What is Solar Radiant Floor Heating?

Radiant floor heating is an ancient technology that is making a comeback. In ancient Rome and Greece, the floors of baths were heated with fires. Radiant floor heating is an efficient and comfortable way to keep warm in the winter. It's so efficient because heat rises, and you are heating from the ground up. You're using the laws of thermodynamics to your advantage, which allows you to heat your home with better energy efficiency.

There are many types of radiant floor heating systems, but solar systems are rapidly becoming more popular as more people are looking for more eco-friendly ways to heat their homes.

How does solar radiant floor heating work?

Either air or water is heated through solar energy, then the warm air or water is piped through underneath the floor of your home. Since your floor is capable of retaining heat well, once the floor is warmed, it is able to keep your home warm and comfortable for great periods of time.

In air systems, the sun warms up air that is inside of a solar collector. The air is then pushed through pipes that can be made of corrugated steel, plastic piping, or concrete blocks. Unfortunately solar air radiant flooring is not nearly as cost efficient because of the fact that air is not good at retaining heat for very long. However, air based systems are easy to install.

Solar hydronic radiant floor heating systems use water that is heated in a solar storage tank. This heated water is pumped through tubing under the floor. Each room of your home will have its own thermostat that will allow you to control the flow of the water into each room, which controls how warm the room will be.

Another thing to consider if you are looking into solar floor heating is whether you live in an area that produces enough solar heat to heat your home. Many areas don't get enough direct sunlight to heat an entire home. However, it is still a good option to supplement a conventional heating system. This means that you will use a combination system, where on cloudy days, the backup system will kick in. The backup system can use oil heat, or a wood stove, or even an electric water heater.

Solar radiant floor heating is a worthwhile option for homeowners in mild climates. You can use it to cut costs, and be more environmentally friendly. From an ecological perspective, there is no downside.

If you're looking to make your home warm in winter, while being more green, solar radiant floor heating is the way to go.

Change Your Furnace Filters

Are you aware that you should be changing your furnace air filters each month? You probably don't give much thought to your furnace filters at all but you need to keep them maintained in order for your furnace to run smoothly. By not changing your filters regularly, you are costing yourself money on your heating bill. As your furnace filter becomes more and more clogged, your furnace needs to work harder and harder in order to keep your home heated. If you don't have central air conditioning, then you only need to change your filters monthly during the winter season.

In order to change your furnace filters, you will first need to determine what size filter is needed for your furnace. There are a number of different types of filters available in many different sizes. Some of these are made to be used one time, while others are made to be used over and over after cleaning. These washable furnace filters are still not designed to be used for years. They will still need to be replaced every year or two. Washable filters will probably save money, but they will still need to be washed properly each month.

The way you clean a washable furnace filter is to rinse them under running water until you get out all the dirt and debris that is trapped inside the filter. Once you have completed the cleaning process, you will see that your furnace is able to run with much more efficiency. If you maintain your filters each and every month, your furnace fan will be able to much operate more easily. When you have a clogged filter, you not only push dirty air into your home, you also make it more expensive to operate your furnace.

In some cases you will want to buy furnace air filters from the company that made your furnace. Usually these are available on the Internet fairly cheap. Another option is to buy them from your furnace company. Since there are many different kinds of furnace filters, you will want to make certain that you have the correct size and type before ordering. If you are making a purchase online, be sure to take out your existing filter to see what size it is. You don't want to make a guess about the size and end up with a filter that will not work with your furnace.

Even though a furnace can operate without a furnace air filter, you will cause your family to have many different problems with allergens and poor air quality. You don't want to suffer needlessly from pushing bad air around inside your home. In order to have the best air quality and keep you furnace running efficiently, make sure that you use the best furnace air filters that you can find, and change them every month.

Using Central Air Conditioning for Cooling Offices and Large Homes

As temperatures start to climb outdoors, it often becomes very uncomfortable indoors for working, relaxing and sleeping. At these times there is generally a surge in interest in finding ways to cool down homes, apartments and offices. Often, this is when people decide that central air conditioning would be an attractive choice, because it offers a convenient way to control the indoor environment, as opposed to single room air conditioners that might not be the most efficient way to go.

Central air conditioning systems use a "split system" that compresses and condenses the air. Forced-air furnaces are one of the mechanisms that handle air, and the evaporator that comes with these systems can be connected to it. The entire unit is then put together as one complete system and installed exteriorly, usually on the roof of a commercial building or in a mechanical unit outside of a house.

When central air conditioning begins functioning, the cooled air is blown through the edifice by fans via the ductwork that has been installed, allowing the air to flow to the different areas in the building. The temperatures are controlled either with the use of a central control unit, several units to control different zones, or individual control units that are placed in each room.

There is the possibility that some centralized air conditioning systems do not come equipped with these controls. In these instances, the controls must be purchased at an additional cost and should be installed at the same time as the complete unit. It is important to clarify this upfront with company that is selling and installing the unit so that there are no surprises during the installation process.

One of the reasons why most homeowners prefer central air conditioning equipment is that these systems are able to keep the noise associated with running the air conditioning outside. Today, room air conditioners are noisy, and this is especially noticeable if you are trying to sleep. Central air systems position the equipment that is responsible for the majority of the noise on the outside of the house. Eventhough the air conditioning unit may be working hard to keep the home cool, the interior of the home is nice and quiet.

Central air conditioning tends to be a fairly complex system and the equipment is typically installed when a building is under construction. To have a comfortable and healthy environment in a home or office, these heating and air conditioning systems supply the air filters and purifiers as well as heating and cooling. Supply and return ducts are placed throughout the structure to properly circulate the air in a centralized system.

When you replace and existing air conditioning system or when purchasing a new one, have the contractor perform a "cooling load calculation" to ensure the correct system is installed. It is best not to use a simple "rule of thumb," which tends to result in oversized equipment. They shouldn't just replace the old system with a new one of the same size. The reason for this is because the existing system may have been the wrong size to begin with, or the home may have had added insulation or more efficient windows put in since the original system was installed.

All air conditioning manufacturers are required by federal law to have their equipment rated for its energy efficiency. The rating for central air conditioning is referred to as the Seasonal Energy Efficiency Rating (SEER) for air conditioning systems or Heating Seasonal Performance Factor (HSPF) for heat pumps. The higher the SEER/HSPF, the more energy efficient the equipment is.