The Warmth of Radiant Heat Systems

Beginning in 1947, 17,000 families purchased homes in Levittown. Many have fond mem-ories of the warmth those post-WWII houses provid-ed. Hot water circulated through copper tubing buried in concrete slabs heated entire floors where kids played in comfort, and stepping out of a bathtub onto a warm floor was a joy.

But eventually, joy turned to horror as the copper, reacting to steel fasteners and additives in the concrete, sprung leaks. Heated floors were aban-doned as homeowners were forced to convert to baseboard-heat systems.



Over the past decade or so Hydroponic Radiant Heating has gone mainstream thanks to a virtually indestructible polyethylene tubing called PEX, which replaces the outdated copper. Heating contracters, architects and builders now routinely suggest installation of HRH systems for slab or wood floors in all or part of additions, renovations and new construction.
   
Higher installation costs can be justified by lower operating cost because HRH uses warm, not hot water.  One downside is a slow response time until thermostat settings are satisfied due to the size of the “field” of piping that thread through the entire floor. Multiple zones can reduce this response.

If esthetics — no bulky baseboards — and comfort are your goals, HRH is well worth considering.

Jan Tyler lives in the house she and her husband built with their own hands on five acres in Suffolk.