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Radiant floors are the most comfortable , quiet and clean heating system available. They are highly energy efficient.
Lately due to increased demand for solar and geothermal heat pump systems we have had to scale back our radiant floor heating services. This should be no problem since most heating contractors now do them.

If you are outside New York State:Please Click here
If you are in New York State we are refering all radiant floor customers to The Radiant Floor Company, P.O. Box 666, Barton VT 05822, USA
Toll free:1-866-Warm-Toes
(1-866-927-6863)
info@radiantcompany.com  

Radiant floor tubing layouts before concrete pour

If you are a contractor interested in installing radiant floors. Click here. For info on the Heat Link system.

Radiant Floors, the Options and How they Work.

Radiant floor heating is the most comfortable heat distribution system available and requires a minimum of energy to operate. It is clean, quiet and the heat is uniform. If the floor is warm you are warm even at lower room air temperatures than considered comfortable with other types of heat distribution systems. With the floor as one big radiator it can heat the objects, surfaces, and occupants, including you, directly without having to heat the air in the room first. The floors stay warm, floor to ceiling temperatures remain more nearly constant, body heat is retained and room air remains properly humid and feels fresher. Radiant floors provide a non-drafty environment in your home.

COMPARISONS WITH OTHER SYSTEMS:

Health and Comfort:

Other systems provide warmth by first heating the air in the room. This type of heating leaves floors colder, creates convectional drafts and forms a wasteful concentration of heat near the ceiling. Natural humidity is baked out by the high temperature heat sources, and the circulation of air actually draws off body heat.

Radiant heating, on the other hand, radiates an even, comfortable warmth to the objects, occupants and surfaces of a room, without first having to heat the air. The floors stay warm, floor to ceiling temperatures remain more nearly constant, body heat is retained and room air remains properly humid and feels fresher.

Cleaner, More efficient, Less costly to operate:

The heat intensive elements of radiators and the high temperatures of hot air systems set up convectional drafts and can cause carbon particles to form around room dust. This is what produces the streaks of dirt on walls and furniture.

Radiant heat operates at lower temperatures, eliminating both convectional drafts and the carbonization of dust. Lower operating temperatures and the radiant nature of under- the-floor heating combine to provide a more evenly distributed, energy efficient system that more closely approaches the ideal heating condition. Lower temperatures require less fuel.

RADIANT HEATING ALLOWS GREATER FLEXIBILITY IN BUILDING DESIGN

Radiant heating, in general, does not limit the architect or designer, because it is concealed beneath usable floor space. Piping to the distribution manifolds is easier to conceal than ductwork. Floor finishes are generally not a limiting factor. Any floor covering is acceptable, however, the more insulative the floor cover is the warmer the source water needs to be thereby reducing energy savings. Therefore, the less insulative floor covers are more recommended.

Radiant floor heating is not limited to concrete floors on grade. Some radiant floor products can be installed under the subfloor between the floor joists to heat ordinary wood floors. Some are easier and less costly to install this way than others. Most radiant floor products can be installed on top of wood or existing floors in floor underlayment products such as "Gypcrete" or self leveling concretes even under floor tiles. Some of the products can even be installed behind sheetrock in walls or ceilings to turn these into radiant surfaces.

Radiant heating can be connected to any properly sized heating plant for heating water. It is even possible to heat some small well insulated homes with a water heater instead of a boiler. Radiant floor heating makes a particularly good match with water to water heat pumps and/or solar systems for distributing heat. Because radiant floors use lower temperature water than other systems they can increase the efficiency and usefulness of heat sources such as geothermal heat pumps, central electric thermal storage, thermal storage type wood boilers and solar systems all of which GBE has had installation and service experience. Other options include radiant wall and ceiling heating should the floor be unavailable for some reason.

WHAT GREAT BROOK ENTERPRISES OFFERS:

We are installing contractors of renewable energy systems. Lately due to increased demand for solar PV (electric) systems we have had to greatly scale back our radiant floor heating services.This should be no problem since most heating contractors now do them. You should contact your local HVAC contractor or plumbing heating wholesale outlet to find someone to install or service your radiant floor system. You might also want to contact our wholesale supplier of Heat-Link radiant floor systems, Yaun Company, directly at 845-292-6400 ask for John or Larry. Be sure to tell them you heard of them at our web site. RETURN to TOP of page

Click here to surf back to our home page. Great Brook Enterprises 819 County Rd 28, South New Berlin, NY 13843 Phone: 607-847-6366  by Dave Austin, proprietor.

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