Warm Floors for your bathroom is a great way to add to your dream bathroom

Stepping into a warm bathroom first thing in the morning is a great way to start your day. The warmth underfoot really makes a difference - especially if you have tile or stone flooring. The process of achieving this comfort is not complicated. There are warming systems for your flooring that are easily installed in cement under ceramic tiles and stone floors by your local tile contractor or bathroom remodeler.

 

         

There are many types of warm floor options for your choosing.

First one is the Electric radiant Heat:

Unlike hydronic systems which are typically used for whole-house heating, electric systems offer greater flexibly in terms of their ability to be added only to rooms where comfort and enjoyment are considered a premium, such as bathrooms, kitchens and family rooms.

Developed for installation under tile, stone, wood or carpet, electric radiant heating systems bring warm soothing luxury to bathroom floors and cold or unevenly heated kitchens and room additions.

 Another one is Hydronic Radiant heat:

Hydronic radiant floor heating systems use a boiler to heat up hot water and a pump to circulate the hot water in plastic pipes installed in a concrete slab. The pipes, embedded in the floor, carry heated water that conduct warmth to the surface of the floor where it broadcasts energy to your room.

Separated radiant heat zones are controlled by one thermostat and served by a manifold which distributes the flow of warm water to the individual circuits of tubing within each zone

When Should You Go with Hydronic?

 

 For spot warming or sole source heating of a portion of the house, it has been found that in 60% of cases electric radiant is more favorable than hydronic.For sole source heating of the complete house, 90% of the time hydronic radiant heating is a better option for you than electric. However, even if you plan a whole house, the electric system will be a better choice in climates where you often need to heat only a few hours in the morning and a few hours at night.

 

When Should You Go with Electric?

 

 

 

 For both spot warming or sole source heating, it has been found that in 90% of cases electric radiant is better for you than hydronic. You should expect to spend $400 to $800 to install an electric system for warming a small bathroom. An equivalent hydronic system would run $4,000 to $5,000. Hydronic systems have high start-up costs because you have to buy a boiler. As a result, electric radiant heat is more cost-effective on 1 to 5 rooms projects.

What are the advantages of electric over hydronic floor heating?

1. One difference is the floor elevation involved. The hydronic floor heating system elevates the floor by a couple of inches, which can be a problem in many remodeling jobs. Thin electric systems will elevate the floor by only 1/8″.

2. Time to heat up: Hydronic systems are placed 1.5″ or 2″ into a cement slab. This is so deep into the floor that it usually takes 4 to 7 hours to heat up when they are first turned ON. Therefore, they are left ON for many months and consume energy during a longer period of time.

 

3. Energy Saving: The electric heating mats are placed above the sub-floor, just under the flooring material. They will heat the floor in 30 to 60 minutes under tile

They are controlled by a timer and a thermostat and in most cases, the homeowners will preset ON-OFF cycles to provide heat only WHEN he/she needs it and WHERE he/she needs it (selecting rooms and heating from your feet up).

4. Cost of Installation: In remodeling jobs or in select rooms of a new construction hydronic systems will cost more to install. In very large jobs (complete home in new constructions), the hydronic radiant floor heating systems will often be less expensive to install.

5. Maintenance and repairs: Hydronic systems need to circulate water continuously and they use valves and manifolds, which are prone to sedimentation, mechanical problems and maintenance issues. Electric heating systems have no moving parts and require no maintenance. If a hydronic installation is faulty, it is difficult to find a leak and the system is difficult to repair. With electric systems an underground fault detector can find the exact location of the break and after breaking just one or two tiles it is easier to splice the electric cable and replace the few tiles removed.

6. Operating costs: The cost of electricity in America varies between 3 cents/kWh up to 18 cents per kWh, therefore, the cost of generating 1,000 BTU with a hydronic system may sometimes be lower than the cost of generating 1,000 BTU with an electric system. However, the real comparison needs to consider the different ways these two systems are used. The hydronic system will be ON for many months, while the electric system will be ON-&-OFF several times a day according to the ON-OFF settings of each room thermostat. Moreover, during each ON period, the electric system will only use electricity continuously for the initial period of temperature build-up. Thereafter, it will cycle between ON and OFF and will only draw electricity during 25% to 33% of the time remaining during the ON period.