Under Floor Heating

Under floor heating is an invisible and silent method of improving your level of thermal comfort. The system uses a radiant heat design to gently heat the room from the bottom up. Heat is spread over the entire floor area, resulting in about half the heat being emitted as low temperature radiant heat. This gentle source of warmth reduces the heat loss from our bodies without overheating the surrounding air. With under floor radiant heating the feeling of thermal comfort can be increased, as the temperature is stable and there is no draught. As well as benefiting from increased comfort and reduced running costs.

Under floor heating requires less energy to heat a space than traditional radiators, reducing energy costs on average between 15% and 40%. They are simple to install and can be combined with other heat distribution systems where necessary to be used in households or commercially.

How it works

The under floor heating system is made up of pipes laid beneath floor, turning it into one large radiant surface. The pipe loops for each room and links back to the system which is conveniently located in one easily accessible position. There are two different types of systems available:

• Hydronic or wet systems uses low pressure warm water. This is pumped through the pipes. The system normally uses hot water from the central heating systems.
• Electric under floor heating is a system that can be installed onto concrete or wooden floors through cables which are attached to a foil-faced insulation, sound resilient layer or polythene, to heat the floor.

The water running inside the hydronic pipes is normally kept at an average temperature of 45^oC to 65^oC, which is substantially lower than the typical 80^oC for a radiator.

A comfortable temperature would be installed to walk on and that which is enough to radiate heat from the floor upwards towards the room space.

Benefits

• The system reduces running costs by 20% as the boiler consumes less fuel, which in turn causes less environmental damage.
• Under floor heating provides the warmth to a room from the floor up, rather than heating the ceiling space first.
• Uses lower temperature water because the larger heating surface does not need to emit as much heat per square metre as a radiator.
• It is the most comfortable form of heating.
• Safe, unobtrusive, freeing wall space and quiet in operation
• Maintenance freeReduces humidity within floor coverings preventing dust mites from surviving or ensuring that they rise to the surface of the covering where regular cleaning removes them. The reduction in air movement with under floor heating also reduces the ingress of airborne and carpet or floor covering fungi spores leading to an allergy free Environment.
• The heat produced by under floor heating systems is different from radiators too. Under floor heating emits a far greater proportion of its heat as radiant rather than convectional heat.
• Unlike radiators, the under floor heating system can run at much lower temperatures as the system is spread out over a vast area. This increases the overall feeling of warmth and comfort in a property.

Installation and where it can be used

The under floor heating system is suitable for use anywhere throughout a building in most buildings. It is commonly installed with a screeded floor but systems are available for most types of construction. It can be fitted underneath almost any floor finish, from carpet to laminate.