Batteries versus heated floors: which is better for different rooms

Heating your home is extremely important. Some people rely on good old batteries for this. Others advocate warm floors. Each option has both its pros and cons. I’ll tell you about all this today, along with advising on what is best to install at home.

Heating batteries

Heating occurs due to convection of warm air emanating from the structure. She herself is warming herself with something hot flowing inside. Usually water circulates there due to its high heat capacity. However, in private homes steam or antifreeze may be used.

Now such a heating system operates in all multi-storey buildings built before 2000. It is also preferred by individual developers. This is a fairly reliable, efficient, safe and easy-to-use system. Moreover, it is inexpensive to install. To heat the coolant, electricity or any available fuel is used: gas, fuel oil, coal, wood waste.

There are two types of water heating system:

1. Gravitational. The equipment is mounted so that the liquid in the line moves by gravity.
2. Forced. To supply coolant, you need to install a circulation pump.

Modern batteries have different designs: tubular, panel, sectional, extrusion, injection molding. They are also made of cast iron, aluminum, steel, and copper.

Flaws

However, in every barrel of honey there is a fly in the ointment. In the case of batteries, not even one. Namely:

• Drying indoor air.
• Cold at floor level.
• Over time, scale appears in pipes and radiators, which reduces heat transfer.
• In multi-storey buildings, uneven heating on the ground and upper floors.
• Possible occurrence of dampness and mold in winter.

In addition, residents of old high-rise buildings cannot regulate the heat supply, unlike owners of autonomous systems.

Where can I use it?

Heating using batteries is generally appropriate in any home. Especially in insufficiently insulated rooms. For centralized heating, cast iron and bimetallic radiators are more suitable, capable of withstanding high pressure in the main line and an aggressive water environment. In private homes, you can use any model, but it is preferable to use steel and aluminum.

Warm floor

This heating system is relevant for families with children and those who often catch colds or like warmth. The advantages are:

• No maintenance required.
• Environmental Safety.
• Economical use of energy resources.
• Maintaining uniform temperature at any point in space, creating a comfortable microclimate.

There are two types of this heating system - water and electric. In the first case, pipes are laid under the floor screed through which water heated in the boiler circulates. The second type - electric heated floor - is divided depending on the heating elements used:

• cable;
• film;
• thermomats.

Nothing flows inside it - everything is done by electricians.

Flaws

Despite its attractiveness and comfort, warm floors also have disadvantages. Among them:

• Poor air quality: dryness doubles.Dust and other small particles of debris rise upward and enter the respiratory tract. It requires daily ventilation, cleaning, and maintaining optimal humidity.
• If there are frequent power surges, it is imperative to have additional generators. The light went out and there was no heat.
• Due to increased electricity consumption, high-quality, modern wiring is needed.
• Changing the design of the room becomes problematic. It is not recommended to place furniture and household appliances on heating elements. Especially refrigerators.

The undoubted disadvantages are the high cost of the equipment, as well as the complexity of installation.

Where is it better to use

Increasingly, warm floors are being used in country houses. It will heat a garage or greenhouse well and save heat in rooms with high ceilings. But this system is not relevant in all interior rooms. It is appropriate in the living room, playroom, hallway, bathroom, kitchen, and for heating the balcony. It would be a poor choice for a bedroom, due to drying out the air, as well as for impassable non-residential rooms.

And the result is quite simple: batteries are simpler and more reliable, but warm floors are more comfortable. If you have the opportunity and money, it is better to give preference to the second. If not, then batteries will become a universal solution.