Are in-floor heating systems worth the cost? We discuss the costs and benefits of in-floor

 heating systems for your home.

地板采暖系统是否物有所值？我们将讨论您家中地板采暖系统的成本和效益。

Yet another gray winter morning, and you drag yourself out of bed, dreading the icy shock of your 

otherwise beloved hardwood floors. Or your bathroom is all toasty and steamy from that long, hot 

shower, but your tile floor feels like the surface of a frozen pond.

It’s on days like these that the idea of an in-floor heating system seems less like a luxury item and 

more like a necessity. (Besides, heated floors were good enough for the Roman Empire.) But before

 you commit to what can be a major remodeling project, it’s best to ask yourself whether a radiant 

floor heating system is an appropriate solution for your specific home heating needs.

The chief benefit cited for the installation of heated floors is increased energy efficiency. And it’s true 

that there are a number of factors—not all of them purely scientific—that can make floor-heating 

systems more utility-bill-friendly than conventional HVAC systems.

又一个灰色的冬天早晨，你把自己从床上拖下来，害怕你心爱的硬木地板的冰冷冲击。或者你的浴室是

长时间热水淋浴的所有烤面包和蒸汽，但你的瓷砖地板感觉就像一个冰冻池塘的表面。

在这样的日子里，地板采暖系统的想法似乎不像奢侈品，更像是必需品。（此外，加热地板足以满足罗

马帝国的要求。）但在您承诺进行重大改造项目之前，最好先问问自己，辐射地板采暖系统是否适合您

的特定家庭采暖需求。

安装加热地板的主要好处是提高了能源效率。确实存在许多因素 - 并非所有这些因素都是纯粹科学的 - 

可以使地板采暖系统比传统的HVAC系统更具实用性。

 

 

When an in-floor heating system is the perfect solution for comfort

With an in-floor heating system, the laws of thermodynamics are on your side. Perhaps the best way

 to understand how in-floor heating can help to heat an entire room is to consider how most furnace-

based heating and cooling systems operate. Air is heated and then impelled (blown, via a fan) through 

ducts, which empty through vents and dampers into the various rooms of your home. Because air literally 

has to be moved or circulated throughout your home, a certain amount of heat loss is inevitable. This loss

 can be compounded in homes and individual rooms in which vents are located near the ceiling rather than

 the floor. Remember, hot air rises and only falls if it loses energy, also known as “heat.”

Also suggested: Myths vs. Facts: The Truth About Radiant Floor Heating

By contrast, according to Roddy Scheer and Doug Moss of Scientific American, the uniform heat distribution

 over the entire surface of a floor heats the lower half of the room, enveloping inhabitants in warmth at a

 lower overall temperature—in some cases up to 5 degrees Fahrenheit cooler—than a conventional heating

 system.” In other words, in-floor heating systems provide a different mode and level of comfort. And, as 

various public awareness campaigns have long reminded us, the more comfortable we feel, the more inclined 

we might be to nudge down our thermostat, in turn lowering our energy expenditures.

Comfort, of course, is a matter of perception. More quantifiable are the cycling properties of in-floor heating 

systems. By and large, radiant heating systems turn on and off less frequently than conventional forced-air 

HVAC systems. Less turning on and off and less resetting and ramping up from a “cold start” equals less 

energy usage.

Additionally, homeowners have a variety of options to choose from in powering a floor heating system. Radiant

 systems are compatible with electrical, natural gas, solar and even geothermal energy sources. As many

 homeowners are all too aware, legacy furnace systems are typically restricted to running on a single energy 

source, such as heating oil. If the market for that energy source turns volatile, rates can fluctuate, prices spike

 and you can end up paying more to heat your home regardless of how low you set your thermostat.

Finally, if you do identify a particularly energy-efficient in-floor heating system and choose to install it in your

 home, you could be eligible for state or federal programs that can help cover your up-front contractor costs. 

(And these costs can be significant. According to figures collected by Angie’s List, homeowners can expect to

 pay between $6 and $16 per square foot, not including tax and labor, for a radiant heating system.) Consult 

the U.S. Department of Energy’s Database of State Incentives for Renewable Energy (DSIRE) to see if there

 are rebates, loans or tax deductions available for the installation of a more efficient in-floor heating system

 where you live.

In-floor heating systems can come with certain health benefits. The hotter the air, the drier it becomes. On 

those days when you just can’t seem to warm up and find you need to turn up your thermostat, your furnace

 can suck all the humidity out of your home and leave your sinuses throbbing. Because they heat surfaces 

and not the air itself, in-floor heating systems are not prone to this issue. Moreover, since they do not rely 

upon fans, ducts, registers and returns to distribute hot air, in-floor heating systems can reduce the amount 

of dust and seasonal allergens in your home.

