I'm renovating my 90 sq ft bathroom in Vermont, where winter temperatures often drop to 5°F and sometimes as low as -25°F. Currently, my bathroom relies on oil baseboard heaters since it doesn't have a mini-split; it's heated by a heat pump along with the open living room and kitchen. I'm thinking about installing electric radiant floor heating under the new tile floor but wondering if it's enough to keep the bathroom warm on its own—or if I should keep the baseboard heaters for backup to prevent frozen pipes. The house is well-insulated, as we recently upgraded the attic insulation to R-60. Can I count on the radiant heating to maintain a comfortable 70°F all winter long?
2 Answers
Electric radiant floor heating is definitely enough to heat a bathroom, even in cold climates like yours. In fact, it can provide excellent warmth, especially when installed properly. Since your bathroom is relatively small, it should manage to keep that cozy 70°F temperature without issue, as long as it’s set up according to the manufacturer's guidelines.
I had a client in a similar situation with a boiler heating system. They swapped their radiators for electric in-floor heating in their upstairs bathrooms and had no problems at all. They only used their furnace for emergency heat. As long as your insulation is good, you should be just fine without your baseboard heaters, especially if you’re in a well-insulated space.