Heat

• Radiant heaters provide heat for a room within a building by placing the heat source directly in the room to be heated. In contrast, flame heaters usually create heat at a central location, using a furnace or boiler before pushing the heated air through ducts to the rooms to be heated.
  
  

Types

• Radiant heat can be supplied from a number of sources, including electrically heated floors and hydronic or water-heated systems. Flame-heating systems commonly use oil or gas to provide fuel for the heating system, which can use a forced air system to push heat through ducts to its final destination.
  
  

Problems

• Radiant heating systems are limited to providing heat for buildings, while forced air systems that use flame heaters often combine heating, ventilation and cooling capabilities. Flame-powered heaters are traditionally less energy-efficient than radiant heat systems, for reasons such as a constantly lit pilot light in flame heaters.