Electric underfloor heating, Costs and energy saving tips, Consumption costs, Choosing an underfloor heating system | Central heating with radiators was introduced in the 1930s and has since been used as the standard heating system for homes in the Netherlands, remaining more or less unchanged over the last 8 decades. More recently, underfloor heating is being used in Dutch homes as the heating system of choice.
Below you will find a comparison of these two systems and an explanation of why we believe underfloor heating is the best solution for heating a home.
HEAT DISTRIBUTION
The type of heating system determines the way heat is distributed. Underfloor heating produces radiant heat, so you automatically feel the heat. The term 'radiant heat' is used when thermal radiation is responsible for a large part of the 'thermal comfort' associated with this form of heating.
Radiators heat the air in the room where the radiator is placed using convection. The air that has been heated by radiators rises to the ceiling and when it has arrived there and cooled, it falls back down where it is heated again by the radiator. This creates a flow of hot and cold air and unavoidable hot and cold spots. The places near radiators are warmer than places where there are no radiators.
Underfloor heating and radiators distribute heat differently. This illustration compares underfloor heating and the uneven heat distribution of a radiator system. Because some areas take much longer to heat with radiators and other areas are overheated, hot and cold spots reduce the desired comfort level.
EFFICIENCY AND COMFORT
The way heat is distributed affects the efficiency and comfort of the heating system. Radiant heat instantly warms objects and maintains natural humidity in a room, while convection of warm air actually lowers humidity, which can make a heated room feel a bit stuffy. If the entire floor of the room is heated, radiant heat ensures an even distribution of heat, while convection heat first heats a room and only fully heats the room after a while. Rising air temperature due to convection heating can cause less comfort and overheating, which can then cause lower oxygen levels and therefore breathing problems when the air is too warm.
Underfloor heating provides heat where it is needed and reduces the risk of the body overheating.
COST SAVINGS AND INCREASED ENERGY EFFICIENCY
Radiators were introduced as a luxury in the 1930s, but they are prone to overheating, making a heating system much less efficient. Ventilation is often ultimately required, such as opening a window, which results in energy being lost to the environment - as can be seen in this Punch magazine advertisement from the 1930s.
The way radiators produce heat creates hot and cold spots, which means you'll want to increase the room temperature to get the feeling of heat further away from the radiator. This will cause the radiators to produce more heat and reduce cold spots, but at the same time make the area near the radiator even hotter. This overheating means that the room temperature eventually becomes too high, requiring windows to be opened to let fresh air in, but at the same time letting the heat escape, wasting energy and money. Wasting energy is expensive because overheating by just 1% can increase fuel costs by 8% (source: Carbon Trust), which can significantly increase your heating costs.
DESIGN FREEDOM WITHOUT MAINTENANCE
Underfloor heating offers the opportunity to use every square meter and place furniture in any desired location without radiators and holding back their heat. Without large radiators to take up valuable space, our systems are a designer's dream.
INDIVIDUAL TEMPERATURE CONTROL IN EACH ROOM – ZONING
Heating is more efficient when used zone by zone. In most cases, underfloor heating is used and zoned per room, with a thermostat controlling each specific zone. Therefore, heating is supplied to the room only when necessary, reducing the amount of energy required. However, conventional radiator systems tend to heat the entire house at once, based on a central thermostat. This can cause overheating and underheating depending on the location of the thermostat and is less efficient for heating individual zones.