Why would a person want to have hydronic heating in their home? I lucked out having an existing boiler and needing to do a floor update. Getting hydronic heating made sense, and after reading about the benefits I was totally hooked.
The benefits of radiant flooring are vast. First, heated flooring doesn’t waste any heat by allowing it to rise to your ceilings. The heat stays trapped under the floors and only warms the lower part of your body. Did you know if your feet feel warm, you naturally feel warmer? Most people remark that they can lower their thermostats in the winter simply because they feel hotter. I can attest to this fact. When I owned a gas fireplace, even 75 degrees felt tepid to me. With hydronic heating, I keep the thermostat at 70 degrees and I feel toasty warm.
Another benefit of having hydronic heating is that it is totally silent. Since the heating function is water flowing through pipes and it is hidden in the flooring, I don’t hear anything. I no longer am woken up in the middle of the night with the heater clicking on. Also, since it is water and not air, the indoor air quality is much cleaner. No dust from ductwork or dirty systems pollutes what my children or myself breathe in.
Since every surface is covered in piping, there are no hot and cold spots either. The radiant heat even warms stationary objects. So the bedroom furniture feels heated, the sofa and even the chairs are warmed up by the radiant heat contact. I just love this system and could go on and on about its many wonderful benefits.