I would love to tear out my furnace, ductwork and all of the vents and replace the system with radiant flooring.
If it were cost-effective to totally change-out the heating system, I would invest in a boiler.
The boiler would install in the basement and connect to a series of pipes under the floors. The components of the heating system would be entirely concealed. They wouldn’t detract from aesthetics, take up valuable living space or require me to arrange my furniture around them. The radiant floor heating system would operate silently, require no maintenance and never introduce dust or other contaminants into the air. With radiant flooring, the heat is spread evenly across the surface of the floor from corner to corner. Everything that touches the floor gets warmed up to further radiate heat. Because there are no drafts or cold surfaces, it’s possible to set a lower thermostat setting without sacrificing comfort. Plus, radiant heat doesn’t overly dry out the air, avoiding the need for a humidifier. The heat rises slowly upward and the temperature between floor and ceiling never varies more than three degrees from the thermostat setting. I like that radiant flooring allows for zone control. With a thermostat in each room, I wouldn’t need to pay to heat unused areas of the house. Each family member could set the thermostat in their bedroom to their liking. The living room wouldn’t always feel a little colder than the rest of the house because of the big windows. I’d save money every month on my energy bills. If I ever have the opportunity to design and build my own house, it will be equipped with radiant heated floors.