Water or Electric?

When you have the privilege of building a house from scratch and being there for all stages of its development, you have the unique advantage to make all the right decisions as to the way your house will conserve and dispose of heat, and you can, therefore, make a more environmentally friendly house.

An important part of any house, especially in colder climates, is its heating system. This usually varies from country to country, with Scandinavian countries, for example, traditionally using a wall radiator technology powered by hot water, while in the US electric heating is more common.

One of the most efficient ways of heating, although it represents a higher investment, is underfloor heating. The technology, as the name states, heats the house from the floor up, causing a much better heat distribution.

But even in the world of underfloor heating, there are two options to consider. You need to make a choice between electric and water underfloor heating, and they both have their advantages and disadvantages.

Electric underfloor heating is faster, less costly to install an more appropriate for small rooms, while water underfloor heating is more cost-effective and better for bigger rooms and houses, but needs a much higher initial investment.