01 Feb Radiant Floor Heating: Good Feng Shui or Bad?

A question was sent to me this week wondering if radiant floor heating is a good idea or not, based on Feng Shui. Coming from a northern state (MN) where our winters can be pretty brutal, walking on a heated floor is a true gift. There is a debate about whether the heat coming from the floor heats the rest of the room or not, but I know if my feet are warm I’m okay regardless of the ambient temperature.

That said, there are some specifics that subscribe to what I’d call “good” Feng Shui. There are two ways to heat a floor—using electricity or using hot water. We prefer the latter in an effort to eliminate possible influence of electromagnets (EMFs). The water method heats up the water in a boiler and runs it through flexible tubing installed in the subfloor or on the ceiling below.

If we look at the elements involved in the water radiant system there are basically two: water and fire (the heat). Based on the Chinese 5 Elements, these two are in a destructive cycle (water controls fire), so both are energetically weak. Although we discourage people from living over moving water, this typically refers to living on stilts over a lake or having a stream run under your home, specifically under the bedroom. The small amount of water meandering under the floor would not pose a problem.

So for those of you who are suffering from cold feet this winter, go ahead—heat the floor. But do it with the heated water system.

Another consideration could be whether having the water/fire system run through areas of the house where wood or earth or metal are found might present an Element clash. In other words, if a fireplace is placed in a wood area, it compromises that area (fire destroys wood). If a fountain is installed in an earth area, there could be a challenge in the earth area (water muddies up the earth). Again, due to the fact that the heating elements are “soft” (gentle flow of water and moderate fire), there is no problem wherever this system is placed.