Local radiant heating and cooling contractors are experts in installing and repairing systems of this type. Lets explain what this type of heating and cooling actually is. Simply put, radiant heating radiates, rather than blows, heat into the room or home. Radiant cooling does not blow cool air into the room, but rather draws radiated heat in warm weather out of the room. Let us take a deeper look at what local radiant heating and cooling contractors can do for the homeowner or business owner. Local radiant heating and cooling dealers offer heating systems that are great alternatives to forced air systems, which tend to circulate dust throughout the heated space, requiring cleaning, and may also be a major irritant to those with allergies. Radiant heat systems transfer heat into the room much like a hot stove does. Most systems that local radiant heating and cooling dealers offer are hydronic systems, meaning that they use water to distribute or radiate the heat. The water is heated by various means. Oil or gas is used to heat the water in traditional boilers. Wood is becoming a more common source for heating in boilers. Solar energy can also be used. The water is heated and then transferred to wall or floor panels in the various rooms, or may be sent through pipes in flooring. Floor systems offered by local radiant heating and cooling dealers may use water in fixed or flexible piping, air in ducts, or electricity running through cables, to provide the heat. Floor systems using water circulate heat effectively by the use of pumps, valves and thermostats, and send the water through a grid beneath the floor surface, or embedded in flooring such as concrete. The concrete provides mass, or heat capacity, that will hold heat longer, and make the heating much more efficient. Radiant heating is generally more efficient than other forms of heating, which is another advantage. The systems installed by local radiant heating and cooling dealers rely on convection to assist the process, which simply means that warm air rises. Local radiant heating and cooling dealers often recommend tile as an excellent floor covering, due to its high heat capacity.
