Hydronic heating and cooling systems are a very popular choice for residential and commercial spaces in Australia. This is because they offer a wide range of benefits, like accruing lower running costs for winter heating and being sustainable and eco-friendly. Hydronic heating produces significantly reduced greenhouse gas emissions, and the systems are designed to re-use wasted heat, boosting the energy efficiency of the building. Hydronic heating is also less obtrusive than traditional air conditioning, there is less noise pollution emanating from the units, and hydronic systems can be installed with minimal disruption.
Hydronic heating uses hot water to heat up a room efficiently and evenly. This system circulates hot water through pipes to the underfloor heating systems, trench convectors, heated towel rails, or panel radiators. This can be controlled via a thermostat and is entirely customisable to fit your needs. Hydronic heating is regarded as the most comfortable forms of heating up your home as it doesn’t expel heat into the air, rather it heats objects in the room instead. This means there is a consistent distribution of non-drying heat throughout your home.
We can see the use of hydronic heating dating back as early as the 14th Century in a monastery in Greenland, where they used hot spring water to heat up buildings. The Romans were also the first known record of using a radiant heating system called hypocaust.
Hydronic heating, sometimes referred to as radiant heating, works by circulating hot water in sealed pipes throughout the home. Water is a fantastic conductor of heat, which is why the system’s use of thermal radiation to transfer heat is so efficient. The heat is transferred into the air by electromagnetic waves to be absorbed by objects in the room, meaning that the heat can’t be moved or blown away. The whole hydronic heating system is powered by a boiler or a heat pump which heats the water and is then pumped through a closed loop system throughout the building. Efficiency and costs will depend on various factors such as the type of boiler, the layout and space of the building as well as if you have access to natural gas.