We all love the cozy comfort of our home. But during winter, we don’t even want to get out of bed. The reason is simply the warmth we need. With today’s advanced technology, we can insulate our whole house but, that sometimes is not budget-friendly. Also, it comes with its pros and cons. One of such systems is Hydronic Heating System.
Hydronic, as its name suggests, uses water or any liquid solution for insulating purposes. It is a clean, green, and cost-effective heating system. According to some calculations, it is up to 35 percent cost-effective.
Also, this system has many other benefits. One of the major is that it is environment friendly. All environment-conscious people should look for this option of insulating the home.
Read this post and know everything about this system, from what it is to how it works. Also, the components and the advantages of the system and its types.
What is Hydronic Heating System?
It is a system that you can install in your home to keep it warm and comfortable with the help of hot water flowing through pipes underneath the floor. Also, it is budget-friendly in comparison to some other insulating systems. Besides, it is harmless to the environment.
Working of the Heating System
As mentioned earlier the hydronic systems use water, the first step is to heat water in the boiler. Then the hot water flows through the sealed pipes, thus making them warm.
That hydronic heat radiates through the sealed pipes to the floor, and the home gets warm. This method is applied to heat the floor, swimming pool anywhere and everywhere you need.
Now that you know the principle and working of Hydronic Systems, read further and know in detail the components and their working.
Components of a Hydronic Heating System
Although many small components are there in the heating system, the few basic ones include a boiler, circulating pump, zone valves, expansion tank, heat distribution equipment, heat exchangers, mixing valves, controllers, pipes, and insulation. Let’s discuss each component in detail.
- Boiler – the most important component of the process is the boiler. The boiler heats the water that flows further into the pipes. With the help of the entry valve before the boiler, the water flows into it. The size of the boiler should be enough to heat a sufficient amount of water as per your requirement. Also, it should be able to retain hydronic heat.
- Circulating pump – As the name suggests, the circulating pump pushes the hot water into the piping system. There could be more than one pump in the system. It depends on the design of your system. For different zones in your home, multiple circulating pumps can be installed.
- Zone Valves – Zone valves are installed in homes having multiple divisions. There can also be one circulating pump and different zone valves connected to the same circulating pump. Using zone valves, the temperature of different zones can be varied and controlled with the help of a thermostat.
- Piping and insulation – Piping means the pipes that are laid down on the floor or on the ceiling through which the hot water will flow. The material of the pipes can be iron, steel, rubber, plastic, etc. The insulation is done to prevent heat loss.
- Mixing Valves – In some hydronic heating systems, some components require water that is cooler than the water flowing from the furnace. Mixing valves are there for that purpose.
- System Controllers – Nowadays, most heating systems are automated using electronic thermostats, which are programmed. They control the temperature of the water and are connected many a time to zone valves. By that, you can control the temperature of different zones.
- Expansion tank – The expansion tank is there because of the principle of hot and cold water. The volume of water expands when heated, and it contracts when cooled down. Therefore, an expansion tank is a part of this system.
- Heat distribution devices – Hydronic Systems use different types of devices to distribute heat. For example baseboard heating, radiant floor or ceiling heating, plinth heating, etc. Any combination of these individual devices can be made to distribute heat.
- Heat exchangers – This component in the system transfers hydronic heat to the water or any other liquid used in the system.
The above mentioned are not all but some basic components of the hydronic system. Read further and know the advantages of this Heating System.
Advantages of Hydronic Heating Systems
- It is cleaner – The heating system itself does not create dirt. That dirt comes from household activities and the flow of hot air inside the house by other types of heating systems.
Also in them, there is a filter to catch dust particles but it only catches large particles. Whereas in Hydronic System there is no blow of hot air. It generates warmth evenly with hot water. So, Hydronic System is much cleaner. - It is quiet – The general heating systems have thin sheet ducts, that make noise whenever the hot air is passed through it. The reason is the expansion and contraction because of the temperature change. Compared to this, the hydronic system is quieter.
- It is safer – As the system uses water and there are no flames burning in the house, it is safer, especially for homes with children.
- It has flexible installation – These systems are very versatile as you can design the system as per your home and needs. The hydronic systems are easily installable on walls and floors. They do not require any extra space in the house for duct or furnace etc.
- It is long-lasting – The system with good quality pipes and other small components will last for 25 or more than 25 years with no additional costs. Compared to other forced air systems where even the air filter lasts for only 10 to 15 years, that too with reparations in-between. Therefore, the hydronic system is durable.
- It does not take away humidity – In a hydronic system, there is no hot air blowing quickly from one part to another. Therefore, the humidity remains intact with respect to some other heating systems.
- Easy to control separate zones – With a hydronic system, you can install different valves, thus creating different zones, for different parts of your home. This way you can maintain the temperature for different areas of your space.
- It is healthier – As mentioned earlier, there is no dirt circulating in-home through wind using a hydronic system, it is very appropriate for people with allergies. Also, this system uses natural resources like water and natural gas, therefore it is cleaner and healthier.
- It warms the floor – In Hydronic Heating, you get the privilege of a warm floor through the radiant heat.
Now, let’s look at various Hydronic Systems which you can install in your home.
Various Hydronic Heating Systems
There are three main types of heating systems and they are Radiant floor, Plinth, and baseboard heating system.
Radiant Floor Heating
In Radiant floor heating, the pipes are spread across the floor in a pattern and then the hot water flows through it. The hydronic heat through the pipe radiates and the room gets warm.
In this way, Radiant floor heating works. Also, it is very cost-effective. Using this technology, you get even warmth all over the place. The best part is the warm floor you get in during harsh climate.
Baseboard Hydronic Heating/Hot Water Baseboard heating
Baseboard Heating also known as Hot Water Baseboard heater, works the same way as radiant heat systems. The only difference is that it occupies less space.
The baseboard heaters are usually there under the window or across the lower portion of the wall in the room. Because it occupies less space, it is a more convenient and widely used system for warming purposes.
Plinth Hydronic System
Plinth Heaters are usually suitable in the kitchen utilizing the leftover space under the cabinets. It is a fan-based hot water radiant heating. This system also works on the same general principle of a hydronic system with a fan behind it.
The hot water flows through the pipe and the hydronic heat gets spread with the help of a fan behind it. Plinth Hydronic systems are very useful especially when the place is small.
We hope you got a clear understanding of everything about the Hydronic heating systems. Do let us know by commenting if you have any other things to share or just share via comment whether you find this article useful.
FAQs
- Is the installation of Hydronic systems expensive? Yes, the initial installation is a bit expensive in comparison to other types of heating systems. But, after the installation of the system, you will have no other cost for at least 25 years or more.
- How to clean or maintain the system as it is under your floor? No, need to worry. Just use a cleaning liquid, mix it with water, make it flow through the pipes, and flush all the water from another side. Your system now is thoroughly cleaned.
- Can I control the temperature of different zones? Yes, absolutely. By installing different valves for different zones, you have control over the flow of water. With this, you can maintain the temperature of the different zones you want.
- Are the Hydronic systems cost-effective? Yes, after the installation, the operational cost is 20-25% less in comparison to the heating system having duct. If you think of long-term savings and environmental friendliness, then a Hydronic Heating system is the best option for you.
- Is it an environmentally friendly and healthy option? Absolutely, as the system uses natural gas and water only, it is a good option for environment-conscious people. Also, it is healthy, as the dust does not circulate in the space in comparison to other systems in which hot air blows rapidly through the room and also robs away humidity.
