HYDRONIC OR ELECTRIC HEATING – WHICH IS BETTER?

Unlike the rest of Europe, in Italy we are accustomed to heating our homes almost exclusively with natural gas—which is available in almost every part of the country. Today, however, electric heating systems are becoming increasingly common.

There are two reasons for this:

• greater ease of use;
• combination with solar and photovoltaic panels, which enableself-generation of energy.

How much do we actually spend to heat the home with an electric underfloor heating system and with gas heating? How much for a gas heater?

For the same level of use, natural gas has slightly lower supply costs than electricity.

However, this saving is only apparent, as it does not account for losses during operation of the system.

Why?

The floor’slarge radiating surface allows the temperature of the heating element to be kept low.

The temperature gradient created by an underfloor heating system results in lower heat loss compared to a traditional heating system.

This is possible because it recovers and utilizes heat that is usually wasted due to air stratification. In fact, the air near the ceiling reaches high temperatures. This heat recovery increases with the height of the rooms: in practice, the higher the ceiling, the more cost-effective an underfloor heating system becomes.

The heating element is the floor itself , which makes it extremely easy to clean. The absence of convection prevents dust from accumulating. Furthermore, the low temperature gradient between the floor and the room (about 4 °C), which does not cause much convection, significantly reduces the stirring up of dust and bacteria—which can be harmful to people with allergies.

It completely eliminates any irritation of the respiratory tract, which is often caused by the combustion of dust deposited on radiators where the fluid is at a high temperature (about 70 °C). It is important to know that underfloor heating reduces humidity, which is the main carrier of bacteria, particularly dust mites. A dry floor throughout the winter season is enough to stop the spread of dust mites in floors and carpets.

Furthermore, an optimal humidity level greatly enhances living comfort.

We have now found that underfloor heating is the most efficient, effective, and comfortable solution. However, it remains to be seen why electric heating is preferable to hydronic heating. The reasons are primarily economic:

Want to find out how much you can save with Warmset heating?

Try our energy consumption calculator.