What's Your Plan This Winter

October 26, 2008 00:10 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

Winter weather is on the way. Start thinking about heating system solutions for the coming winter months or spend the season shivering and wishing you’d planned ahead. Leaving decisions like this to the last moment (for example, when your furnace up and dies in the middle of a brutal Nor’easter) causes unnecessary stress, expense, and, most obviously, a freezing cold house.

Whether you are building a new home from the ground up, preparing to replace your heating systems are using electricity instead of natural gas or heating oil. Not only does this cut down on heating costs, but it is also more efficient and eco-friendly as well. Radiant heating systems are quickly replacing traditional furnaces.

Heating Systems Tip: Choosing the best heating systems for a new home or to add supplemental heat to a cold spot in your home now takes a little homework. The radiant consultants and designers at Warmzone have been trained in all of the latest heating systems to properly assess your project and prescribe a system that will add value to your home within your budget.

 


  Radiant Heat Information  

AddThis Feed Button






Radiant Heaters Add Value and Efficiency to Homes

December 23, 2008 00:12 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

Even though it’s now Springtime (and forecasted high energy bills), homebuilders, househunters, and home renovators alike are looking for energy-efficient heating options for houses.  In fact, as builders and homeowners look for new ways to add value to homes in a weak housing market, they often look for upgrades that will add value and efficiency to their homes, which will help them sell.  We say they need look no further than radiant heaters for their ideal home heating solution.

In a nutshell, radiant heaters are the most efficient form of heat available in today’s market. Significantly less operating time is required to attain and maintain the desired warmth compared to furnaces and other, traditional methods of heating, which keeps operational costs to a minimum.

High efficiency boilers or electric radiant floor systems makes radiant heat one of your most efficient ways to heat your home. Combined with a well-insulated home, these radiant heater systems can quickly warm your home and then shut down or wait idle for long periods of time before being called upon by the thermostat to operate.

Radiant Heaters Tip:  Being more environmentally friendly doesn’t have to involve major renovations. Many people waste a lot of energy by not sealing cracks, doors and windows. Checking to make sure a home’s insulation is in good shape and replacing it if it’s not is another good surefire way to stop, prevent, and reverse energy waste. 


  Radiant Heat Information  

AddThis Feed Button






Heating Your Home Via Hydronics

December 18, 2008 00:12 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

The home improvement world has seen many recent developments in heating, making hydronic systems more convenient and possible radiant heater solutions for major home remodeling projects. Today we’re going to discuss one form of radiant heaters: hydronic floor heating.

Hydronic floor heating is the oldest and most popular type of radiant floor heating. These systems are comprised of a boiler or hot water heater, pumps, manifolds, PEX tubing, thermostat, and either gypcrete (a concrete-like material) or wood panels. Hydronic heating is the most complex of all radiant heat systems. These systems require trained professionals to design and perform the installation. Your best economies of scale are achieved for hydronic systems in large areas or entire homes because of their expensive components and operational costs. Hydronic systems can be installed under any type of flooring.

Most hydronic systems require hot water tubing to be installed in a 2-4″ bed of light concrete and are best installed during the initial construction because of its weight load demands and adjustments to floor height.

If you’re wanting to heat smaller areas such as a bathroom or kitchen, a hydronic floor radiant heating system may not be the best value for your project. The complexity and cost of installing the system, along with the long-term maintenance and up-keep required, might not be worth the small amount you will save in operational costs.

Radiant Heaters Tip: Radiant heaters for your home or business come in a variety of forms – all efficient and providing reliable, cozy warmth

 


  Radiant Heat Information  

AddThis Feed Button






Consider This Before Buying a New Home Heating System

December 14, 2008 00:12 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

If you’re in the market for a new home heating solution, you may be wondering what kinds of home heating choices are there? A majority of homeowners are probably most familiar with forced air unit heaters and might not realize that there are other options for heating a home – other options that are more efficient and even more comfortable. One such option are radiant heaters, which, as opposed to warm air systems, delivers the source of heat to the floor level, not the ceiling.

