How we feel about different types of heat can vary greatly. Everyone thinks of electric, gas, or wood as a type of heat. That is a misconception; the two types are radiant and convective.
Convective heat is warm air being blown around by a furnace, heat pump, or fan-driven wall heater. Radiant heat comes from stoves, inserts, baseboards, and radiant floors. Electric ceiling heat is radiant, but with some design challenges.
What isn’t talked about enough is how bodies absorb radiant heat versus warm air. Our bodies absorb radiant heat much more efficiently. It’s like sunlight and how it makes us feel.
We have all been in a house with a furnace or heat pump set to 70–72 degrees, then gone outside on a sunny spring day in the mid-60s and felt warmer. Then the sun drifts behind a cloud and we are instantly chilled; the clouds move and we are instantly warm again.
Radiant heat continues until it reaches an absorption point—our bodies.
Wood-, gas-, and pellet-burning fireplaces can give radiant heat or a radiant/convective combo if equipped with a blower. Wood and gas have many options without the need for a blower, which makes them perfect for folks who are always cold and want resilience during power outages.