Why Make Hydronic Underfloor Heating Part of Your New Home?
The freedom and flexibility afforded by having a custom home built is absolutely fantastic, and the benefits go beyond deciding which direction your yard is going to face or how many bedrooms you want on the ground floor. You should also be thinking about less common adjustments that can be made to your home, including the increasingly popular concept of underfloor heating. More specifically, you should be thinking about hydronic underfloor heating.
What is Hydronic Underfloor Heating?
Sometimes referred to as 'wet' or 'water' underfloor heating, hydronic underfloor heating uses pipes that are filled with water to heat your home. Those pipes are run underneath the flooring of each room you want heated. When you turn on the system, the water in the pipes is heated, producing heat that rises up from the floor. In contrast, electric underfloor heating uses lots of wires and heat pads.
So, why is hydronic underfloor heating the best option when you're building a new home?
Ideal for Larger Areas
If you're building a new home, it can be advantageous to use underfloor heating over larger areas. Doing so means that you'll lose the need to include radiators along your walls, which frees up the layout of the house somewhat. Hydronic underfloor heating is preferable for covering larger areas because it is significantly more efficient to run than electric underfloor heating. If you're only using underfloor heating in a small bathroom, the difference in running costs won't be huge, but using electric instead of hydronic across larger spaces is going to see your energy bills soar.
Perfect for Heating Multiple Rooms
Additionally, hydronic underfloor heating is preferable for heating several different rooms. It actually uses some very expensive components, but those components can be shared between many rooms. If you're designing a house from scratch, you have the heating and water systems planned around the hydronic system, allowing as many rooms as possible to share the same components, thereby reducing costs further.
Best When Starting from Scratch
Hydronic underfloor heating is generally seen as the superior option, so why do people still use electric? Well, hydronic systems can be tough to deal with when you're working with an existing property because insulation levels need to be adjusted and floors sometimes need to be raised. As such, it makes sense to adopt hydronic underfloor heating right away instead of waiting until your new home has been built.
Reach out to home builders through sites like http://www.seapointehomes.com.au to see how much this will affect your budget as you build your home.
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