Hydronic heating is a form of in-home heating which involves a method of heating water with a gas boiler and transporting the hot water through pipes around the home to disperse an even heat. The hot water is then distributed via radiator panels in the home or through concrete flooring which is very conductive to heat. Being both cost effective and environmentally friendly, hydronic heating systems are the most efficient form of in-home heating.
A hydronic heating system is capable of operating two or more individual systems from a single hydronic boiler allowing for customised heating options for individual areas. Each radiator can also be adjusted individually by using a thermostatic valve, which caters for the individual comfort requirements of each living space.
Hydronic heating systems transfer their heat via a process of thermal radiation and convection. The heating source in most cases is an energy efficient gas boiler that transmits the hot water through a hydronic piping system and is distributed via wall radiators or through concrete flooring.
A circulating pump moves the hot water through the system and returns it back to the boiler and is reheated via a reticulating system. Where natural gas is not available Hydrotherm hydronic heating systems can use LPG boilers, electric heat pump or solid fuel systems as the heat source.
There are numerous benefits that come with hydronic heating including:
- Individual control valves to each panel allow individual rooms or zones* to be heated independently, enabling running costs to be substantially lowered.
- Panel radiators can provide effective heating for rooms with higher ceilings (details on which radiator types are suitable for areas with high and low ceilings are discussed over the page).
- There is no dust circulation and air movement with silent radiant heat distribution.
- Flexibility as further radiators or convectors can be added to a system as required, provided there is adequate boiler capacity.
- Response time is generally good, and you will feel warm within 30 – 45 minutes.
- Low maintenance requirements.
- The proven effectiveness of hydronic heating—it has been widely used in Europe for almost a century.
* A zone is a group of rooms used for a similar purpose. For instance—the kitchen, living, dining and family rooms constitute the ‘living’ zone; bedrooms the ‘sleeping’ zone; and bathrooms, toilet and laundry the ‘service’ zone in typical homes.
Ducted heating systems are also renowned for spreading dust and other allergens throughout the room when heating the room. Ducted heating is also considerably noisier than a hydronic heating system.
Reap the benefits of an underfloor hydronic heating system; delivering a silent, comfortable and convenient solution to in-home heating, choosing the perfect heating system has never been so easy. Along with being completely flexible in terms of placement, underfloor hydronic heating can be up to 35% more cost effective than regular ducted heating.
Other underfloor heating benefits include:
- Superior Comfortability: Where regular ducted heaters need to be positioned somewhere in your home, underfloor heating provides gradual heat from below your feet. In doing so, it gently warms the space in the room and reduces the loss of heat in the room.
- Out-of-the-way: True to its name, underfloor hydronic heating is installed under the floor. With other forms of heating systems having to be placed somewhere in the home, you won’t even notice in slab heating but reap the benefits instead.
- Silent: Along with not being visible, you won’t hear it either. Hydronic underfloor heating will deliver consistent heat without any irritating noises.
- Allergy friendly: As there are no vents or small crevices to collect dust particles or bacteria, underfloor hydronic heating is the proven in-home heating system of choice. Unlike other heating systems where warm air is pushed out through vents, polluting the air with dust mites, underfloor hydronic heating creates a cleaner environment by producing its heat beneath your feet.
- Durable: Just as the slab itself, hydronic underfloor heating is just a durable. With the additional factor of being hidden below the floor’s surface, it has less of a likelihood to come in contact with external factors.
A low cost alternative to traditional in-home heating, panel heaters are also commonly known as panel radiators. Radiator panels are clean, efficient and use approximately 70% convection and 30% radiant heating. Convective heat ultimately refers to the air being warmed and then circulated throughout the room. With radiant heat being emitted from a heat source, it also heats the objects in the room, including bedding in a bedroom or towels in a bathroom.
Hydronic radiator panels provide constant and consistent temperature distribution throughout any area in your home. A cost effective and energy efficient form of in-home heating, radiator panels are used world wide and is a proven method of fast and functional heating.
The short answer is yes. Whilst hydronic heating is best installed when a home is being built there are options to have hydronic heating installed into existing homes. The options available to you will depend on the characteristics of your home however. For elevated homes, ideally accessible crawl space will facilitate installation. Alternatively, for homes built on concrete slabs, the necessary pipework may need to be run externally or fitted in your wall or ceiling cavity. With that said, in nearly all cases there will be a hydronic heating option available for you.
A hydronic heating system can be up to 30% more efficient than some gas ducted heating systems. A more efficient system means cheaper energy bills whilst reducing emissions, which is better for our environment.
Every project will vary in its heating requirements and budget. The characteristics and size of a property will often dictate the price of installation. To accurately assess the costs of installing hydronic heating why not speak to one of our specialists to arrange a quote.
Ideal Logic+ 35kW Condensing Combi Boilers will provide both hydronic and domestic hot water. These are often referred to as ‘combination/combi’ boilers. The additional cost for a combi boiler is approximately $900-$1200 more than the cost of a hydronic system only boiler. The Ideal Logic+ 35 combi will provide ‘instantaneous’ domestic hot water, like that produced by continuous flow hot water systems at 20.2 l/min (suitable for a two-bathroom home).
If you live in an urban area, the cheapest fuel is natural gas. Solid fuel is an option, but is only more economical if it is available at little or no cost ($60 per tonne or less). If natural gas is not available, the cheapest fuel is generally solid fuel. However, intensive labour is required to keep the boiler operating effectively. LPG is an option in areas without natural gas, but is generally around two and a half times more expensive, depending on where you live. Electric heat pump systems are also available at limited water temperatures (great for slab heating). If radiators were used on these systems the size of the radiators would need to be increased by a minimum of 35% to give out the same amount of heat as radiators on a gas fired system.
Every Hydrotherm Hydronic Heating installation comes with a 6 year industry standard warranty. With regard to product warranties, Ideal Logic+ boilers come with a 10 year warranty on parts and labour (conditions apply) and DeLonghi Radiators come with a 30 year manufacturer’s warranty (conditions apply). The Rehau pipe work also carries a 25 year warranty.
Meet with our friendly team at our showroom between the hours of 7.30am – 5pm Monday to Friday. By bringing any floor plans with the necessary elevations along with any additional information in relation to the windows, insulation and other building materials used in your development to assist with us providing you an accurate price for the install.
Alternatively, send through your plans to our sales team here to receive an online quotation. If plans are not available a site visit can be organised with one of our team members.
Hydrotherm has a specialist hydronic servicing team available to anybody needing their hydronic heating system serviced. Call 9464 4622 (press option 2) to book a service in today!
Established in 1987, we have now been in business for more than 30 years. Not only have we installed thousands of heating systems, the wealth of knowledge of our team is unmatched in Victoria. By selecting Hydrotherm Hydronic Heating as your preferred installer you are guaranteed to maximise your system design and guarantee a quality installation.