Radiant heat in one type of heating system that is often hooked up and installed by plumbers in Edmonton.  Radiant heat is a form of heating that is similar to how the sun heats the earth.  The heat comes from the medium and radiates outwards in all directions.  In this article I will explain the different kinds of radiant heating systems that make sense here in Edmonton.

In Floor Radiant Heat

With in floor radiant heat the heat warms the floor and anything that is touching the floor which in turn warms you and your family.  Unlike forced air or convection type of heating the air does not get warm.  therefore you might notice that the temperature in your house is lower than what you are normally accustomed to by a few degrees.  And yet you are still very comfortable.

There are two styles of in floor radiant heat.  A staple up system and a top down system.  The staple up system is less efficient as the heat must transfer from the water to heat transfer plates through the wood of the floor and warm the finished floor.  Since wood is an insulator the energy to heat through the floor is slightly higher.

A staple down system generally is used with gypcrete or in the case of a basement or garage, concrete.  This system takes longer to warm the medium as the concrete is much more dense, but once it is warm the temperature will stay consistent from that point on.

Radiant Heat inside Walls

As technology changes so do the ways we can heat our homes.  One newer method is to use radiant panels that are inside your walls and heat the wall.  Which in turn warms you when you are sitting there or any furniture that is close to that wall.

Radiant Tube Heating

A great way to heat your garage is with a radiant tube heater.  Unlike the other types of radiant heat that I have mentioned this does not use water.  Instead there is a burner that shoots a flame down the tube.  The flame only goes part way down the radiant tube then the rest is flue gas that is pushed out of the tube.  The flue gas is a mixture of burned natural gas and air and any impurities in the gas.

Unlike forced air unit heaters that you might have in a garage these types of heaters are far superior.  There is no air to blow around in your garage, so if you are doing any kind of work and the unit turns on to warm the room you do not have to worry about wood or other particles blowing around.

As I said earlier radiant heat heats in all directions.  In this case there is reflectors that point the heat from the tube heaters towards the floor.  If you have ever been to an arena I am sure you have felt the warmth coming off of one of these units.

Cast Iron Radiant Heat

In some houses years ago people would have an old steam boiler that would heat those big clunky cast iron radiators.  Once those things were hot they stayed hot for a long time.  This type of heating is not as efficient as other methods of radiant heating and is not common in houses.

Thanks for reading.

If you need someone to hookup or install any kind of radiant heating system give us a call at 780-264-0878

Kramer Plumbing and Radiant Heat

249 Grand Meadow Cres.

Edmonton, AB

T6L 1W9

780-264-0878