Leaving your bed and starting your day on a chilly, dark morning is so painful. Wearing a pair of socks won’t help when you have to walk on the cold floor. What if you have a warm floor in your room? Of course, you can comfortably leave your bed and follow your daily routine. People living in cold climates know what it feels like to walk into their homes with toasty warm feet. It is a great feeling of comfort that homeowners wish to have. That is why they install a low-voltage floor heating system in their home or in any specific area of the home. If you also want to install a radiant floor heating system, you must know its pros and cons.
Go through this article and learn the pros and cons of low voltage floor heating systems.
Advantages of Installing a Low-Voltage Floor Heating System
Radiant floor heating systems have a lot of benefits that make installation worthwhile. Here are some major benefits of this trending way to heat your home:
- Easy operation: Once your radiant floor heating system is installed, you can easily operate it just by using the thermostat. You just need to turn the system on and off whenever required. Much like a furnace, you can set temperature and time just by pressing a button. Additionally, they require no maintenance at all.
- Energy-efficient: In order to heat a room, a traditional radiator should run at 149–167 degrees Fahrenheit. A low-voltage floor heating system requires it to be run at 84 degrees Fahrenheit to heat the floor and room effectively. Using less energy with a radiant floor heating system also reduces the cost of your energy bill. Their efficiency reduces the bill by 15%. Installing a low-voltage floor heating system is easy and cost-effective. It costs nothing when compared to its benefits.
- Space-saving: A low-voltage floor heating system is installed discreetly under the floor. So you will have free walls and more space to decorate that might have been taken by a traditional heating system if you had one of them.
- Safe: The sharp edges and hot surfaces of traditional heating systems are dangerous for pets, kids, and other younger family members. In contrast with traditional radiators, a low-voltage floor heating system is completely safe. Since the radiant floor heating system is installed discreetly under the floor, there are no protruding sharp edges or any kind of vents to trip over. This ensures the safety of your family members. Furthermore, because a traditional room heater uses vents to circulate warm air, it is not good for people suffering from asthma and other allergies. But when you have a low-voltage floor heating system, heat rises from the ground and spreads evenly throughout the whole room. No circulation of air makes it best for asthma sufferers and other allergic people.
Easy installation and no noise are some other benefits of a low-voltage floor heating system. When it’s about comfort, of course, you will never want to compromise on these benefits.
Drawbacks of low-voltage floor heating systems
While deciding whether a radiant floor heating system is the right choice for you, you must also consider its drawbacks. Overall, the drawbacks are mostly related to the installation process. Here are some of the downsides of low-voltage flow heating systems:
- Replacement of flooring: If you are installing a radiant floor heating system during the construction or renovation of your home, then it’s fine. Otherwise, your flooring needs to be removed for the installation process. It means taking everything out of the room and putting it back once the installation is done. So it is best to install the systems during the construction or renovation of your home.
If you want to install the system in your existing home, don’t think much. A little bit of your effort for a moment will make your whole life more comfortable. If you are removing your floor for installation, you should replace it with a material like a tile or hardwood. These materials retain and radiate heat for a longer period.
- Elevate your floor height slightly: The low-voltage floor heating system is about ½ an inch or less. This system is usually installed with insulation boards, which maximize heat retention. These boards again increase the height by about an inch. So when you install a low-voltage floor heating system, the height of the floor will increase slightly. A little bit of elevation in your floor height doesn’t matter. What matters the most is that you enjoy a warm floor and room even when the temperature is below 0.
As you can see, the advantages of installing a low-voltage floor heating system outweigh its drawbacks. Enjoy your warm floor and home, sauntering here and there with your tasty warm feet. After all, it’s all about your comfort.
