Common Radiant Heating Issues

Radiant heaters heat your home differently than a forced-air heating unit might. The calculations are different because depending on the method of heating (electric baseboard or water), it’s not concerned with heating the air in your home as much as it is the space itself.

This means that problems like cold spots, leaks, and electrical failures can have unique causes and concerns with radiant heating units. Let’s go into detail on each type of radiant heating problem and how it can specifically be detected, but remember that this is no replacement for professional radiant heat repair in Tallahassee, FL.

In fact, you can mitigate most of the headaches you’d normally get when detecting this kind of issue by calling for help as quickly as possible. Our team will give you an accurate estimate and diagnose the problem easily.

Cold Spots

Do you have an old boiler system that works hard to keep your home warm? You can tell a system is old by how it heats your home. The term radiator comes from boilers that pump hot water into a radiator situated under a window or near a door. This component would radiate powerful heat at an area that normally would be weakened by the thin barrier of your home.

However, this isn’t quite efficient for modern home uses, and most radiant heating units don’t use radiators the same way. Sure, old radiators can be retrofitted to work in a modern home, but most boilers and electric radiant heating systems go through the floorboards so that the heat can rise due to natural thermodynamics.

If your home has cold spots in it, it could be due to a failed radiator or a radiator that’s been clogged up with sediment from the water. This can happen, but it needs to be addressed in order for your system to not buckle under the pressure of trying to accommodate.

Leaks

Other HVAC systems might leak (whether it’s refrigerant or water), but they don’t deal with extensive leak problems like a boiler might. Boilers deal with a lot more water than a heat pump or furnace might since they comprise the majority of the heat transference material in your system.

Therefore, if you’re noticing wet spots in your home or a dripping noise, then you likely have an issue with your boiler that requires professional support.

Electrical Failures

Another radiant heating system that doesn’t get as much love as it should is the electric radiant heater. These units use powerful resistance coils to produce heat beneath your floorboards that can feel just as good as a boiler while being energy efficient.

However, electric radiant heaters rely on a constant source of electricity to function properly. And since it’s using electrical resistance, the coils could get dirty or degrade over time, leading to specialized electrical failures.

If you think your electric radiant heating system is not working as well as it used to, or if you’re detecting problems like tripped circuits, cold rooms, or buzzing noises, we urge you to call for support.

With Parker Services Inc, Comfort’s just a call away! Schedule an appointment today.

‍