Radiant heaters or radiant energy is the oldest form of heating used to provide comfort and is the basis for all heating systems. Radiant energy is totally pure radiation and is absorbed by an object without physical contact with the heat source or by heating the surrounding air, as is the case with convective, forced air systems. Believe it or not, under-the-floor heaters were first used by the Romans. While under floor heating was initially reserved for the rich, it eventually became increasingly commonplace in public buildings and villas. This form of radiant heating was used particularly in the colder regions of the Roman Empire. The Roman system was based on hypocausts, comprising ducts that underlay the floor (itself built on raised brick piles) and flues that were built into walls. Hot air or steam from fires circulated up through this system, warming the floor and walls, with heat passing into the rooms.
Radiant Heaters Tip: Health experts agree that radiant heaters can help in eliminating dust mites that live in our homes, and since dust mites love a warm moist environment, towel heaters aid in maintaining a consistent room temperature and keep it moisture free. 


  Radiant Heat Information  

AddThis Feed Button






What Kind of Radiant Heaters are Best for Your Home?

December 28, 2008 00:12 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

Are you having a hard time deciding which radiant heat system is right for you?  We know, it sometimes can be hard to narrow down what kind of radiant heaters to install. There are dozens of products available to purchase, and there are even more companies telling you that their product is the best.

For many homeowners, electric cable heating systems, often called line- or high-voltage systems, are gaining popularity and are ideal for heating smaller areas like bathrooms, kitchens, and sun rooms. These systems are comprised of a thermostat and a heating cable. These radiant heater systems are oftentimes less expensive, and give the ability to customize a layout that will heat every square inch of your floor.

Every available radiant heater cable system is equally effective, so when determining which system to purchase, you should look at the warranty of the product, along with the ease of installation. Some cables must be embedded in a separate layer of concrete or mortar, whereas other systems can simply be installed in the thinset. Most radiant heater cable systems can only be installed under tile. However, on others, if the cable is embedded in mortar or concrete, any flooring can be installed on top of the concrete.

Radiant Heaters Tip: When heating smaller areas, it is nearly impossible to beat the simplicity and price of an electric cable radiant heating system. 


  Radiant Heat Information  

AddThis Feed Button






Problem Solved!

December 22, 2008 00:12 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

Are your eyes so tired from all the research you’ve been doing because you’re looking to warm your floors with radiant heaters? We know, it sometimes can be hard to narrow down what kind of radiant heaters to install. There are dozens of products available to purchase, and there are even more companies telling you that their product is the best.

For many homeowners, electric cable heating systems, often called line- or high-voltage systems, are gaining popularity and are ideal for heating smaller areas like bathrooms, kitchens, and sun rooms. These systems are comprised of a thermostat and a heating cable. These radiant heater systems are oftentimes less expensive, and give the ability to customize a layout that will heat every square inch of your floor.

Every available radiant heater cable system is equally effective, so when determining which system to purchase, you should look at the warranty of the product, along with the ease of installation. Some cables must be embedded in a separate layer of concrete or mortar, whereas other systems can simply be installed in the thinset. Most radiant heater cable systems can only be installed under tile. However, on others, if the cable is embedded in mortar or concrete, any flooring can be installed on top of the concrete.

Radiant Heaters Tip: When heating smaller areas, it is nearly impossible to beat the simplicity and price of an electric cable radiant heating system.


  Radiant Heat Information  

AddThis Feed Button






Radiant Heaters 101

December 22, 2008 00:12 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

The number of types of radiant heaters available for residences or businesses is awfully mind-boggling. There’s really a lot of selection for homeowners to choose from. Today we’ll discuss the electric cable heating system kind of radiant heaters.

Electric cable heating systems are gaining popularity in as radiant heaters and are ideal for heating smaller areas (10-300 square feet) like bathrooms, kitchens, and sun rooms. These systems are comprised of a thermostat and a heating cable. On some systems, the cable will be shipped to you as a large spool of cable. These systems are oftentimes less expensive, and give you the ability to space the cable how you want and customize a layout that will heat every square inch of your floor. Other systems have the cable attached to a plastic mesh or tape to create a mat to maintain its proper spacing.

Every available cable system is equally effective, so when determining which radiant heater system to purchase, you should look at the warranty of the product, along with the ease of installation. Some cables must be embedded in a separate layer of concrete or mortar, whereas other systems can simply be installed in the thinset.

