Under Floor Heating

Many heating systems in the new build market are increasingly under floor heated; this is good news because running costs should be lower, comfort level improved and no unsightly radiators spoiling your walls.

The floor temperature only needs to be in the low 20's for optimum results and it is quite a pleasant feeling whilst standing on the floor barefoot that the whole room is at an even temperature from the radiated heat of the floor.

Typical water under floor systems consist of a very long coil of plastic pipe laid out on spacers accurately spaced so that the maximum heat is transferred from the water running through the pipes into the floor slab.

The heat spreads through the floor construction and heats your finished surface whether it is tiles, carpet or wood; the big difference between this method and radiators is the surface area and temperature.

Radiators have lower surface areas but higher temperatures are required to give the same room temperature but under floor is a much larger surface area at a reduced temperature so you should feel more comfortable and have reduced running costs.

Atypical floor construction would consist of the following and is usually only possible on new build as the floor depth is quite deep 200mm plus!

Insulation,
Concrete,
More insulation,
Damp Proof Membrane,
Under Floor Pipes,
65 -75mm Screed
The floor finishes of your choice.

Electric under floor heating is similar but the use of water and boilers is not necessary, a mesh blanket is usually laid containing the wire that heats the floor in a similar way to that above, this can be more expensive to run than the wet system.

Wet systems are fed directly from the boiler via a manifold system; one manifold could contain the pipe loops for many rooms in the property and can be individually controlled by sensors on a per room basis.

The manifold would have its own pump and mixing valve to ensure even temperature and water flow around the individual floor areas. A master intelligent heating control like Dataterm IHC can tell the system to turn on at the right time in order to get the floor up to temperature in time for when you need it.

This is very important because under floor heating has a slower response time than radiators so controls with optimum start are a must. Dataterm can allow for up to a 5 hour pre-heat if required making sure that you are comfortable and up to the desired temperature.