Why Electric Radiant Floor Heat?

Radiant floor heat provides exceptional comfort over alternative heating systems. Here’s why:

1 Attracted to People

Like the sun’s soothing warmth on a cool day, radiant floor heat is attracted directly to people & objects. We should say “attracted to people and pets!”.

2 Warms the Body, Not the Ceiling

Radiant floor heat directly warms the body so it feels warmer than forced-air or convective heat. Convective heat warms the air which rises to the ceiling where it provides little comfort.

3 Ideal Heat Pattern

Radiant floor heat reverses the typical temperature stratification. It warms the body from the floor up, unlike forced air heat that leaves the legs and feet cold.

4 Quiet

Radiant floor heat is totally quiet. There are no noisy fans blowing warm air into the room.

5 No Uncomfortable Drafts

Radiant floor heat is not drafty because there are no fans blowing air.

6 Individual Room Heating

Radiant floors can be installed in individual rooms to increase comfort in kitchens, baths, basements, additions and colder rooms located above the garage or crawl space and rooms with a fireplace or sliding doors.

7 Low Installation & Operating Cost

Finally, it is most comforting to know that electric radiant floor heat is as or more affordable to install and operate than high-efficiency forced air furnaces, heat pumps, hydronic and geothermal heating systems.

1 No Dirty Carpets, Vents, Ducts

Radiant floors are cleaner, healthier and hypoallergenic because they eliminate the need for carpet, the main harbor of dirt, dust mites and allergens; and because there are no fans blowing and circulating dust around the home.

2 Reduces Mold

Radiant floor heat helps to eliminate mold and mildew in bathrooms and showers.

3 Maintenance Free

Electric radiant floors are maintenance free so there are no dirty filters to change. Like the wiring in the home, once installed, electric radiant floor heat lasts indefinitely. So set it and forget it!

4 100% fuel energy utilization

Radiant floor heat utilizes all electrical energy to create warmth directly under the floor. No energy is expended operating fans or pumps and no heat exhaust is lost up the flue. The highest rated natural gas furnaces cannot achieve 100% fuel energy efficiency.

5 Reduced air infiltration/exfiltration

Radiant floor heat significantly reduces heat loss due to air infiltration because superheated warm air from a furnace or baseboard heater is not blown against the walls which increases the temperature differential between inside and outside creating a stack effect that sucks in cold outside air. This is another reason why radiant floor heat reduces outside dust and allergens.

Radiant floor heat reduces building heat load by 25% and saves energy as much as 40% or more. Here’s why:

1 It Feels Warmer

Since radiant floor heat is attracted to people and objects, and warms the body from the floor, radiant heat feels 6-8 degrees (F) warmer than forced air. Utility providers publish potential energy cost savings of 3-5% for every degree the thermostat is turned down.

2 No Ducts or Pipes

Radiant floor heat is not blown through the ductwork or pumped through piping. The USDOE estimates as much as 35% of heat loss occurs in the duct system or piping.

3 Not All Heat Rises

Warm air rises. Radiant heat does not. Since radiant floor heat does not directly warm the air, it does not rise to the ceiling where an enormous amount of convective heat is wasted.

Natural gas furnaces, heat pumps, geothermal heat pumps and baseboard heaters are all convective systems that blow warm air as their primary heat transfer medium. 100% Energy Utilization

100% fuel energy utilization - Radiant floor heat utilizes all the electrical energy to create warmth directly under the floor. No energy is expended operating fans or pumps and no heat exhaust is lost up the flue.

The highest rated natural gas furnaces cannot achieve 100% fuel energy efficiency. Reduced Air Infiltration/Exfiltration Radiant floor heat significantly reduces heat loss due to air infiltration because superheated warm air from a furnace or baseboard heater is not blown against the walls which increases the temperature differential between inside and outside creating a stack effect that sucks in cold outside air as shown in the photo.

This is another reason why radiant floor heat reduces outside dust and allergens.

4 Radiant Floor Heat Saves Energy

To save more, ThermoSlab™ takes advantage of off-peak utility rates by storing lower cost energy in the slab for warming the living space during peak usage times when energy rates are at their highest.

1There are (3) Easy Installation Approaches:

1. Contractor Install
   If you prefer, we will coordinate everything with your contractor or refer you to one. What could be easier?

2. Do-It-Yourself Install
   If you are so inclined, our friendly floor heating experts will guide you through the process.

3. Shared install
   You do part and let the professionals do the rest. You can prepare the subfloor, layout and secure your floor heating system and call in the flooring installer to install your floor and the electrician to make the electrical installation and connections.

2Floor heating “mat” systems reduce installation time and effort.

ThermoTile® is a modern “mat” system where the floor heat cable is factory spaced on a mesh for quick and easy rolling out and attaching to the subfloor. The mesh is easily cut with scissors for turning the mat to fit the floor. ThermoTile’s mesh also allows the thin-set mortar to penetrate the mesh and adhere the tile to the subfloor in 3 easy steps.

3Floor heat underlayment “pads” eliminate cement.

Modern heated underlayment “pads” are now available that do not require imbedding in cement. ThermoFloor® Heated Underlayments are specially designed for heating laminate and engineered wood floors. ThermoFloor replaces generic underlayments and offers additional benefits including insulation and noise reduction. Simply roll out the pads and lay the floor.

4Electrical radiant floor heat offers maximum installation diversity.

Thermosoft’s modern electrical radiant floor heat systems have been designed for installation:

• In individual rooms or the whole house.
• When remodeling or during new construction.
• Under any type of floor covering.
• Easy Thermostat Connections

Your electrician will appreciate that everything connects easily to the floor heating thermostat: household power line, floor heating mats and floor heat sensor.

ThermoSlab™ radiant floor heat cable can be added by the contractor when pouring the slab. The slab can be finished with almost any floor covering for a warm floor.

5Cold floor today - warm floor tomorrow.

Thermosoft’s modern floor heat systems facilitate installing a heated floor in as little as one day!