or heat pumps. The following brief introduction will help you understand radiant heating and whether it would be a good choice for your northern Illinois home.

What is Radiant Heating?

Radiant heating is a heating system that supplies heat to a room through a series of electrical coils or hot water-filled pipes installed in a pattern below the surface of the floor. As hot water flows through the pipes, or as the coils warm up, heat rises into the area above, producing a consistent and even level of heating throughout the room.

Radiant systems take advantage of the fact that heat rises naturally. When using a forced air furnace or heat pump, this rise of heat can leave areas near the floor colder than the upper portions of the room. However, as the heat from a radiant system flows upward toward the ceiling, it provides an ongoing source of warmth that keeps the lower portions of the room consistently comfortable.

Types of Radiant Heating

A hydronic or water-based radiant heating system circulates hot water from a residential boiler or water heater through the pipes in the floor. Electric “dry” systems produce heat through electric coils or heating elements that warm up and radiate heat through the floor.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Radiant Heating

• Advantages: Since radiant heating systems don’t rely on forced air, they don’t introduce particulates or allergens into your home’s indoor air along with heat. Their reliable heating means your indoor areas will stay consistently warm.
• Disadvantages: Radiant heating systems can be costly to install. They’re usually best installed during home construction or a major renovation. Installing radiant heating under existing floors can be difficult and expensive.

Carefree Comfort, Inc. Heating & Air Conditioning has served the heating, cooling and plumbing needs of customers in Highland Park and the surrounding areas for more than 30 years. Contact us today for more information on radiant heating and to see if a radiant heating system is right for your home.

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