Are Heated Bathroom Floors Energy-Efficient?

Heated Bathroom Floors are created by using radiant heat. However, there are many types of radiant heat, and it’s important to know whether or not adding heated bathroom floors to your home is an energy-efficient way of improving your home. Jericho Home Improvements are experts in bathroom design and are the leading bathroom design contractor in the Kansas City area. Installing heated bathroom floors is one of their specialties, so it’s important to focus on the energy savings you may encounter depending on the type of heated bathroom floors that you choose for your home.

What is radiant heat?

Radiant heat is simply heat that is generated through convection or conduction. It is used to heat up or cool down many surfaces, including flooring. Because there is no forced air creating heat through ducting, there is typically no heat loss with radiant heat, making a good choice for heated bathroom floors.

What types of radiant heat are there?

There are three types of radiant heat for heated bathroom floors. Electric, Air-Heated, and Hydronic are all choices for your bathroom floor, and all have their own benefits.

Electric Radiant Floors

These heated floors are actually made of electric heating cables built directly into the floor. They are best used in bathroom areas made of concrete flooring and heat can be stored for up to 10 hours.

Air-Heated Radiant Floors

In these floors, heat is generated through the air which can be more expensive and not cost-efficient. Because heat cannot always be generated like with electronic radiant floors, except for in the case of ones that link to solar panels, they may not be the best choice for a heated bathroom floor.

Hydronic Radiant Floors

These floors are based on a liquid system and pump the heated water from a boiler to a tube underneath the bathroom floor. They are cost-efficient and incredibly popular for bathroom flooring. A thermostat can be used to regulate the temperature and there are controls for monitoring the hot water dispersion.

Which ones are the most energy-efficient and why?

It really depends. Both the Hydronic Radiant Floors and the Electric Radiant Floors have their advantages, but it depends on space, and what your bathroom consists of such as the type of construction. Because radiant heating systems can be installed within the floor, this helps the heat transfer around the entire room. Instead of using baseboard or forced-air heating, the hydronic system uses very little electricity, which can lower your energy bill. This is one of the reasons it is so popular. However, the radiant floor heating uses convection which naturally circulates air within the room, so this can also lower your energy bills. Both are energy efficient, and it truly depends on your preference.

Is installing a heated bathroom floor a good idea?

There are many benefits to installing a heated bathroom floor. Not only can it decrease your energy bills, but it can also decrease the amount of dust and allergens in your home. Switching from air-forced baseboard heating to radiant heating can help you breathe better, can be turned on in the evenings when electric consumption is less expensive and turned off in the morning where the area stays warm for 8-10 hours. There are many advantages to installing a heating bathroom floor and yet another? The comfort of being able to walk barefoot in your bathroom during a chilly morning—that’s a wonderful benefit!

Jericho Home Improvements are expert bathroom design contractors that offer many bathroom and home improvement designs and installations. The advantages and energy efficiency of installing a beautiful heated bathroom floor is definitely a project to consider.

Interested in knowing more about installing a heated bathroom floor? If you’re in or directly around the Kansas City, KS area, reach out and contact us and we can answer any of your questions and concerns!!

Also, look around our online showroom to generate some amazing bathroom designs and start thinking about adding a heated bathroom floor to your space!