Is underfloor heating the best choice?
AGL Heating and Plumbing Engineers offer a range of high quality heating and gas services- from underfloor heating to plumbing repairs- to Warrington and its surrounding areas.
Our customers sometimes ask us for heating advice. They want to know what the best choice is: radiators or underfloor heating. So, to see how they compare please read on!
Heating methods
If you are struggling to stay warm in a cold house, you may want to consider trying a new heating method. However, choosing the best way to heat your home can be difficult, and cause much frustration. So, we have looked at the effectiveness of some different methods available- comparing the traditional radiators with underfloor heating.
Underfloor heating
Underfloor heating is efficient. It effectively turns your floor into a radiator! Due to the large surface area, you do not need to have a high temperature, in order to warm the room. In fact, it only needs to be a couple of degree higher than room temperature! Plus, although it can be fairly costly to install initially, it can cause consider energy savings in the long run. Typically underfloor heating uses 15-40% less energy than radiators.
Pros
- It can be installed in new and old homes
- Unlike radiators they take up no wall space
- They give you warm feet. Many people find underfloor heating quite luxurious. It certainly adds comfort, especially with cold hard floors.
Cons
- It can cause restrictions on which furniture you can purchase and use.
- The heat might struggle to transfer through thicker materials, like carpet.
- The effects are not immediate. It can actually be fairly slow- potentially taking up to a couple of hours for a room to heat.
Radiators
Most, if not all, of us should be familiar with radiators. So, there should be no need for an explanation of them… We will however explore some pros and cons. That way we can see how they compare to underfloor heating!
Pros
- These are normally quick to heat up- so you will start feeling warmer a lot sooner.
- They are easy to use.
Cons
- They take up space on the walls, which can cause some inconvenience.
- They can also ruin the aesthetics of the room, looking bulky and unattractive.
- Because heat rises, some heat is inevitably lost through the ceiling instead of circulating throughout the room.
So what’s best…?
Radiators will tend to use more energy than underfloor heating, but they will warm your house quicker. Underfloor heating can be a nice addition to your home. However, it will probably be more of a luxury than a necessity.
You can rely solely on radiators for your heating. Yet, houses with underfloor heating normally have to rely on a radiator, or some other alternative heat source too. Typically having just underfloor heating will be insufficient.
Do you want underfloor heating in Warrington or its surrounding areas?
If you live in areas surrounding Warrington, and would like more information on underfloor heating, please do not hesitate to contact us. We would love to assist you with your heating needs- whether its installation or simply providing some advice. We are always happy to help, no matter the time of day!
