The result is that electric radiant systems are best confined to specific rooms and used in conjunction with timers in order to avoid wasted energy.Īs always, discussing installation and operational considerations at the early stages is the best way to avoid disappointment and deliver the heating, cooling and ventilation best suited to your client. Electrical costs vary across the country (Heaven help Ontario residents!) but suffice it to say that electricity is expensive, far more than natural gas on a net BTU basis. Secondly, there are the operating costs of electric. A Niagara Falls area contractor was fined over $530,000 for improper installation and failure to have an inspection performed on an electrical radiant floor heating system that resulted in second and third degree burns to an elderly homeowner after he was stranded on the floor after a fall. First, the installation must be done professionally and properly. A heated bathroom floor underfoot in the morning or an entrance hall that keeps footwear warm can be very popular. How about electric floor heating? Certainly the products available on the market allow for much simpler installation, particularly in retrofit applications.

Great if you’re in Quebec, not so great if you aren’t. However, unless the renovation is a near-total gut job and the customer is prepared to tear up the existing floor to install, even temporarily, a radiant floor system may be financially out of the question and structurally impractical.Įlectricity cost vary greatly across Canada and the USA. The good news is that in a new-build home, the homeowner has a blank slate with which to work, and therefore the options are far greater than with a retrofit or renovation. Good news for new-builds not so good for renovators

However, radiant floor heating may not be suitable in all situations. And as a bonus for dust and allergy sufferers, radiant systems offer relief from air-born irritants. Some even claim radiant is as much as 25% more energy efficient than the standard HVAC system. It operates silently, delivering a continuous, all-encompassing heat to every corner of the home with an efficiency that stop-and-start forced air systems cannot match. Radiant floor tubing, installed over a new sub floor, insulated with foam boardĬertainly radiant floor heating is popular.

Retrofit radiant floor heating cost