What is Radiant Heat?

Radiant energy travels through space without heating the space itself. It doesn't turn into heat until it contacts an object that it can transfer its energy to. Think of the sun warming you on a cold winter day. The air temperature is cold but your body feels warm because it is soaking up the suns energy.

How Does it Work?

Warm water is pumped through a series of flexible plastic (PEX©) tubes placed in the floor, walls, or ceiling making a large "radiator" or radiant panel. The warm water heats up the radiant panel which then slowly radiates heat into the objects in the room.

What Makes it so Comfortable?

Because it heats objects, it doesn't dry out the air like forced air systems. The floor becomes your source of heat providing heat evenly throughout. Rooms with vaulted ceilings are warmer and more efficient because heat does not rise to the ceiling.

Is Radiant Heat Cheaper to Use? 

The radiant heat warms objects and releases its heat slowly, therefore the system runs less. Also, the warmth stays where the people are and doesn't collect on the ceiling.

Is Radiant Heat Better Than Forced Air? 

A radiant panel may have a surface temperature of 80 degrees, while an air register may be blowing out 110 degree air to heat the same sized room. Many older homes have radiant systems in them. Remember those old cast iron radiators? Even then they knew that water is a more efficient way to heat than hot air. Today’s technology is so much more advanced making Radiant Heating even better than ever. Forced air became popular because it is cheap to install, but the home owner is left with a noisy, drafty, dry and dusty heating system that costs them more to run. A properly installed Radiant Floor Heating system has none of the problems of forced air systems, and will cost 30 to 40% less to run. That’s a lot of money over the course of an average Minnesota heating season.