Can I use an electric radiant floor heat system to heat my room?

In most cases, Yes! It really depends on the room. Our systems can produce a lot of heat, 41-51 BTUs per a square foot to be exact. This means that most of our systems produce more heat than a baseboard heater and heat the room more evenly as well. Electric and hot water in floor heating probably would heat a room equally, however, hot water in floor heat systems require a boiler, pump, gas lines and are much more complicated. A room in a well-insulated modern house can usually be effectively heated using electric radiant floor heating.

However, you must also consider the heat-loss value of a room. Many factors contribute to heat loss: outside walls, non-insulated concrete subfloors, non-weather treated windows and unheated rooms beneath the floor the heating system is in. These can lower the amount of heat the floor will provide to the room, but if the room only has a couple of these, it doesn’t mean it’s a lost cause.

For colder rooms, consider installing WarmWire cables spaced at 2.5″ rather than the standard 3.0″ spacing used on mats. This will provide greater heat output. Finally, consider installing a ceiling fan if the room doesn’t already have one. Moving air will create convection heat in addition to the heat of the floor, like wind blowing across the sands of a desert.

But remember, in floor heating does not heat the air, it heats the objects that are in contact with it, such as people and furniture. If you have concerns about heating a certain room with radiant floor heat, please give us a call and we can help you know what to expect from our floor heating systems.