Hydronic Plinth Heater Stainless Effect & White

Product Information

All plinth heaters have controls on their facia, which sits not-at-all-conveniently close to the floor. With this in mind, you may think that the hydronic heater wins for convenience, hands down, as you don’t need to get down on your hands and knees to turn it on and off. However, most good electric plinth heaters will ship with some form of remote control so you don’t have to strain yourself. A word on installation, maintenance, and warranty or 2 years is normal; 5 years is even better. Pay special attention to whether it is a complete warranty, or whether parts and labour are handled on separate timelines.

For one, it positively belches heat on both normal and boost settings. Indeed, the SS5 has the highest output on this list, topping out at around 5800BTU/hr. Despite all the extra horsepower, the SS5 is surprisingly quiet, running as low as 27 dBA.Just as there are several options when it comes to the components of hydronic heating equipment, installing hydronic radiant heat in your home can be done many ways. Learn the difference between “wet” and “dry” installations, so that you get a better idea of what each option will mean for your home. Removal of dissolved, free and entrained air can only be achieved with a high-efficiency air elimination device that includes a coalescing medium that continually scrubs the air out of the system. Tangential or centrifugal style air separator devices are limited to removal of free and entrained air only. If the price tag hasn’t scared you off, there’s a lot to love about the Smith’s SS5/Dual. The obvious draw is that it truly installs anywhere you need it; got a new extension built onto the house? Install the SS5/Dual as a pure electric plinth heater, and carry on. Or, install it as normal into your kitchen, and enjoy the long-term energy efficiency of a hydronic plinth heater. There’s absolutely nothing to indicate this being the case, but many mistakenly believe the APH01SS ships with a 3-prong plug. While you can easily swap the supplied leads for a proper plug for easier installation, this is not the default mode of installation. Like most electric plinth heaters, you’ll need to hook it up to a fused spur.

Additionally, all baseboard heaters don’t use forced-air HVAC ducts to increase a building’s temperature. Is Hydronic Baseboard Heating Worth It?

The SS5 is a bit of a Plain Jane, but you’ll probably appreciate the wallflower aesthetic when you’re groggily stumbling towards your morning cuppa. Moreover, it’s whisper quiet at just 27dBA, so Smith’s has done a good job to keep their flagship plinth heater out of sight, out of mind. And despite its cavernous heating capacity, the Space Saver politely lives up to its name as one of the smallest models on this list.

Hydronic heating systems have a boiler, which uses gas or electricity to produce either extremely hot water or steam. The heat produced by the boiler can be dispersed using standalone radiators, baseboard radiators, or through coils installed underneath the floor. The hot water or steam produces convective heating as it heats up the radiators or the floor. The heat then emanates from the floor or radiators into both the air and surrounding objects and surfaces to provide radiant heat. In places where it snows a lot, some people even choose to install hydronic heating tubes or coils underneath their sidewalks and driveways so that they stay warm and melt any snow that falls. Most hydronic systems require balancing. This involves measuring and setting the flow to achieve an optimal distribution of energy in the system. When deciding on the best water heater to buy, you have two options: gas or electric. Within each category, you have the choice between a conventional tank model or a space-saving tankless option.A topic that isn’t often discussed, it is important to be aware of the problems that can occur during the installation of hydronic flooring. This will help you to know what issues to look out for, while preparing you with good questions to ask your HVAC contractor. Hiring the right installers, coordinating and informing the different trades, and testing the system will help to ensure a successful installation of your radiant floor.