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Electric vs Hydronic floor heating in bathrooms

aschwa
aschwa Member Posts: 24
Do hydronic radiant floors provide as much comfort as electric radiant floors in bathrooms?

I'm imagining spring/summer/fall days when we'd want to have the electric radiant floors installed on a timer to warm up in the mornings. Do hydronic floors work as well for ~60-minutes per day of desired warm floors?

I'm wondering whether the slower response time of hydronic causes problems if we want warm floors for as short period of time.

Comments

  • Jamie Hall
    Jamie Hall Member Posts: 23,168
    A BTU is a BTU, no matter whether it is delivered with hot water in a pipe or electrons in a wire. The response time and comfort levels will depend entirely on how the heat delivered to the floor is controlled.
    Br. Jamie, osb
    Building superintendent/caretaker, 7200 sq. ft. historic house museum with dependencies in New England
  • Gordy
    Gordy Member Posts: 9,546
    Response time is more about the method of installation. Also finished surface detail.

    With electric radiant wires are embedded in the thin set for the tile so the wires are close to the surface. This can also be the case with hydronic radiant. IF the only source of heat being radiant is in those areas by all means electric would fair better.except for operating costs at least in my area.
  • hot_rod
    hot_rod Member Posts: 22,024
    Like Gordy stated, with electric the surface temperature will be more consistent as the wire or mat has a tighter spacing than tubes and is typically right below the tile.

    One of my favorite is the weave products like HeatWeave or SunTouch, very easy to install and custom size.

    Be sure to add a sleeve for a floor sensor. Don't embed the sensor in the mudset, someday it will need to be replaced.

    Combined with an air/ floor stat and setback function, electric radiant has some nice benefits.
    Bob "hot rod" Rohr
    trainer for Caleffi NA
    Living the hydronic dream
    SWEI