ACI Northwest Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Radiant System’

How To Decide on a Heater for Your Home

Monday, January 20th, 2020

couple-making-decisionHaving a reliable heater in Spokane isn’t really up for debate. It is a necessity. So when your heating system gives up the ghost, it is never an issue you can ignore. The bigger problem here is having to decide on which new heater you should install.

Maybe you are already set on what system you’d like to install or maybe you are struggling with your options. We want to help in either case. We have put together a list of the different heater types you should know about along with the factors that you will need to remember when selecting a unit for your home. Because let’s be honest, no one wants to shiver all day long but suffering inside a stuffy home is just as bad.

Continue Reading

What Are the Best Kinds of Flooring for a Radiant Heating System?

Friday, December 12th, 2014

Radiant heating systems are a great option for heating your home, especially if you’re looking for a more energy efficient option than traditional forced air systems. Unlike forced air systems, however, radiant heating forces some considerations beyond the heating system itself. Let’s examine how radiant heating is affected by flooring, and what you should do about it.

Why Does Flooring Matter?

Before we get into the best flooring options for radiant heating systems, it might help to discuss why flooring matters in the first place. Unlike forced air systems, radiant heating systems utilize a network of hot water pipes to transport heat throughout the house. These pipes are mainly installed in the subfloor of a room, though other areas like walls are possible as well.

The type of flooring matters because the heat from the system is transmitted through the floor to get into the room. This means that if the flooring is more or less conducive to heat, the system itself will be more or less effective.

What Kinds of Flooring Work Best?

Technically, any kind of flooring could work with a radiant heating system. That doesn’t mean that all flooring types work equally well, however. Generally, you’ll want to pick flooring that is more conducive to heat, making it more able to transmit the heat from the pipes to the room. Stone is a good choice, as is ceramic and even concrete. All of these materials conduct heat quite well, although they will take longer to warm up than lighter materials.

Hardwood can work, as can LVT or LVP (Luxury Vinyl Tile and Luxury Vinyl Plank). The problem with those last three is that they will contract and expand with the heat from the pipes, which can warp your floor. There are ways to mitigate this problem, but it will take some extra steps from whoever is installing your floors. Carpet is just about the only flooring option that really shouldn’t be considered with radiant heating. Carpet is designed to insulate a room, repelling heat instead of absorbing it. This makes it a particularly bad choice for radiant heating, as it will work at cross-purposes.

If you’d like to know more about radiant heating, call ACI Northwest. Our heating experts cover all of Spokane.

Continue Reading

Advantages of Radiant Systems

Friday, November 7th, 2014

Radiant heating isn’t new, but with the advent of better radiant heating products, radiant systems have become a popular choice among homeowners. You have a few choices when it comes to radiant heating, including the choice of using hot water or electricity.

Types of Radiant Heating

There are three main types of radiant heating, and two of them are for radiant flooring. The choices for radiant flooring are:

  • Electric radiant floors
  • Hydronic radiant floors (hot water)

Electric Radiant Floors

Electric radiant flooring can be installed in two ways. The first is a wet installation in which electric cables are placed in wet cement; when the cement dries, it becomes a radiant slab. The second option with electric radiant flooring is to install mats of electrically conductive plastic under flooring.

Hydronic Radiant Floors

A hydronic system uses a boiler to provide hot water or steam. Flexible, durable plastic tubing is installed under your flooring and the hot water or steam flows through it, providing the room with heat.

Radiant Panels

Radiant panels are installed in ceilings and walls. Like flooring, radiant panels can heat via hot water or electricity, but electricity is more commonly used. Radiant panels are usually made of aluminum and have a faster response time than radiant flooring. However, radiant panels have a much lower heat capacity than radiant flooring.

Advantages of Radiant Systems

Because of their unique layout, radiant systems have some benefits other heating systems may not:

  • Even heating – the heat from radiant systems is gradual and even, which can feel more comfortable as compared to forced hot air.
  • No blowing dust – with forced air systems, the blowing air circulates dust and other particles, which can be particularly difficult for allergy sufferers.
  • Quiet operation – except for the firing of the boiler, the heat distribution of a radiant system is silent.
  • Easily zoned – radiant heating is easy to zone, offering you the potential for customized heating.

Imagine being able to keep your feet warm without socks all winter long; with radiant heating, you can do this and more. Call ACI Northwest for radiant heating repair and maintenance services today!

Continue Reading