Radiant Heating can be found in newer homes as well as some older homes. The two main types are hydronic (water) and electric. Hydronic systems usually have a boiler that can be electric, gas, or oil fired, the boiler heats hot water which travels through the flooring (or ceiling is some cases) and transfers heat to a room. Electric systems use a thin electric pad which contain a small resistor (usually copper wire), electricity passes through the wire and heats up due to the resistance of the wire. Both systems come with their share of issues such as leaks, damaged components, severed circuits, missing ground fault interrupter, inappropriate flooring surfaces, wrong tubing materials or poor installation. Unfortunately due to the systems being hidden under flooring, they can be difficult to fix. An IR camera can be very useful when inspecting these types of heating systems to ensure functionality and to find out where it exists.
