In floor heating has been gaining in popularity over the last several decades due to its efficiency, superior comfort, and lower overall cost. In fact, technology has come such a long way since the early days that in floor heating can be used as a whole building solution even in the largest commercial applications. It's also used extensively for building additions, backup heating systems, and even to keep driveways, parking lots, and roofing free of ice and snow.
In floor heating takes advantage of the principles of thermal storage and heat radiation to accomplish the task of raising room temperatures. It is commonly known as radiant floor heating because of this. Radiant floor systems are basically broken down into two options: liquid systems and electrical systems. Both have their pros and cons which should be considered wisely before making a choice for your home. Once your choice is made and the system is installed, there's not much you can do to undo it.
Liquid based radiant floor heating is the more popular of the two methods primarily because it is much more efficient and generally costs less in the long run. A liquid-based system is a closed system which utilizes PEX tubing and warm water or propylene glycol to heat floors. For new construction, the tubing can be embedded in concrete floors for maximum efficiency. For existing structures, tubing can be run through floor joists or installed within specially designed floorboards.
A liquid-based system offers the maximum efficiency due to the thermal storage properties of water. In addition, closed systems utilize the principle of convection which naturally assists pumping the water through the tubes under normal circumstances. There is still a need for external pumps in very large applications, but if tubing sizes are correct the pumps don't have to work all that hard. Finally, in areas where electricity is expensive, it is much cheaper to heat the water using a gas fired boiler than to install a fully-electric system.
The biggest negative of a liquid-based system is its overall cost. Installing a liquid system in concrete floors is extremely complicated, time-consuming, and expensive. Furthermore, this type of system requires an array of boilers, valves, regulators, and pumps. And the bigger the structure you’re attempting to heat, the more of these things that are necessary. With every part you add to the system you're adding more expense and the potential of more complications. Liquid-based systems almost always need to be installed by a professional because of their complicated nature.
An electric-based system uses various sizes of electrical coils rather than water-filled tubes. These coils do not need to be embedded in concrete and in fact, work much better when they're not. They are much less complicated to install, much easier to use in already existing buildings, and don't even require disturbing current flooring in such buildings. Installing an electric-based system requires no more effort than drilling holes in floor joists, installing the cables, and covering the installation with a reflective material.
By far the biggest advantage of this type of system is its ease of installation. It is the more popular of the two for older homes because it can be installed without disturbing anything else. If homeowners want to replace their finished floor surfaces they are more than welcome to do so, but with an electric system it's not absolutely necessary. Installation can also be done by homeowners as long as they have rudimentary understanding of electrical systems.
The biggest downside to electric based systems is the cost of electricity. If you live in an area that is provided electricity through a municipal utility, your utility service is probably very inexpensive. But for most of us who get our electric service from a public utility, the cost of electricity continues to grow year after year. In an older home that's already inefficient in terms of retaining heat, electric-based systems could be almost unaffordable.
The other con of electric-based systems is the fact that they are not as efficient if installed improperly. Especially when installed in an existing home, you need the right combination of insulation and reflective materials to keep the heat from escaping into dead air spaces. If you install it yourself without knowing what you're doing, you could find that you're running your system far too long and far too frequently to achieve the desired room temperature.
With either kind of system, you do have the option of powering it using solar panels. In the water-based system solar panels heat the water rather than using a boiler. Where you have a lot of sunshine a solar option makes good financial sense.
For an electric-based system, you can utilize the solar panels to generate and store electricity. While you probably won't be able to create enough electricity to run your entire system apart from your utility, you ought to be able to generate enough to put a serious dent in your regular consumption.