hydronic radiant floor heating cost calculator

This is widely considered to be the best method for radiant floor heating as water is cheap and retains heat very well. Hydronic radiant heat also costs an average of $20 per square foot to install.Īs you may have guessed, hydronic systems rely on water pumped through tubes. Expect to pay anywhere from 35 cents to 70 cents per square foot each month depending on your flooring material and furnace. Air-Heated Radiant Floor Operating CostsĪir-heated radiant flooring systems are comparable to traditional forced-air HVAC units when it comes to operating costs. For example, homeowners often use them when they’d like to simply connect their existing furnace to an under-floor apparatus. Piping that leaks air can be quite difficult to detect, often only making its presence known via a surprisingly-high utility bill at the end of the month.Īir-heated radiant floors – like the electric variety – generally represent a compromise. The problem, however, is that air does not hold onto heat very well.Īdditionally, using air in an under-floor heating system exposes homeowners to the same pitfall that often prompts them to seek an alternative heating system in the first place: leakage. This type of heated flooring system relies on warm air passed through tubes underneath your flooring. Air-Heated Radiant FloorsĪir-based in-floor heating systems cost roughly $20 per square foot to install, representing a step up from the electric variety. As such, expect to pay additional costs to operate some other type of system (i.e. According to Bob Vila, in-floor heating is best used for supplementary heating.

One very important thing to note regarding electric floor heating operating costs is that they don’t tell the whole story. Given that electricity in Canada currently costs an average of 17 cents per kWh, that works out to 62 cents per square foot of coverage each month. Electric Floor Heating Operating CostsĮlectric floor heating uses roughly 3.66 kWh per square foot each month. As such, electric floor heating systems are primarily used in Canadian homes where other methods would be impractical.

If and when the wiring ends up being damaged beyond repair, you’ll have to replace the whole system, which would mean ripping up the entire floor.Īdditionally, electricity is much more expensive than other forms of heating. One disadvantage of electric underfloor heating is that these wires can get damaged fairly easily, especially in high-traffic areas. They rely on thin wires that radiate heat from under your flooring. Electric Floor Heating SystemsĮlectric in-floor heating systems cost between $8 and $12 per square foot, making them by far the cheapest option on the market. No matter how much your in-floor heating system ends up costing, Alpine Credits can help you secure financing! More on that shortly.

These are approximate numbers based on our research. Please note that there are many factors involved in pricing an in-floor heating system. Let’s take a look at the most common examples along with their costs, advantages, and disadvantages. That wide range exists due to the variety of in-floor heating options available. On average, in-floor heating costs between $8 and $20 per square foot. Total Cost in Standard 2,600 Square Foot Home Average Installation Cost Per Square Foot

Hydronic radiant floor heating cost calculator