In-floor heating systems are scalable, too. Homeowners can create custom solutions to meet their floor

 heating needs. If you do not wish to install heated floors throughout your entire home, you can instead

 modularize, choosing only to heat one or several rooms from the ground up.

However, the news isn’t all good when it comes to in-floor heating. In fact, research indicates that some 

of the most apparent “pros” associated with radiant floor heating might actually be “cons.”

当地板采暖系统是舒适的完美解决方案

有了地板采暖系统，热力学定律就在你身边。也许了解地板内加热如何有助于加热整个房间的最佳方法

是考虑大多数基于炉子的加热和冷却系统的运行方式。空气被加热然后通过管道被推动（通过风扇吹送），

管道通过通风口和阻尼器排入家中的各个房间。因为空气必须在整个家庭中移动或循环，否则一定量的

热量损失是不可避免的。这种损失可以在家庭和个别房间中复杂化，其中通风口位于天花板附近而不是

地板上。请记住，热空气上升，只有在失去能量时才会下降，也被称为“热量”。

还建议：神话与事实：关于辐射地板采暖的真相

相比之下，根据科学美国公司的Roddy Scheer和Doug Moss的说法，地板整个表面均匀的热量分布加热

了房间的下半部分，使居民在较低的整体温度下保持温暖 - 在某些情况下高达5度华氏温度比传统加热

系统更冷。“换句话说，地板内加热系统提供不同的模式和舒适度。而且，由于各种公众意识活动早已

提醒我们，我们感觉越舒适，我们就越倾向于轻推我们的恒温器，从而降低我们的能源支出。

当然，舒适是一种感知问题。更可量化的是地板内加热系统的循环特性。总的来说，辐射加热系统比传

统的强制通风HVAC系统更少地打开和关闭。较少的开启和关闭以及较少的重置和从“冷启动”开始增加等

于减少能量使用。

此外，房主在为地板采暖系统供电时有多种选择可供选择。辐射系统与电气，天然气，太阳能甚至地热

能源兼容。由于许多房主都非常清楚，传统的炉系统通常仅限于在单一能源上运行，例如加热油。如果

该能源的市场变得不稳定，价格可能会波动，价格会飙升，而且无论您设置的恒温器有多低，您最终都

需要支付更多费用来加热您的房屋。

最后，如果您确定了一个特别节能的地板采暖系统并选择将其安装在您的家中，您可能有资格获得可以

帮助支付您的前期承包商成本的州或联邦计划。（这些成本可能很大。根据收集的数据安吉的名单，房

主可以支付每平方英尺6至16美元，不包括税收和劳动力，用于辐射供暖系统。）咨询美国能源部的可

再生能源国家激励数据库（DSIRE），看看是否有可以在您居住的地方安装更高效的地板采暖系统的折

扣，贷款或税收减免。

地板采暖系统可带来一定的健康益处。空气越热，它就越干燥。在那些你似乎无法热身并且发现你需要

打开温控器的那些日子里，你的炉子可以吸走你家里的所有湿气并让你的鼻窦悸动。因为它们加热表面

而不是空气本身，所以地板内加热系统不容易出现这个问题。此外，由于它们不依赖于风扇，管道，寄

存器和返回来分配热空气，因此地板内加热系统可以减少家中的灰尘和季节性过敏原。

地板采暖系统也是可扩展的。房主可以创建定制解决方案以满足他们的地板采暖需求。如果您不希望在

整个家中安装加热地板，您可以改为模块化，只选择从地面加热一个或多个房间。

然而，当涉及到地板采暖时，这个消息并不是很好。事实上，研究表明，与辐射地板采暖相关的一些最

明显的“专业人员”实际上可能是“缺点”。

 

 

When in-floor heating may not be worth it

If you have a large home, a home with high ceilings, a home with many windows or a home with

 insufficient insulation, heating your floors rather than the air may not be enough to reach the level

 of comfort to which you are accustomed. Homeowners would be well advised to perform a home 

energy audit to assess where improvements may be made to increase the efficiency of an existing 

HVAC system. These changes could actually add up and possibly reduce your perceived need for 

in-floor heating.

In some instances, in-floor heating may be more of a complementary than a universal solution. 

