What
is Radiant Heat?
Radiant heat is similar to
the energy of the sun! We all know the warmth of basking in the
glow of direct sunlight on a cool day.
Thermostatically controlled radiant heating works the
same way. Radiant heating warms people, pets, floors, furniture
and all other items in the room. The heat of convection from
these objects warms the surrounding air, providing the cozy
comfort your home deserves.
"Hot air" rises but "heat" can travel in any
direction. Radiant energy transfer is caused by a warm surface giving up
its heat to a cooler surface.
The air in a radiant heated room is the same temperature
as the room, because it is not overheated in the way a
baseboard, furnace or radiator heats, it doesn't rise to the
ceiling at the same rate. This reduces heat loss and makes the
room comfortable with a consistent temperature everywhere.
Without radiant heat you are
missing out on a truly comfortable living environment in your
home or business. By
controlling both the air temperature and the radiant transfer of
heat to nearby objects, radiant systems deliver a comfort that
is unsurpassed. Radiant
floors and radiant panels are ideal sources of this type of
heat. The larger
the surface, the lower the actual surface temperature required.
A wall radiator may have a surface temperature of 180oF,
while an 81oF heated floor will provide the same
heat.
Whenever there is a
temperature difference between two surfaces, both surfaces will
attempt to equalize. Radiant
energy travels through space without heating the space itself. It only turns into heat when it contacts a cooler surface.
Our human comfort relies just as much on radiant heat
transfer as it does on air temperature, yet the majority of
heating and air conditioning professionals think only in terms
of air temperature.
With
radiant heat, the room and every object in it become radiators.
Typically, the temperature in a radiantly heated space
matches your skin's temperature thus eliminating heat loss from
your body. Because
of this, the room actually feels warmer, even though the actual
air temperature may be cooler.
As a result, radiant heat offers unparalleled comfort and
decreased energy bills!
Radiant heat allows you the comfort of a truly ShoelessHome.
