What is the best bathroom heating?
Bathroom heating is one of the most difficult choices. We have to take into consideration a lot of factors, such as effectiveness, functionality, design, price and so on. Let us represent you several options with some pros and cons.
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Adequate (appropriatе) bathroom heating is vital, because in addition to giving you maximum heating comfort in bathing and daily hygiene needs, it will have to help or carry out drying the bathroom after use and if there is such a danger to prevent water pipes freezing in winter. The bathroom heating can be provided by many different appliances and systems. They should be selected, positioned and configured very carefully. Even choosing the correct position (place) of a fan in your bathroom is important for overall comfort and efficiency of bathroom heating.
Bathroom heating with infrared radiant heaters
Infrared radiant heaters are a great solution for heating smaller size bathrooms between (3-8) m2, because the bathroom instantly became hot immediately after turning on the appliance. No need for pre waiting for heating and unnecessary energy consumption. Yo use heating only when it needs it and as much as it is necessary.
Steps of use are as follow: You enter your bathroom, turn on heating and the bathroom is warmed instantly and ready for use. When you end with your activities in the bathroom, turn off your infrared radiant heater and no more consumption of energy (do not spend more money). These radiant heaters are ideal for bathroom heating in apartments and buildings where there are no danger of frozen pipes in winter.
Infrared radiant heaters are with a required standard of protection for damp and wet areas, so they are absolutely safe to use. There are models with remote control and power regulation, which allows maximum comfort and optimum effectiveness.
This type of heaters are installed high on walls near ceiling or on the ceiling of the bathroom and head to the floor. Thus you steer the heating in the correct location (zone). Hard surfaces are heated by infrared rays, accumulate the heat and give it in the air. The human body is warmed by the rays directly and indirectly from the air.
Heating with infrared radiant heaters is very similar to the way of Sun heating.
Bathroom heating with infrared panels
Infrared heating panels are particularly suitable solution for heating your bathroom. It is an innovative, modern and efficient heating, suitable for bathroom and any other room – bedroom, living room, children’s room and so on. One panel is suitable for heating a bathroom with size of 10 m2 to its insulation characteristics. Models designed primarily for bathroom are with a power of 400 and 600 watts and top coated mirror for maximum functionality. Heating and mirror in one place – this combination will completely prevent the possibility of fogging your mirror in the process of bathing.
Infrared panels are recommended for use in bathrooms, in need of constant heating because they do not have the ability of instantly warming as radiant heaters. Installed in the bathroom in combination with a room thermostat, they allow for maximum comfort, optimum functionality and effectiveness. The room thermostat can be programmed to the use of your bathroom (in days and hours). You can apply manual adjustments with one touch of a button.
Radiant heating panels have a standard of protection IP44, which ensures a smooth operation of these appliances in damp and wet rooms. Each infrared panel allows to be rig a towel rail and your towels always will be pleasantly warm and dry.
Infrared panels can be installed both on the wall and the ceiling in your bathroom. The optimized model is with a mirror and is recommended to be installed in a place which is chosen for a mirror (over the sink) or somewhere on the bathroom wall at a distance of 90-120 cm from the floor. All infrared panels can be used for bathroom heating. If you want only heating (no visual improvement), you could choose a model from standard series, which will be installed on the ceiling in the bathroom.
As heating with radiant heaters and the heating with infrared panels has taken an example (principle) of Sun.
Constant bathroom heating
People with bigger bathrooms than 10-12 m2 will require a constant heating or installation of more than one radiant heater or a panel. This can be achieved with an installation of water radiator (aluminum or panel) or pounds with appropriate size and power. These heat transfer elements are used for permanently heating (24 hour cycle) of your bathroom and in most cases are part of a central heating system, heat pump, local heating, wood, coal, pellets or gas boilers.
In the long term constant bathroom heating is more energy efficient but in initial investment is more expensive. You have to find optimum balance between investment, quality, monthly bills and functionality.
Radiators can be used for heating and drying (heating) of towels. It is recommended to install the radiators to your floor as low as possible because they heat conventional, I.e heat the air that rises to the height of your bathroom. Positioning of these elements of the heating system is of great importance and it is advisable to be installed on an external wall or wall bordering with an unheated room. It is recommended using a thermal head to radiators to improve efficiency and control of work; respectively bills.
The main disadvantage of using radiators is need for space that these kind of appliances occupy.
Bathroom underfloor heating
As an optimal option for bathroom heating, you can choose an underfloor heating (electric or water). When you use underfloor heating for your bathroom, you get a maximum comfort and an optimal vision and freedom as it does not take any unnecessary space, and most importantly you step foot on a warm floor of your bathroom. The underfloor heating for your bathroom should be imbedded in bathrooms for permanent (often) use or when you want your bathroom to be warm always regardless of day and hour. You can make a good adjustment of the operation of your underfloor heating system, but the main problem of underfloor heating is its great inertia, ie slowly warms and cools slowly. Therefore it is better to be used for rooms and places for permanent use.
The comfort that gives underfloor heating can not be reached by any other heating. Heated floor and even distribution of heat over height of the room / bathroom are a major positive factor for choosing an underfloor heating. Especially for bathroom, the underfloor heating would dry your wet floor much faster than any other appliance. Underfloor heating for your bathroom would be the most expensive investment but comfort, durability and lack of maintenance that gives as opportunities worth every lev.
There are two types of underfloor heating for bathroom – water and electric
Water underfloor heating will be slightly more expensive as an initial investment but in the long term, lead to substantially lower bills in combination with a heat pump for example. Water underfloor heating is a part of overall heating system for your home, office, cottage and so on. The construction of underfloor heating consists of installation of insulation boards, in most cases suitable for underfloor heating, laying of pipe way with special pipes, screed on insulation and pipes and then laying a finishing flooring.
Electric underfloor heating is cheaper as an initial investment, can be installed faster and easier, it is independent and can be installed individually, without a need to build an overall heating system. It allows better regulation of work. It is a little more expensive in terms of monthly bills but at a considerably lower price for installation, it is a pretty good alternative. Most manufacturers of underfloor heating offer a guarantee of at least 10-15 years which is indicative of the quality of used materials.
Once installed the underfloor heating is maintenance free with the exception of some specific cases.
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The choice for heating your bathroom is in your hands. Nowadays market offers exceptional opportunities – some more efficient, some cheaper, some with better design. For maximum effectiveness, minimum bills and optimum comfort, you have to consider all pros and cons of different systems and appliances for heating, and to comply with your pattern of use, ability to installation, design and of course the price of your bathroom heating.