Surface Heating - Functionality and Types of Heating

Surface heating systems ensure an optimal indoor climate – in winter, but also in summer. We explain here why this is the case and how surface heating systems can also be surface cooling systems, how this heating system works in general, and much more.

How does an area heating actually work?

Surface heating systems are heating systems that emit heat – as the name already suggests – over surfaces. This means that various surfaces of a building, such as floors, walls, or ceilings, can be used as heating surfaces. The special feature of surface heating systems compared to conventional heating systems with radiators is that they can operate with a much smaller difference from the room temperature due to the much larger transfer surfaces. This results in surface heating systems having a much higher energy efficiency. This is an immense advantage, especially in times of high energy costs.

Surface heating systems emit heat through surfaces and not through the air into the room. This can be achieved with energy from electricity or water. Surface heating can therefore be operated either with electrical energy, where electrical current is converted into heat in the surface, or via a hot water heating system. In the latter type of heating, pipes are laid in loops or spiral form. These pipes can be made of copper, steel, or plastic, or be designed as multilayer composite pipes. Depending on the construction method, the pipes are either mounted as drywall construction panels or installed in the screed or plaster mortar. Heated water flows through the pipes, resulting in a heated surface. The large utilized area ensures an evenly tempered room.

Surface heating systems are therefore perceived as much more pleasant than conventional heating systems. This is based on the principle of radiant heat. It provides a special feeling of comfort because radiant heat warms the body in a similar way to sunlight. Through infrared waves that spread at a right angle to the surface, the radiation transfers heat. When these waves hit a solid object, such as people or furnishings, they are converted into heat. The absorbed energy is then emitted by solid objects as pleasant warmth to the room. This physical principle explains how surface heating systems emit heat and why they are perceived as particularly pleasant by people. More on the topic of radiant heat

What types of surface heating are there?

There are different types of surface heating. The most common variants of surface heating are named after their respective installation location: Underfloor Heating, Wall Heating, and Ceiling Heating. These heating variants can either operate on electricity or be water-based. It is important to consider: While electric heating consumes a lot of energy quickly, water-based surface heating is much more efficient.  Additionally, electric surface heating is only suitable for heating. In contrast, water-based surface heating can also cool. Therefore, we focus here on water-based surface heating: 

Underfloor Heating:

Underfloor heating systems are surface heating systems that can heat rooms through pipes laid in the floor. The history of underfloor heating goes back a long way, as the ancient Romans already used this type of heating. Today, underfloor heating systems are at a technically advanced and sophisticated level and are the most well-known type of surface heating. The pipes, ideally designed as aluminum multi-layer composite pipes, are laid in various designs in the floor and can be used for both drywall construction and screed. Underfloor heating provides a very pleasant and comfortable warmth. More about underfloor heating.

Wall Heating:

As a surface heating system, wall heating provides heat emission over the surfaces of walls. Like floor and ceiling heating, wall heating also operates on the principle of radiant heat. In water-based wall heating systems, the entire surface of the wall is evenly heated through a pipe system. This usually happens via prefabricated panels. Surface heating systems in or on the walls create a unique comfort in rooms. Wall heating can be installed not only in "classic" walls but also in sloped ceilings, making them suitable for various designs and extensions of buildings. More about wall heating.

Ceiling heating:

The same applies to water-based ceiling heating as to floor and wall heating. Here, the ceiling of rooms is activated as a heating surface, usually also through prefabricated panels in which pipes are laid. Thus, ceiling heating also works with healthy radiant heat from above. However, for the ceiling as a surface, cooling is particularly interesting. Surface heating not only provides comfortable warmth in winter but also perfectly tempered rooms in summer. Through the principle of radiation exchange, ceiling cooling ensures a pleasant room temperature – completely without drafts, as no cold air is blown through the rooms.  

Learn more about ceiling heating

Depending on the provider, there are various options for which construction method underfloor, wall, and ceiling heating systems are suitable. For example, Variotherm offers underfloor heating for both drywall construction and screed. Similarly, the wall heating and wall cooling systems can be either plastered or used in drywall construction. The ceiling heating and ceiling cooling systems can be used for drywall construction – with a special advantage, as these surface heating and cooling systems are available with an integrated acoustic function. This means that the surface heating and cooling systems from Variotherm can be used both in new buildings and during a renovation.

Surface Heating and Surface Cooling in One System

Water-guided surface heating systems can be used in two ways – on the one hand as surface heating and on the other hand as surface cooling. Regardless of the season, surface heating and cooling systems ensure optimal room temperatures. For heating in winter and cooling in summer, no two systems are needed anymore, as with convection heaters and air conditioners, but only one system. This is also the great advantage of surface heating – and even surface cooling.

The system works with a simple functionality. In the cold season, heated water is circulated through the pipes for optimal room temperature. In summer, on the other hand, cold water can flow through the same system, cooling the surface. While in winter, radiant heat ensures optimal comfort, cooling in the hot summer months works through radiation exchange. People give off excess body heat to the cool surfaces and can slowly acclimate to the temperature difference between outdoor and indoor areas. This achieves a pleasant indoor climate – without cold shock or unhealthy drafts, as caused by air conditioners.

