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Radiant Heating Glossary of Terms

Embarking on your journey to understand radiant heating systems? You've come to the right place! In this blog post, we've compiled a comprehensive glossary of terms to help you demystify the world of radiant heating.

A

  • Accumulator tank
  • Actuator
  • Air elimination vent or air eliminator
  • Air expansion tank
  • "Air floors"
  • Ambient temperature
  • AntiFreeze
  • Aquastat

B

  • Backflow testing
  • Baseboard
  • Boiler
  • Bleeding the system
  • Brass adaptors
  • BTU

C

  • California Title 24 Energy Requirements
  • Ceiling radiant heating
  • Circuit
  • Closed system
  • Commercial Radiant Heating
  • Convection
  • Convector

D

  • Damper
  • Distribution manifold

E

  • Emitter
  • Energy Star
  • Expansion Vessel

F

  • Floor mat
  • Flow Rate

H

  • Heat exchanger
  • Heat sink
  • Hydronic balance
  • Hydronic Heating

I

  • Infrared Heating
  • Insulation jacket

L

  • Load calculation
  • Low-temperature radiant heating

M

  • Manifold

P

  • Panel
  • PEX tubing

R

  • Radiant barrier
  • Radiant cooling
  • Radiant floor
  • Radiant Heating

S

  • Smart thermostat
  • Subfloor

T

  • Temperature differential
  • Thermal mass
  • Thermostatic radiator valve (TRV)

V

  • Venturi Valve

W

  • Warmboard

Z

  • Zone control

A

Accumulator tank

A reservoir that stores heated water or fluid to provide a steady supply of heat to the system.

Actuator

A device that controls the flow of fluid through a radiant heating system.

Air elimination vent or air eliminator

A device that removes air from the fluid in a radiant heating system.

Air expansion tank

A vessel that absorbs the expansion of fluid in a radiant heating system as it heats up.

"Air floors"

A type of radiant heating system that uses air to heat the floor.

Ambient temperature

A temperature of the air around the system, which affects the system's ability to heat the room.

AntiFreeze

A substance that is added to the fluid in a radiant heating system to prevent it from freezing.

Aquastat

A device that controls the temperature of the fluid in a radiant heating system.

B

Backflow testing

A process of testing a radiant heating system to ensure that fluid does not flow back into the water supply.

Baseboard

A type of radiant heating system that uses a long, narrow panel to heat the air in a room.

Boiler

A device that heats the fluid in a radiant heating system. Check our boiler services.

Bleeding the system

A process of removing air from a radiant heating system.

Brass adaptors

Fittings that are used to connect different types of pipes and tubing in a radiant heating system.

BTU

British Thermal Unit, a unit of heat energy.

C

California Title 24 Energy Requirements

A set of energy efficiency requirements for buildings in California.

Ceiling radiant heating

A type of radiant heating system that uses panels installed in the ceiling to heat the room.

Circuit

A section of tubing in a radiant heating system that serves a specific area of the room.

Closed system

A type of radiant heating system that uses a separate loop of tubing to circulate the heated fluid.

Commercial Radiant Heating

A type of heating that uses radiant energy to heat large buildings and spaces, such as warehouses, factories, and offices

Convection

The transfer of heat through the movement of air or fluid.

Convector

A type of radiant heating system that uses fins to heat the air in a room.

D

Damper

A device that controls the flow of air in a radiant heating system.

Distribution manifold

A device that distributes the heated fluid to different circuits in a radiant heating system.

E

Emitter

A device that transfers heat from the radiant heating system to the room.

Energy Star

A government-backed program that recognizes energy-efficient products.

Expansion Vessel

A pressurized tank that absorbs the expansion of fluid as it heats up, preventing overpressure in the system

F

Floor mat

A type of radiant heating system that uses a flexible mat to heat the floor.

Flow Rate

The speed at which the fluid moves through the system

H

Heat exchanger

A device that transfers heat from one fluid to another.

Heat sink

A device that absorbs and dissipates heat.

Hydronic balance

The process of ensuring that the flow of fluid is evenly distributed throughout a radiant heating system.

Hydronic Heating

A type of radiant heating that uses a heated liquid to transfer heat to objects and people

I

Infrared Heating

A type of radiant heating that uses infrared radiation to heat objects directly.

Insulation jacket

A layer of insulation that is wrapped around pipes and tubing in a radiant heating system to prevent heat loss.

L

Load calculation

A process of determining the amount of heat required to heat a space.

Low-temperature radiant heating

A type of radiant heating system that uses lower temperatures than traditional hydronic radiant heating systems.

M

Manifold

A device that distributes the heated fluid to different circuits in a radiant heating system.

P

Panel

A flat surface that is used to radiate heat.

PEX tubing

A type of flexible tubing that is often used in radiant heating systems.

R

Radiant barrier

A material that is used to reflect radiant heat back to the source.

Radiant cooling

A process of using radiant heating panels to cool a space.

Radiant floor

A type of radiant heating system that heats the floor.

Radiant Heating

A type of heating that transfers heat directly to objects and people using infrared radiation. Check our floor radiant heating services.

S

Smart thermostat

A thermostat that can be programmed and controlled remotely.

Subfloor

The layer of flooring that is located beneath the finished floor.

T

Temperature differential

The difference in temperature between the heat source and the surrounding environment

Thermal mass

A material that can absorb and store heat.

Thermostatic radiator valve (TRV)

A valve that controls the flow of fluid to a radiator.

V

Venturi Valve

A device used to control the flow of water within a hydronic heating system.

W

Warmboard

A radiant heating system that uses panels to distribute heat evenly and efficiently throughout a home

Z

Zone control or Zoning

A system that allows different areas of a building to be heated at different temperatures.