A Radiant Floor Heating System Is Wonderful To Have
Thanks to a radiant floor heating system the days of stepping onto cold tiles are over. Nothing beats the warmth of tiled floors when it is being heated. It is a very simple concept – let’s say that you are building or renovating a bathroom, all you have to do is lay down the electric heating mat onto the sub-floor and then tile over it. The mat is plastic and it is made of a heat-resistant polyethylene that contains resistance wire that are looped. The wires carry an electric charge and it transfers heat to anything that comes into contact with it. The cost of the installation depends on your quote and also the region you live, because if you live in a cold region you might find it more expensive than those living in warmer regions. Once the heating system is activated the floor warms up, and an hour later, and then the room. This is what a radiant floor heating system is all about.
There are many that will be able to compare this type of floor heating to an electric blanket, and since it is not safe to sleep under the electric blanket while it is on, does the same apply to radiant floor heating? Electric blankets emit EMF (electromagnetic fields). Anything that runs on electricity emits EMF, clock radio, microwave oven, floor lamp, hair dryers and yes, so does a radiant floor heating system. Let’s find out a bit more about EMF before we conclude if you can get cancer from floor heating.
Alternating current creates electric and magnetic fields. This is known as EMF. Electricity moves through wires, because an electric field is directly proportional to-the voltage and a magnetic field is directly proportional to-the current. An EMF is emitted from the wires moving the current to a device and also from the device.
So, is floor heating safe? There are things that you should look at before purchasing anything. There is a third party that does the testing of these floor heaters and the test is called REET or (Radiant-Electric-Emissions-Test). Beware that there are companies that run there own tests, but they do not use the REET procedure. There are many companies that test the EMF of their floor heating systems a few feet above the floor level. This is not where the feet make contact with the mat. The REET procedure is used to test 20 different points to make sure that it is “EMF-free” or “Zero EMF”. Keep in mind that there are companies that do not run the test, but claim it is free of electromagnetic fields. So, is floor heating safe? Yes and no. No if you do not see anything about the heating system being tested by the REET procedure, and yes if it was tested by REET.
As long as you do your homework and know what you are going for and what to look for before purchasing anything, you can be safe and not worry about emitted EMF. This is the most important thing to know before purchasing a radiant floor heating system.
