Saddleback Plumbing Heating & Air Blog: Posts Tagged ‘Hydronic Boiler System’

Why Your In-Floor Heating Isn’t Working

Monday, March 8th, 2021
in-floor-heating

Heating for homes in Orange County is usually done with forced-air systems, such as a furnace or heat pump. But the popularity of in-floor heating has grown over the last decade as an alternative to having heated air blown out of vents. You may live in a recently built home that took advantage of the benefits of in-floor heating, which means you have a hydronic boiler supplying the heated water that runs in cables under the subfloor to deliver heat. This system needs special care, and there are not many local HVAC contractors who work with them. 

But we’re proud to offer hydronic boiler repairs in Newport Beach and throughout Orange County. When you have trouble with a hydronic heating system that isn’t doing its job, call us to take care of it. 

Continue Reading

Tags: , , ,
Posted in Heating | Comments Off on Why Your In-Floor Heating Isn’t Working

3 Major Benefits of Radiant Heating Systems

Monday, April 6th, 2015

Radiant heating systems are boiler-based heaters, which use hot water to distribute heat throughout a house. The boiler heats and distributes water through pipe networks in the walls and subfloors of each room. As the water flows through the pipes, it transmits heats through the pipes and into the rooms. The concept of radiant heating dates back to ancient times, when the Romans would have hot water channeled through canals under their floors.

Despite its long history, however, in modern times radiant heating has been eclipsed in popularity by forced-air systems. This is unfortunate, as modern hydronic radiant heating offers a lot of unique advantages. Let’s take a look at 3 of the major benefits that you can garner from installing a radiant heating system.

Energy Efficiency

Having an energy-efficient heating system is a great way to reduce your home’s operating costs. The average forced-air heating system loses around 20 to 30 percent of its output to leaks in the ductwork, according to the US Department of Energy. Radiant heating uses water pipes instead of ductwork, which enables it to deliver far more of its heat to the target destination. As water is a much more effective thermal conductor than air, a room serviced by a radiant heating system will also heat up faster and stay warm for longer.

Health

Forced air heating systems often negatively affect the indoor air quality of the homes in which they are installed. Airborne contaminants have a tendency to collect in ductwork, and are circulated throughout the house whenever the heater is turned on. Using a forced-air heater too much also has a tendency to dry out the air in the house. These two factors contribute to allergy attacks and illnesses. Radiant systems circulate heat without affecting the air quality inside your home, so you can use them as much as you want without worry.

Comfort

When warm air is pumped into a room, it will immediately rise to the ceiling. As it cools, it will slowly sink to the floor of the room. This creates uncomfortable hot and cold spots in rooms heated by forced-air systems. Hydronic radiant heaters, by contrast, don’t use air as a medium to transport heat. The thermal energy moves directly through solid objects, keeping it near the floor of the room where people are most able to benefit from it.

If you’d like to learn more about the benefits of radiant heating, call Saddleback Plumbing. We provide heating services throughout Orange County.  

Continue Reading

Tags: , ,
Posted in Heating | Comments Off on 3 Major Benefits of Radiant Heating Systems

Lake Forest Heating FAQ: How Do Hydronic Baseboards Work?

Monday, October 15th, 2012

At Saddleback Plumbing, Heating, & Air Conditioning, we often get questions about the benefits of hydronic baseboard heating systems in Lake Forest, and how these systems work. Here’s a basic rundown of how hydronic boiler systems work and what the benefits are with installing a baseboard distribution system.

Hydronic baseboard heating systems work in much the same way as radiant floor heating systems work. However, instead of an in-floor installation, the baseboards are installed near the floor against a wall, which provides more efficient heat than traditional radiators since the heat will rise from the baseboard to more evenly heat the entire room. They also tend to be more efficient than forced air systems, which distribute the heat through ductwork and a series of vents.

The heat source is usually a high-efficiency gas or electric boiler that heats the water going into the boiler. After the water is heated, the hot water is sent to an “air eliminator” that removes bubbles from the water, which prepares it for the expansion tank. The expansion tank helps to maintain pressure as the water is heated and expands and contracts. As the water leaves the tank, it passes through a pressure relief valve to ensure proper pressure levels. Then the water travels through a flange valve located next to the pump that is adequately sized for the entire system.

After this process, the water flows to the heated side of the distribution manifold where it is then sent to the pipes inside the baseboard covers located throughout the home. Then, any water that has been cooled by heating the home is sent back to the boiler through the cooler side of the distribution manifold. A second temperature pressure gauge is located just outside the boiler on the cold side of the manifold, and the entire system is controlled by thermostats that control the boiler and pumps to ensure that the right amount of heat is distributed throughout the system.

Hydronic baseboard heating systems are a quiet, safe, and clean way to heat your home. However, they do require routine maintenance to ensure a safe operation. Call the Lake Forest heating experts at Saddleback Plumbing if you have questions or would like to discuss our installation options.

Continue Reading

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Heating | Comments Off on Lake Forest Heating FAQ: How Do Hydronic Baseboards Work?