With just one system, rooms can be both heated and cooled. A comfortable, efficient, and healthy way to always perfectly temper rooms. Inquire now with your heating and cooling specialist about which surface heating and cooling systems of the best and sustainable quality are best suited for you.

Advantages and Disadvantages of Surface Heating

We show you the advantages and disadvantages of surface heating systems. This way, you can decide which system you should best rely on.

Advantages

Surface heating systems can not only provide heating but also cooling. Through water-based systems, surface heating systems simultaneously include surface cooling. This means that two systems are built into one system. This not only saves costs for the installation of two separate systems but also enables a well-tempered indoor climate throughout the year.

Quite incidentally, but absolutely central: Since both Heating and Cooling work via surfaces and not through the air, there is neither annoying draft, as is so feared with air conditioning, nor dust that is stirred up, as is the case with radiators. This helps to keep the air clean and healthy. Surface heating is therefore particularly suitable for people with house dust allergies, pollen allergies, or any other allergies.

Surface heating systems ensure absolute comfort in rooms. Through radiant heat or radiation exchange, people feel much more comfortable than in rooms heated with convection heating or cooled with air conditioning. Surface heating systems thus significantly increase the comfort factor within one's own four walls.

Surface heating systems use large areas, such as floors, walls, and ceilings, to transfer heat compared to radiators. Therefore, it is possible for the room temperature to be lower compared to conventional heating while maintaining the same level of comfort. At the same time, surface heating systems operate with significantly lower flow temperatures. These so-called Low Temperature Systems ensure high energy efficiency. This results in less energy consumption and significantly reduces the costs for heating and cooling.

Due to the high energy efficiency of surface heating and surface cooling and the associated energy savings, these systems are more sustainable than conventional systems. In combination with environmentally friendly energy sources, such as with the help of a heat pump or solar energy, surface heating and surface cooling are the choice for future-proof and sustainable systems.

While conventional radiators or air conditioning units are always visible, surface heating and surface cooling are skillfully installed invisibly in floors, walls, or ceilings. This not only provides an aesthetic advantage but also allows complete design freedom when choosing the furnishings for your own apartment, house, or even office. An additional plus for maximum freedom. 

Disadvantages

High-quality surface heating and cooling systems may be somewhat more expensive to purchase than conventional heating. However, it is important to consider these initial acquisition costs in conjunction with the subsequently much lower operating or energy costs. This means that while the initial costs may represent a potential investment, they have already paid off after a short time.  

Surface heating in old buildings

Surface heating systems can be installed in all types of buildings – both in new constructions and in older buildings. This is because a surface heating system can also be installed retroactively. This is ideal because heating renovation in older buildings or even in listed buildings is particularly in demand due to high energy costs and the low energy efficiency of outdated heating systems. So, it is no problem to retrofit surface heating systems in older buildings. Choose a provider of water-based surface heating systems that also offers products with a low installation height. This way, you can avoid space issues with existing doors or windows or compromising on comfort during the renovation or retrofitting process.

Do you want to renovate? In the course of retrofitting a surface heating system in an older building, it is also advisable to get a general idea of the renovation condition of the building. This way, the renovation needs of a house or apartment can be determined. Renovating the heating system in an older building is often particularly efficient and sustainable, especially in combination with proper insulation.

Installation and Costs

Surface heating systems are easy and straightforward to install and set up. Nevertheless, it is advisable to have surface heating systems installed by professionals. Whether surface heating and cooling systems are already firmly planned in your new building or you are upgrading your heating, for example, in the course of a renovation in an old building, both are not a problem. This is because high-quality surface heating and cooling systems require minimal installation heights.

Anyone planning or renewing a heating system knows that this represents a certain investment. Surface heating systems are initially somewhat more expensive to purchase than conventional heating systems, but they pay off after a relatively short time. However, this only applies to water-based surface heating systems. This is because electric surface heating systems require expensive electricity. This means that the running costs of water-based surface heating and cooling systems are far below those of electric and conventional heating systems. An investment that is therefore sustainably worthwhile.

Before deciding on a surface heating system, it is advisable to gather information from installers or heating planners about the various providers. When making your selection, opt for durable quality that will provide you with comfort safely and sustainably over the next years and decades.  

Frequently Asked Questions about Surface Heating

Surface heating systems are heating systems that emit heat through various surfaces of a building. This usually occurs through floors, walls, or ceilings. Pipes are laid either in the screed or in prefabricated panels, through which heated water flows in winter. With lower flow temperatures, surface heating systems are more energy efficient than conventional heating systems. Surface heating systems are considered to provide the greatest possible comfort.

There are three types of surface heating: underfloor heating, wall heating, and ceiling heating. These variants of surface heating are named after their respective installation locations and thus activate either floors, walls, or ceilings. Underfloor, wall, and ceiling heating can also be used in combination.

There is no general answer to the costs of surface heating systems, as the costs depend on the type of surface heating and the provider. Basically, the acquisition costs for sustainable surface heating and cooling systems amortize very quickly, as the running costs are significantly lower than those of conventional heating systems.  

In contrast to electric surface heating, water-based surface heating can also be used for cooling. While heated water flows through the pipes in winter, warming surfaces such as floors, walls, or ceilings, cold water cools those surfaces in summer. Therefore, it is possible to both cool and heat with just one system.