I live in hot dry west texas.we are planning a new house.would radiant heating in the slab be worth the expense?

I live in hot dry west texas. We are planning a new house. Would radiant heating in the slab be worth the expense?

Asked by newbie4675780 55 months ago Similar Questions: live hot dry west texas planning house radiant heating slab worth expense Recent Questions About: live hot dry west texas planning house radiant heating slab worth expense Home > Home Improvement.

Similar Questions: live hot dry west texas planning house radiant heating slab worth expense Recent Questions About: live hot dry west texas planning house radiant heating slab worth expense.

I don't think so, really... You're going to need central air more than you'll ever use radiant heat. When we lived in New England, we had an 'oil hot water baseboard system...with the heat radiating from the outside perimeter of the rooms from circulating hot water pipes. I would have loved to have radiant heat in the floors, keeping my feet warm on those cold, snowy nights... But here in hot, humid NW Florida, an electric hot air/central air conditioning system is the best.

The thing I absolutely love about this system, is the 'air exchange' feature. With all of the smells created by animals, humans and cooking, it's great to just have all the air in the house exchanged or filtered...removing dust, dander and odors. I would imagine that your seasonal temperatures are similar to ours...so that would be my suggestion.

When we lived in penetratingly cold, foggy Berkeley, California... ...my best friend's house had radiant heating and it was delightful. Instead of getting up and setting your warm feet on a cold floor, the floor was always warm. You could go barefoot all year!

And there were no sudden dry blasts of warm air nor was one side of the room hotter than the other. By heating the floor and objects in the room, radiant heating systems surround you with a gentle warmth. This results in a very comfortable space, like being snuggled in bed once the warmth has surrounded you under the blanket.

It is not unlike what it feels like to curl up in front of a wood stove on a cold winter day or sit in a window seat on a sunny winter day. As one guy puts it: "It's expensive, but we have never had a customer complain about their system. It's a choice of comfort.

Folks who drive BMWs don't complain about how much they cost, they just enjoy them. " If you can afford the upfront cost it is a wonderful option. If we had built our present house in South Texas (instgead of buying it new but already completed), radiant heating would have been a definite possibility because we have tile floor and excellent insulation.

A thick-slab system would keep the rooms gently warm all the time, with the insulation helping keep the heat from escaping. Radiant heat does tend to dry out wood floors so aren't as good a choice there. Instead, we ended up with a heat pump and ceiling fans.

If used properly this is adequate for our needs, but you have to be careful because once the emergency heat kicks on you spend money like there's no tomorrow. Although perhaps less common in Texas, there are a number of radiant heating companies, so you shouldn't have to worry about finding someone to install such a floor. In fact, many solar energy companies also install radiant heating systems and can advise you on how to combine the two for lower running costs.

Some are based on circulating hot water through pipes in the floor (hydronic radiant heat) while others are based on electricity. Hydronic Tubes vs. Electric Cable ( oikos.com/esb/48/radiantheat.html )In a hydronic system, water is heated by a boiler or water heater and circulated through flexible tubes buried in the floor. The floor absorbs this energy, then gives it off as radiant heat, which warms people and objects in the room.

An electric system works the same way, but instead of tubes, electric heating elements warm the floor. Electric systems are easier and less expensive to install than their hydronic counterparts. They're also less expensive to zone.

They can be used to heat a whole house or to provide spot comfort in kitchens and baths. They can consist of cables laid in the floor or special mats that are more expensive but easier to install. The deciding factor in whether to choose an electric system is usually cost.

How do you determine when an electric radiant floor is cost-effective? "That's a difficult question," says Larry Drake of the Radiant Panel Association. The variables, he says, are the cost of the 10-15 watts of electricity per square foot of floor area the system uses, how often the system will be running, the efficiency of the boiler you would be using if you had opted for a hydronic system and the cost of fuel for that boiler.

You need to talk to your solar contractor to see if you will have the solar capacity to help with either heating the water for a hydronic system or whether electricity in your area will be cheap enough for an electric system. A big advantage of hydronic systems is the flexibility of the fuel source. You can use gas, oil, electricity and even solar energy.

Plus, you can change fuels for the price of a new boiler. With electric cables, you'll save the cost of a boiler, but you can't change fuel sources. Special heating or off-peak rates available in some areas can make electricity equivalent to, or even less expensive than, fossil fuels.

There are thin and thick-slab systems also. The thick-slab system will take longer to heat up, but the slab's thermal mass will keep the home warm for a longer period of time. If electric rates vary by time of day, you can save money by setting the clock thermostat to heat the slab during off-peak hours when electric rates are lowest.

The preheated slab then keeps the house warm through the peak-demand periods, maintaining comfortable temperatures without using much additional energy. The thin-slab system heats up quickly and is good for areas that you use for short periods of time, such as a workshop, a bathroom, or a front hall. Sources: http://www.clarkpublicutilities.com/Residential/TheEnergyAdviser/Archives2007/07_02_04 AND oikos.com/esb/48/radiantheat.html .

Yes it is worth it. I like the idea of radiant heat. Because you won't have the hot air blowing causing sinus problems .

The radiant heat will keep your feet warm and the room temp just right. These are my opinions , I would love the luxury of radiant heat in my home.

1 HELENofTROY, regarding your answer "I don't think so, really...": Thanks, I am considering the idea because my heating bills are higher than my summer cooling bills at our current house. We are looking for zero utilities bills for the new house through solar and thought this might be an option also. Of course I doubt anyone in Texas has a radiant heating system.

We are going with stained concrete floors and a 15' ceilling. It is a Sante fe style home. The flat roofs offer the perfect place for solar panels to hide.

HELENofTROY, regarding your answer "I don't think so, really...": Thanks, I am considering the idea because my heating bills are higher than my summer cooling bills at our current house. We are looking for zero utilities bills for the new house through solar and thought this might be an option also. Of course I doubt anyone in Texas has a radiant heating system.

We are going with stained concrete floors and a 15' ceilling. It is a Sante fe style home. The flat roofs offer the perfect place for solar panels to hide.

2 Oops, sorry, I didn't know the whole plan...I would love to do something with solar, but our log cabin roof has a huge pitch to it. Why on earth they can't generate electricity from the motion of the ocean, is beyond me...it's a constant energy source.

Oops, sorry, I didn't know the whole plan...I would love to do something with solar, but our log cabin roof has a huge pitch to it. Why on earth they can't generate electricity from the motion of the ocean, is beyond me...it's a constant energy source.

" "Does anyone out there live in a gated community. How do you feel about it? Is it worth the expense?

Does anyone out there live in a gated community. How do you feel about it? Is it worth the expense?

I cant really gove you an answer,but what I can give you is a way to a solution, that is you have to find the anglde that you relate to or peaks your interest. A good paper is one that people get drawn into because it reaches them ln some way.As for me WW11 to me, I think of the holocaust and the effect it had on the survivors, their families and those who stood by and did nothing until it was too late.