Why You Should Use Water Heater For Your Radiant Heating System
Should you be using a water heater for your radiant heating? This is a question most homeowners ask when they decide to install radiant heating in their homes. The short answer is that water heaters are very effective in supplying energy to radiant applications in the home, and yes you definitely should consider using them.
There are several reasons why many people prefer to use a water heater instead of a boiler for their energy needs as far as radiant floor heating is concerned. For starters, tankless water heaters cost less compared to boilers in terms of installation and maintenance as well. For a homeowner, the more you are able to save in the costs of your operations, the better off you are.
Water Heaters
Water heaters are also environmentally friendly. It is important to ensure that you choose appliances and energy sources that are friendly to your immediate and extended environment. However, you should keep in mind that only high quality water heaters are environmentally friendly. There are some cheap options that will do more harm than good, and these are options you should definitely steer away from.
Radiant heat runs on warm water. Boilers are made in such a way that they make water very hot for radiators. Most boilers require additional components so that they are able to produce water at lower temperatures. If these components are absent, your boiler is likely to suffer ‘cold shocking’ damage when room temperature water is cycled back to the boiler.
Water Heater Safety
Your best bet when it comes to ensuring your water stays warm with no damages done is to use a water heater. A water heater is engineered to operate at lower temperatures and will even be able to condense the flue gasses back to water in a very simple way. You will not have to worry about overheating or incurring huge losses when your system becomes damaged.
This does not mean that you should use a water heater as a shortcut for your radiant heating. You should only choose a high quality heater that is made of high quality materials (preferably stainless steel) and one that is effective.
Water Heater Installation
When installing your water heater and radiant heating system, it is important to utilize the services of an electrician and plumber so that the work can be properly done. While the installation itself is nothing complicated, it is necessary to use someone who has a trained eye and the expertise to know what goes where.
Radiant heating is quickly catching on as the preferred way to keep heated floors. Not only does it ensure you do not have to walk all over cold floors while in your house, it also increases the value of your home should you opt to re-sell it. Radiant heating is also a great way to decrease the utility bills in your home, as it costs less to heat your home using a radiant system than it would if you were to go the forced air system way.
