Under-floor radiant heating can be accomplished with hot water pipes or an electric floor heating cable. Homeowners who don’t want the expense of boiler installation or only need floor heat in certain rooms choose the electric model. They can install cables when they replace flooring as a DIY project.
Radiant Heat Advantages
Instead of blowing air into rooms through vents, a floor heating cable radiates warmth upward. This is a gentler way to heat a space without air, dust and allergens like pollen blowing around. There is virtually no noise.
Location Examples
Homeowners often choose these electric cables for specific rooms. A common location is bathrooms where people shower or take baths. The extra warmth prevents any chill when leaving the bathing enclosure. Radiant heat is appealing for parents of young children who want those bedrooms to be a little warmer at night than the rest of the home is.
The electric cables also are useful in rooms where ductwork is inadequate. An addition built onto the home might always be chilly in winter, for instance. The household residents may have been relying on an electric space heater there on cold days. That’s usually not an ideal choice since the appliance is useful only for relatively small spaces.
Energy Efficiency
Since electric floor cables use significantly less wattage than space heaters do, this is an economic choice. Eventually, the homeowners will recoup the cost of the cable system. This form of heating also is more efficient than that provided by an electric baseboard.