Remember the theory that in-floor heating systems equal lower thermostat settings? Research

 conducted by the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporationsuggests the exact opposite. In 

examining the usage patterns of 50 homeowners in Nova Scotia, the CMHC determined that these

 individuals “[did] not set their thermostats significantly lower than homeowners with other types 

of heating systems.”

If your main rationale for installing an in-floor heating system is that doing so will produce long-term 

savings by reducing your utility bills, other solutions—such assystem zoning or solar panels—may 

actually be more cost-effective. And remember, an in-floor heating system contributes nothing to the

 cooling of your home in the summertime.

Homeowners may also assume that because a radiant floor heating system can be viewed (and 

financed) as a home improvement, its installation will immediately raise their home’s value. No evidence 

exists suggesting that in-floor heating either positively or negatively affects property values. In-floor

 heating is not even tracked in the annualCost vs. Value Report issued by Hanley Wood Media, publishers

 of Remodeling Magazine. Perhaps Realtors must consider too many variables to definitively state what

 a radiant heating system might add to, or subtract from, any given asking price. That said, homebuyers

 looking to “go green,” who prioritize energy savings, or who absolutely want an in-floor heating system

 will be willing to pay a premium for a home that features one.

Homeowners should also be aware of the difficulties and costs associated with repairing in-floor heating 

systems. Flooring, as well as sub-flooring, may have to be removed simply to assess, much less address, 

issues with the system. And because the majority of radiant floor heating systems are hydronic, in which 

the system’s radiant elements are not electrical but consist of low-profile PEX Tubing through which hot 

water is pumped, this means additional plumbing and additional potential for broken pipes and leaks. 

Moisture under your home can damage your foundation, create inviting conditions for termites and other

 destructive pests, ruin carpeting and warp hardwood floors.

在地板采暖可能不值得

如果你有一个大房子，一个高天花板的家，一个有许多窗户的家或绝缘不足的家，加热你的地板而

不是空气可能不足以达到你习惯的舒适度。建议房主进行家庭能源审计，以评估可以在哪些方面进

行改进以提高现有HVAC系统的效率。这些变化实际上可能会增加并可能减少您对地板采暖的感知

需求。

在某些情况下，地板内加热可能比通用解决方案更具互补性。还记得楼下供暖系统等同于较低温控

器设置的理论吗？加拿大抵押和住房公司进行的研究表明恰恰相反。在检查新斯科舍省50个房主的

使用模式时，CMHC确定这些人“[没有设置他们的恒温器明显低于其他类型的供暖系统的房主。” 

如果你的主要理由安装地板采暖系统这样做可以通过减少水电费来实现长期节约，其他解决方案 - 

例如系统分区或太阳能电池板 - 实际上可能更具成本效益。请记住，在夏季，地板采暖系统对您家

的冷却没有任何帮助。

房主也可能会认为，因为辐射地板采暖系统可以作为家居装修来观察（和资助），其安装将立即提

高其房屋的价值。没有证据表明地板内供暖会对房产价值产生正面或负面影响。在Remodeling杂志

的出版商Hanley Wood Media发布的年度成本与价值报告中甚至没有跟踪地板采暖。也许房地产经

纪人必须考虑太多变量来明确说明辐射供暖系统可能会增加或减去任何给定的要价。也就是说，寻

求“绿色环保”，优先考虑节能的购房者，或者绝对需要地板采暖系统的购房者愿意为拥有房屋供暖

系统的房屋支付额外费用。

房主也应该意识到修复地板采暖系统所面临的困难和成本。可能必须简单地移除地板以及底层地板，

以便评估系统的问题，更不用说地址问题了。并且因为大多数辐射地板采暖系统是水力的，其中系

统的辐射元件不是电气的，而是由低温PEX管道组成，通过该管道泵送热水，这意味着额外的管道

和管道破裂和泄漏的额外可能性。家中的水分会损坏您的地基，为白蚁和其他破坏性害虫创造诱人

的条件，破坏地毯和经线硬木地板。

 

 So, what's the verdict?

All in all, no matter how much you hate the feeling of a frigid floor first thing in the morning, 

an in-floor heating system may not make sense as a stand-alone retrofitting project. But, 

depending upon your priorities and your budget, in-floor heating may be ideal as a component

 of major remodel or if you are planning new construction.

那么，判决是什么？

总而言之，无论你早上多么讨厌寒冷地板的感觉，地板采暖系统作为一个独立的改造项目可能没有

意义。但是，根据您的优先级和预算，地板采暖可能是重大改造的一个组成部分，或者如果您正在

计划新建筑。