How does under floor heating work and what physics concepts and ideas does this method use?
How does under floor heating work and what physics concepts and ideas does this method use?
my teacher told me about how lots of physics concepts are used to make house heat efficient and he mention under floor heating. what benefits does it bring and how does it actually work?
Answers:
Mr Fixit: first of all there are three ways heat is transferred, convection, conduction and radiation. Underfloor heating uses conduction and radiation...It places heat more evenly in the house and uses a lower temperature to do it. Other types of heating; ie baseboard depend mostly on convection. Also when the floor is warm it feels good without being stifiling. Usually now they are running red pex; a plastic pipe that allows radiant heat to escape. This is the heat type that is transferred from the sun to the earth by infra-red light waves.
2009-07-14 00:20:34
2009-07-14 00:20:34
Chosen Answer
DrDontheTermiteGuy: Underfloor heating is usually either achieved by electrical element wires or heated water in pipes. The pipes and some wire types are usually set into concrete floors. Sometimes wires are placed on existing floors and covered by tiles. Pipes circulate heated water and wires give off heat due to their resistance to electron flow (same as light bulbs). The heat both radiates and conducts into the floor. Heat from the floor radiates into the room but it also conducts directly such as when you stand on the nice warm floor.
Benefits:
Safe compared to fires or radiators that get very hot and pose a burn or ignition risk. Floor elements run much cooler than that and are well protected.
Even, comfortable heat that, with a concrete floor, can be run off-peak, that is heated only at night when there is less demand for electricity (in some areas there can be a lower cost associated with off-peak generation).
Long-lasting compared with in-room heaters. No fan to wear out, nothing to get dusty.
Negatives:
It uses a lot of energy and much is wasted (radiates and conducts to ground below house). Hard to heat just the active areas. Can't adjust it up and down quickly (such as lower temperature for sleeping). Can have a very long lag time after turning on (thermal mass of floor). Sometimes a whole day to get warm. If an embedded wire fails or the pipe cracks repair is very tricky.
2009-07-14 00:52:20
DrDontheTermiteGuy: Underfloor heating is usually either achieved by electrical element wires or heated water in pipes. The pipes and some wire types are usually set into concrete floors. Sometimes wires are placed on existing floors and covered by tiles. Pipes circulate heated water and wires give off heat due to their resistance to electron flow (same as light bulbs). The heat both radiates and conducts into the floor. Heat from the floor radiates into the room but it also conducts directly such as when you stand on the nice warm floor.
Benefits:
Safe compared to fires or radiators that get very hot and pose a burn or ignition risk. Floor elements run much cooler than that and are well protected.
Even, comfortable heat that, with a concrete floor, can be run off-peak, that is heated only at night when there is less demand for electricity (in some areas there can be a lower cost associated with off-peak generation).
Long-lasting compared with in-room heaters. No fan to wear out, nothing to get dusty.
Negatives:
It uses a lot of energy and much is wasted (radiates and conducts to ground below house). Hard to heat just the active areas. Can't adjust it up and down quickly (such as lower temperature for sleeping). Can have a very long lag time after turning on (thermal mass of floor). Sometimes a whole day to get warm. If an embedded wire fails or the pipe cracks repair is very tricky.
2009-07-14 00:52:20