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Hydronic (or slab) heating in Melbourne utilises tubing laid underneath the floor through which hot water passes in order to warm the home. The tubing can be made of polybutylene, cross-linked polyethylene or rubber (depending on the nature of your installation). The overall system uses a lower water temperature than other forms of heating, which makes it a good match for low-temperature heat sources (like air- or ground-source heat pumps and solar).

Did you know that your home can actually use less energy when a slab heating system has been installed? Basically, this is due to the fact that it can run on such low temperatures – hydronics don’t warm the air mass like a convective system does; instead, it radiates heat directly into the objects and people within the room. How much energy your particular system will save, however, will depend on a number of factors (as outlined below).

• How well the building has been sealed and insulated
  If your home has been correctly sealed and insulated, which means that it experiences lower heat loss as a rule, you will actually find that your efficiency gains are lower. This is simply because a properly sealed and insulated home will allow any heating system to save energy. If your home experiences considerable heat loss, however, you will find that hydronics do allow you to save some energy.

• The elimination of duct leakage
  One of the biggest problems associated with other heating systems is duct leakage. This is due to the ducts being hidden away beneath the floors or in the ceilings where they can be subjected to all sorts of damage and where it is harder to keep an eye on them. The heat will escape through holes and cracks instead of into the home. Operating costs for hydronics can actually be 20 to 40% lower than other systems.

• The home feels comfortable several degrees cooler
  A number of studies have shown that slab heating in Melbourne will allow people to feel comfortable at air temperatures several degrees lower than those required for other systems. This means that you can have your thermostat set a few degrees lower, which will actually save a fair bit of energy. Turning the thermostat down to 18 degrees Celsius from 20 degrees Celsius, for example, leads to big savings.

• How well you have planned zoning and versatility
  Zoning is incredibly easy with a hydronic system. So much so that you can even have a separate thermostat in each room, allowing you to control the air temperature of every space within your home. These days, special mixing valves are also available that will allow you to use a single boiler to supply different devices (such as warm tiles in the kitchen, radiators upstairs and even a towel warmer in the bathroom!).

As you can see, there are actually a number of ways that your home will save energy with the installation of hydronic slab heating in Melbourne. And there are even more ways that you can save, but we are sure that you will discover these for yourself once the heating has been installed. If you have been looking for a way to use less energy without compromising on the warmth of your family this winter, you have found the perfect solution.