Electric Underfloor Radiant Heat Complaints

Cost

• Radiant systems are expensive to install. If the home is well-insulated, with double-wall construction and the highest amount of insulation recommended for your climate, the cost savings per year are quite modest, and can be achieved by a more economical baseboard heating system. If the underfloor radiant heating is provided by electricity, the system can be programmed to charge only during off-peak hours to maximize cost-savings.

Heat Loss Into Ground

• In a slab-on-ground grade floor, up to 20 percent of the heat that is generated by a radiant floor is lost into the ground, even if the slab is properly insulated. This obviously lowers its overall efficiency and reduces any potential energy savings.

Need for Cooling

• A radiant underfloor heating system can only provide heat. In the summer months, most homes need some sort of air conditioning system, so a forced air system would also have to be installed to handle the needs of the household during the hot months of the year.

Overheating

• If the house uses some form of passive solar heat, the room may get overheated, since the warm concrete won't absorb solar radiation. With nowhere else to go, the solar radiation directly heats the air, resulting in an overheated room. This can be controlled somewhat by building site orientation, insulation and window placement.