Hydronic heating is an energy efficient system that uses hot water to heat your home. The water is heated by an economical heat source, and then circulated around your home through radiator panels or underfloor heating pipes.
If you are investigating the cost of hydronic heating, it’s important to keep in mind that whilst the system requires a higher initial investment than some other basic forms of heating, the benefits and running cost-savings make it an invaluable addition to your home.
In this article, we’ll take you through the factors and considerations that can influence the cost of installing hydronic heating, and let you know how you can get the most from your investment.
What Influences the Hydronic Heating System Cost?
Every home is different, which means that the cost of installing a hydronic heating system will vary from home to home.
One of the biggest factors that will influence the installation cost is:
- Are you installing hydronic heating in a new home that’s being built? or;
- Are you installing hydronic heating in an existing home as a part of a home renovation?
The main reason for this is because the level of underfloor or wall cavity access affects how easily your installer can lay down the pipework and install your radiators in an optimum position.
Access is usually easier in new homes, as pipework can be laid prior to concrete being poured or floors laid if pipework will be coming up from underneath. Similarly, where pipework needs to run within walls, it will be easier, and therefore more cost effective to install prior to plaster being hung.
This doesn’t mean your costs will always blow out when installing hydronic heating in existing homes. Depending on the requirements, pipework can be run on external walls or below the floor if there is sufficient access underneath. Where this isn’t possible, , plaster patch ups or floorboard removal can be done, and will need to be factored into your costs.
Hydronic Heating Radiator Costs
There are many different types of hydronic heating radiators available, ranging from the classic steel panel radiators to the bold and striking designer radiators. Radiator prices will vary according to the design, size, and materials.
For an average three-bedroom home, the full installation cost is approximately $1,300 to $1,600 per radiator, which includes the cost of a standard gas boiler.
Generally speaking, you should allow for a radiator in each room you want to be heated, with multiple radiators sometimes needed in large or open plan areas in order to get an even heat distribution. Installing a radiator in each room is generally more expensive than the average split system. However, the major benefit of hydronic heating over split systems are that they are anti-allergic and quietly heat your home rather than expelling loud noise through air vents and have a far greater product lifetime.
Underfloor Heating Costs
There are a range of ways underfloor heating systems can be installed in homes including ‘in slab underfloor heating’ and ‘in screed underfloor heating’ which varies in price.
- In-slab underfloor heating system is where the floor circuits are installed in the concrete construction slab prior to it being poured. The current cost of this method of underfloor heating is approximately $66 per square metre.
- In-screed underfloor heating system is where the floor circuits are installed on insulation boards that are placed on top of the concrete slab. The current cost is approximately $103 per square metre.
These estimates exclude the cost of the boiler, with both being energy efficient ways to heat your home and can complement radiators to heat larger living areas as opposed to installing multiple radiators around the room.
3 Tips To Get The Most From Your Hydronic Heating
Now that you have a better idea of how much a hydronic heating system costs, we wanted to share the top tips to get the most out of your system.
Tip 1: Install a learning thermostat
You can help further reduce heating costs by using an energy saving thermostat such as the Nest Learning Thermostat or the Honeywell Wifi 9000.
- Nest Learning Thermostat
This device is amazingly intuitive as it monitors your schedule, taking notice of times when you turn the temperature up or down. It then stores this information and creates an automatic schedule for you which promotes cost savings as it ensures energy is not being wasted.
- Honeywell Wifi 9000
You can connect this thermostat to your Wifi and control the heating from anywhere in your home or when you are away or out of the house through their app. It has simple programming that you can use to match your heating to your schedule and an energy saving mode that you can take advantage of.
Tip 2: Upgrade your boiler
If you have access to natural gas or LPG, a condensing gas boiler like the Immergas Intec Combi is a great choice for keeping costs down. They are energy efficient and use the heat within the expelled gases to reheat the water in the system. Within a couple of seasons, the savings could potentially cover the costs of upgrading to an energy efficient boiler.
Tip 3: Insulate your home
Heating will only work well in a home if it is not able to escape through unsealed cracks or gaps. The more heat that is able to leak, the harder your boiler will have to work, ultimately impacting your energy bill. By insulating your home, you can ensure that you retain the warmth your hydronic system is emitting.
Advantages Of Hydronic Heating Systems
With the extra costs associated to hydronic heating, you’re probably wondering what all the hype is about any why people are still so interested in it. We’ve touched on a few benefits here, with the main ones being
- Health benefits of radiant heat from hydronic heating when compared to traditional forms of heating that blow air
- Energy efficient heating, when compared to ducted heating and reverse cycle systems
- Lower running costs due to the cost-effective energy sources and efficient boilers
Weighing It All Up
While hydronic heating may be more expensive to install than other heating systems, it delivers significant savings over the long-term, thanks to its energy efficiency and low maintenance costs. In fact, the hydronic heating running cost is estimated to be up to 35% more cost effective than running a central ducted heating system.
What’s more, in addition to high-efficiency gas boilers we also provide a wide range of specialist energy-efficient alternative fuel heat sources and products that have extremely low emissions and constant temperature monitoring capabilities to ensure your system is operating at its highest possible efficiency.
If you’d like to find out more about installing hydronic heating in your home or find out the cost of hydronic heating in Melbourne, get in touch with our friendly team today, or visit our showroom. We’ll look at your plans and can customise a highly efficient system that provides extremely comfortable heating.