Snaking loops of polyethylene pipe run through your space under your floor They are filled with water heated by a boiler. The piping does not directly heat the air, it radiates into the floor, heating the objects in the room, heating the air, and heating you. No air circulation system to stir allergens or dirt, and no heated dehumidified air. Just the air in your home that you typically breathe.

     If you choose to heat an outbuilding or install a Snowmelt system a percentage of glycol can be added to the water in your radiant system to prevent freezing.

The tubing used for hydronic radiant heating is called PEX. It is a flexible cross-linked polyethylene pipe that is non-toxic, leak-resistant, and rated for high temperatures. There are two types of PEX tubing, PEX Type A and PEX Type B. 

PEX A

➣PEX Type A is connected with a cold expansion-style fitting. It is more flexible than PEX Type B. It also has a tighter bend radius and is more resistant to kinking. 

➣PEX Type A uses Cold expansion style fittings or crimp style fittings.

➣The inside diameter of cold expansion fittings are the same diameter as the pipe they are being installed on therefore there is minimal resistance to flow due to a fitting connection. 

PEX B

➣PEX Type B is usually connected with crimp fittings. It is more susceptible to kinking because it is inflexible and cannot be expanded. 

➣The inside diameter of crimp fittings are smaller than the pipe they are being installed on. Therefore a 1/2" fitting has an inside diameter of just 3/8". Drastically reducing the flow rate of the tubing, and shortening the overall lengths of tubing loops that can be installed in the floor. 

Arthur Radiant Heating installs only PEX Type A with cold expansion style fittings.

What is a modulating boiler? Modulating boilers adjust the temperature of the water by regulating the amount of fuel being used. For example, Dunkirk's Modulating Condensing Gas Boiler has a turndown ratio of 5.6:1 for their 100,000 btu model. A turndown ratio of 5.6:1 is about 17.8% or 17,800 btu. The boiler will automatically adjust between 17,800 and 100,000 btu, to put out the proper water temperature for your heating system. 

What is a modulating combi boiler? Modulating combi boilers are the same as your standard modulating boiler. The difference is combi boilers contain two heat exchangers. One heat exchanger is for your radiant heating system, the other produces domestic hot water. No need for a separate tankless water heater or a large tank-style hot water heater that takes up space and is inefficient. With combi boilers, the water that is in your floor heating system will never come in contact with the domestic hot water that runs through the rest of your home.

Natural Gas 

• Perhaps the most widely used, natural gas provides an on-demand heat source without the hard work. When the system is properly designed using a high-efficiency modulating boiler you arguably won't find a more efficient heat source. 

Liquid Propane

• Very similar to natural gas, in areas where natural gas is unavailable. Propane itself is more expensive but supposedly has about twice the btu output compared to an equivalent amount of natural gas.

Electric

• With the rising cost of electricity, electric boilers can be costly to operate, but when paired with a solar generating system they can be an excellent cost-effective heat source.

Firewood

• Used with a large wood boiler, cheaper than other options because "firewood is free". 

• Wood boilers are large tanks with a firebox inside of them. They seem to average approximately one gallon of water to 100 btu's output, so for about a 100,000 btu boiler you would be heating around 100 gallons of water. The boiler has to keep all that water hot all day every day, meaning it must constantly be fed wood.

• It seems some people fail to consider how many hours they will spend cutting, splitting, and stacking firewood. Coupled with the money they spend on the equipment, just to go out in the cold and feed the boiler at least twice a day.

Heating Oil

• Heating oil can also be a solution when natural gas is unavailable. When coupled with a small efficient system, a tank of heating oil could last all winter.

Waste Oil

• IDEAL for garages or shop owners. By using a waste by-product of your business your shop will be warm all winter long without the costly heating bill. You also would not have to pay to have the waste oil hauled away.