The Pros and Cons of Hydronic Heating

Never heard of hydronic heating? Don’t worry; it’s not particularly common here in Australia. But it is one well worth your consideration, as you’re about to find out.

As the days get increasingly cooler across the country, more and more households will rely on their heating to maintain warmth and comfort indoors. But at the same time, energy bills are increasing too. This has compelled many households to seek a home heating solution that is energy efficient and cost effective without compromising on performance. Hydronic heating systems are one solution that ticks these boxes and more.

Let’s explore hydronic systems in greater detail. We’ll take a look specifically at how hydronic heating works, as well as some of the major pros and cons, to determine whether it’s the right solution for your home.

How Does Hydronic Heating Work?

Arguably more common in Europe and the United States than here in Australia, hydronic technology uses heated water or steam to provide radiant heat throughout the home. It’s an underfloor heating system that uses a connected series of sealed pipes with hot water circulating through them.

Although the pipes are typically installed in the floors, they can also be fitted in the walls or ceiling. As the water circulates, the system produces an even and comfortable radiant heating that permeates throughout the house.

There are numerous ways to install hydronic systems in your home, from radiator panels to concrete slabs and even heated towel rails.

The Pros of a Hydronic System

Now that we have some idea of how a hydronic system works and what it is used for, let’s take a look at three of the benefits that hydronic heating offers.

1. Comfortable and Consistent Radiant Heat

One of the biggest strengths of a hydronic system is that it delivers comfortable and consistent radiant heating throughout the room it’s installed in. Compared to ducted heating systems that blow heated air into the room, the natural radiant heat from a hydronic heating system comes through the floors or walls.

It avoids the potential for drafts that come with forced air conditioning solutions to deliver heating in a much more even and comfortable manner.

Additionally, you can regulate the comfort level even further with the use of thermostats and zone controls to tailor the room temperature to your needs.

2. A Hydronic System is Highly Energy Efficient

Underfloor heating systems offer greater energy efficiency than some forms of home heating that are perhaps more familiar to Australian homeowners. There are numerous reasons as to why they’re so highly efficient:

• Underfloor heating delivers warm air through the floors or walls, rather than ducts which can experience heat loss and energy wastage if they begin leaking.
• By combining home hydronic heating systems with additional sources of renewable energy, such as solar power, you can minimise consumption of energy even further.
• As hydronic systems use hot water, they can run at lower temperatures which means they use less energy.

On top of these reasons is the fact, discussed in the previous point, that you can easily customise your heating system to maximise its energy efficiency and minimise ongoing running costs.

3. It Offers Silent Operation

Another of the benefits of hydronic heating is that it runs at a super quiet volume. Compared to other heating systems that use a blower or fan, it has almost no noise. For living spaces where you want to keep noise to a bare minimum, such as a bedroom, study or baby’s nursery, this can be particularly advantageous.

In addition to the whisper-quiet operation, the lack of blowers or fans that you might find in a ducted system means any allergens or impurities don’t get stirred up and blown throughout the room. For people in the house who might be prone to allergies, this too can be a great benefit.

The Cons of Installing a Hydronic Heating System

When it comes to the benefits of installing a hydronic heating system, what we have discussed here barely scratches the surface. But just as there are numerous selling points to consider, there are also some potential drawbacks to also keep in mind. Here are three of them:

1. Installation Cost Can Be High

Among the biggest disadvantages to consider is installation costs. This is true not only in terms of financial expense, but also the potential time cost as well as the burden on your day-to-day life during the installation process.

Whether you’re installing underfloor pipes or panel radiators, it may be necessary to significantly modify the structure of your home. The process may require cutting into the floors or walls. Clearly, this has the potential to be quite disruptive to your daily routine, but it can also be an expensive process too.

It is for this reason that hydronic heating systems are perhaps better suited to new home constructions rather than retrofitting to old and established properties.

2. Can Be Slow to Reach Optimal Temperature

Compared to traditional forms of heating that we’re perhaps more familiar with in Australia, hydronic systems can be slower to heat up a room and reach the desired temperature.

This comes down to the way they work; unlike forced-air systems that can heat up a room quickly, the radiant heat of a hydronic system takes time to generate and be released into the room. If you need to quickly heat up an unoccupied room, or you’ve got guests on the way, this slowness can be a stumbling block.

3. Hydronic Heating Systems Require Regular Maintenance

To make sure that your system continues to operate in peak condition, it will likely require regular maintenance. For some people, the time and expense could be seen as a drawback.

System maintenance typically includes:

• Thermostat testing
• Gas pressure and connection checks
• Pipe checks
• Radiator inspections
• General check of all components to ensure they’re working properly

If you don’t keep up with your regular maintenance schedule, your hydronic heating system becomes more vulnerable to leakages and other malfunctions. This, in turn, can result in water damage to your home.

To Sum Up …

All in all, hydronic heating systems can be a terrific choice for homeowners seeking a heating solution that offers superior energy efficiency, whisper quiet operation and user-friendly heating control.

However, the technology is not without its drawbacks. It can be expensive to install and slow to actually radiate heat. It also requires more frequent maintenance than other heating solutions in order to continue delivering hot air. Hopefully, by becoming aware of these pros and cons, you’ll be able to make a more informed decision on whether a hydronic heating system is right for your home.

Please note: This information is provided for advice purposes only. Regulations differ from state to state, so please consult your local authorities or an industry professional before proceeding with any work. See our Terms & Conditions here.