Radiant Heaters Tip: When heating smaller areas with a radiant heater, it is nearly impossible to beat the simplicity and price of an electric cable heating system.


  Radiant Heat Information  

AddThis Feed Button






Now Appearing in a Home Near You

December 21, 2008 00:12 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

Innovations in home heating are here and ready to keep your home comfortably heated!Flat panel radiant heaters are used to heat objects via radiant heat transfer. These radiant heaters have traditionally been used in a variety of industries and applications. Some of these applications include space heating, drying, curing, and water evaporation. More recently, these heating systems are also gaining popularity in home heating applications as well.

Radiant heaters use different types of emitter surfaces. Choices include: quartz, high-temperature glass, stainless steel, and ceramic tiles. These are all materials that are easily and efficiently used in home applications such as flooring, countertops, and towel racks. Because these items are easily turned into emitter surfaces for radiant heat, they can easily and beautifully be incorporated into home heating applications such as heated floors, walls, and towel racks.

To find out about radiant heaters for your home, check with the folks at warmzone.com. They have a complete product catalog of radiant heating solutions that can accommodate almost any application or budget.

Radiant Heaters Tip: Not only are radiant heaters a great way to efficiently heat a home, while maximizing your home’s beauty, but they are very cost effective and easy to install.

 


  Radiant Heat Information  

AddThis Feed Button






Evict the Allergens

December 16, 2008 00:12 AM  BY  JEN BAKER

A lot of people out there might hear about allergies and asthma and assume that they're only warm-weather maladies–I sure did once upon a time. But the sad and uncomfortable truth is, they’re very often year-round! Allergies and asthma affect at least 60 million Americans in one way or another, generally making the sufferers rather miserable. Many allergy and asthma experts will advise certain changes in housekeeping habits to help alleviate allergy- or asthma-causing conditions in your home. In addition, you might consider changing your heat source to radiant heaters.

It could come as a surprise to learn that radiant heaters could be such a simple solution to helping keep your home healthy. In reality, radiant heaters improve the air quality, which is important, especially for anyone who suffers from either dust allergies or asthma. Not having to change air filters or clean heating ducts should also cut down dramatically on dust or other allergens in your home’s air.

Allergy experts agree that another way to keep your home healthy is to eliminate the dust mites that live in your home. Since dust mites love a warm moist environment, towel heaters and other radiant heater systems aid in maintaining a consistent room temperature and keep it moisture-free…and dust mite-free, too. Furthermore, mold and mildew are also caused from excessive moisture especially in bathrooms with insufficient ventilation.

Radiant Heater Tip: Did you know that simply by placing radiant heaters or a radiant heat towel rack in the bathroom you can combat the spread of germs for only pennies a day?

 


  Radiant Heat Information  

AddThis Feed Button






Radiant Heaters Offer Reliability and Comfort Year Round

December 24, 2008 00:12 AM  BY  STACEY BARRUS

You may not know that radiant heaters for your home or business come in a variety of forms – all efficient and providing reliable, cozy warmth. Today we’re going to discuss one form of radiant heaters: hydronic floor heating.

Quite a name, isn’t it? Hydronic floor heating is the oldest and most popular type of radiant floor heating. These systems are comprised of a boiler or hot water heater, pumps, manifolds, PEX tubing, thermostat, and either gypcrete (a concrete-like material) or wood panels. Hydronic heating is the most complex of all radiant heat systems. These systems require trained professionals to design and perform the installation. Your best economies of scale are achieved for hydronic systems in large areas or entire homes because of their expensive components and operational costs. Hydronic systems can be installed under any type of flooring. Most hydronic systems require hot water tubing to be installed in a 2-4″ bed of light concrete and are best installed during the initial construction because of its weight load demands and adjustments to floor height.

For heating smaller areas such as a bathroom or kitchen, a hydronic floor heating system may not be the best value for your project. The complexity and cost of installing the system, along with the long-term maintenance and up-keep required, might not be worth the small amount you will save in operational costs.

Radiant Heaters Tip: Many recent developments have made hydronic systems more convenient and possible radiant heater solutions for major home remodeling projects.


  Radiant Heat Information  

AddThis Feed Button