Electric Radiant Heat
A system used for electric radiant heating is a very cost-effective answer to warm smaller areas, as its installation can be done easily and inexpensively. All that is needed would be an electric thermostat and that would cost just around $100 to $200.
One more advantage that electric radiant heating has over a system that uses warm water is the floor height or floor build up. Floor build up may be as little as two millimeters. Electric cables are installed on the insulation board or on the subfloor (under the laminate or carpet), and the floor cover is positioned thinset or over the electric radiant heating system.
Electric radiant heating also has a quicker installation process, with a typical installation lasting from half a day to an entire day based on the size that will be installed. Also, the time it takes to warm up is faster than the “wet” systems as the cables are already installed exactly below the flooring, which makes it a direct operating heat source unlike a storage heater.
Electric radiant heat was used to be offered as a single long cable that the consumer has to weave up and down at a specified spacing on the floor, after which a return loop completes the circuit. The main issue was that the installation time was lengthy and there was the present risk of having some hot spots and cold spots because of the uneven spacing of the cable, as cables that are spaced very close together tend to emit more heat and cables spaced too near together give off less.
The latest designs of cables used for electric radiant heat have the built in return, so you only need to connect one end rather than closing the circuit by bringing both ends of the cable return to the thermostat. These recent design of cables are remarkable as installation is made quicker. As the built in return design was introduced, the “cable mat” also became a revolutionary tool in making the installation simpler.
Cable mats used for electric radiant heat have simplified installation through having the cable pre-spaced on a nylon mesh so all you need to do would be to just start from the location of the thermostat and roll it out on the floor until the cable is used up. These would result in time and effort savings as well as lessening the risks of hot spots and cold spots.
|
