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Pittsburgh Radiant Heating

What is Radiant Heat?

Warm water – generally from 80 degrees to 140 degrees – is circulated through flexible, durable PEX tubing embedded in the floor. The floor becomes a large radiator. The floor becomes warm and radiates warmth to the walls and objects in the room. As these objects become warm, you experience less heat loss because you are standing next to warm objects and you feel warm and comfortable in your Pittsburgh home.

What does this mean for you? First off it depends where in your home do you want floors to be warm? In most cases many people would agree that the bathroom is the best answer. Those many people would be right. The best feature about radiant heating is that it can be used almost anywhere. Bedrooms, living rooms and even kitchens. Why does it only need to be in the bathroom? Stepping out of the shower onto a warm floor is a great comfort. You can get that same great comfort while stepping out of bed. If you are tired of dealing with cold floors or if you are thinking about removing the old carpet give Mitchell Plumbing, Heating and Cooling a call so you can get that comfort feeling where you want it.

Thermal Comfort

Radiant heating is arguably superior to convection methods because warm air rises wastefully to the ceiling in rooms, warming the upper body (often with some discomfort, particularly to the head) but leaving the lower body cooler.

In contrast, Pittsburgh in-floor radiant heating warms the lower part of both the room and the body because when warm air convects from the radiant floor surface, it loses approximately two degrees Celsius at two meters above the floor. This imparts a feeling of natural warmth, since the limbs should ideally be warmer than the head. (The most acceptable indoor climate is one in which the floor temperature ranges between 19 and 29 °C and the air temperature at head level ranges between 20 and 24 °C.)

Finished Look

Under floor heating is invisible from above and does not use valuable wall space with unsightly heating equipment. In a sense, the entire floor is a radiator, although, because of its area, it need not reach the high temperatures of a baseboard system. It has a particular advantage in public areas where exposed hot or sharp surfaces can be dangerous and unsightly.

With the added benefit of not taking up any extra room and it does not have the unsightly equipment the Radiant heating also has a economical addition. Since the entire floor has become a radiator the high temperature is no longer needed giving home and office owners a break in energy bills.

Energy efficiency

Air-infiltration heat loss is reduced significantly compared to forced-air systems in which imbalance due to duct leakage can drive infiltration of outside air into the building. Heating cold air from the outside requires extra energy and decreases humidity.

If the boiler water temperature in a Hydronic (Water) system is set to the relatively low temperature required by under floor heat, rather than the higher temperature typically used in other types of radiators, the boiler may have higher efficiency and lower standby losses. However, this is typically only possible in a boiler designed for condensing operation; in many boilers, the water temperature in the boiler must be set higher, and reduced by a mixing valve. Depending on the piping layout and insulation, there may also be lower heat losses in the water distribution system because of the lower temperature.

Why Pittsburgh Should Hire Us For Their Heating Needs

With years of experience, you can count on Mitchell Plumbing, Heating and Cooling to deliver superior service at a price that you can afford. We give the attention to detail to your heating system that you should expect from the professionals.

Our Pittsburgh heating experts strive to keep the homeowner informed through every step of the project. At Mitchell Plumbing, Heating and Cooling our main focus is to ensure the project is completed just the way the homeowner expects it to be completed. All of our professionals start every heating project with the goal of providing an enjoyable experience for the homeowner. No matter your heating needs, our Pittsburgh HVAC pros and plumbers have the experience and knowledge to guarantee quality service.