Articles Tagged with ''radiant heating and cooling''

Demand for hydronic comfort solutions is heating up. According to a report by Technavio, the global market is expected to increase by more than 7 percent from 2018 to 2022, driven by a desire for more energy-efficient and energy-neutral technologies to improve the indoor climate. With more homeowners and building owners looking to advance the technologies in their structures to make them smarter, more efficient, or just more comfortable, it’s in a contractor’s best interest to become proficient in radiant heating and cooling systems to further expand their market — or, to dominate a niche market.

From keeping up-to-date with technology to simply finding folks to lay the pipework, hydronics contractors face a unique subset of challenges within the HVAC industry. Learning to navigate the hurdles make the race to the bottom line smoother and much more profitable. The NEWS spoke with some industry experts to identify the top five challenges contractors face and the steps they should take to make sure nothing stands in their way when it comes to optimizing their workflow rate.

Today, systems are just more complicated. As technologies advance and systems become more intricate, their life cycle, too, is evolving.

Within the limits of ultimate system functionality, hydronic/mechanical artists can “paint their own canvas” — free to explore greater functionality, performance, and energy efficiency — all the while having the time of our lives (mechanically speaking).

Contractors can find a vast opportunity in selling radiant heat, which is growing in popularity as it gains further recognition by consumers and contractors alike for its unique qualities.

Finding an indoor comfort system that would fulfill the Van Dixhorns’ specifications of sustainable, energy efficient equipment that wouldn’t detract from the home’s elegant open-floor plan was a must.

As the old saying goes, there is more than one way to skin a cat. The same can be said of residential hydronic systems, which can be designed around numerous types of terminal units, including baseboards, radiators, air handlers, and radiant panels, to name just a few.

Typically when selecting heating solutions for a building, decisions are made based on its main function. It gets a bit more complicated, however, when the property is designed as a multi-purpose facility – possibly being used for retail, residential, and office space all at once. These buildings often present unique heating challenges that vary from room to room, calling for a diverse portfolio of solutions to ensure energy efficiency and occupant satisfaction. 

The residential boiler market in the U.S. is somewhat small when compared to the rest of the world. In fact, according to some estimates, only about 9 million U.S. homes are heated with boilers, 60 percent of which are in the Northeast.

Since its arrival in the U.S., crosslinked polyethylene PEX) tubing has taken the hydronics industry by storm. That is primarily due to its reputation as being a durable, flexible, and, some might even say, more affordable option for radiant heating and snowmelt applications.