Cross Team Properties

Many people want underfloor heating, but are not sure they can afford it.  The price for underfloor heating systems varies depending on the type of system used – electric or wet – and where the system is going to be installed.

Location is vital when it comes to underfloor heating systems.  This not only means the specific room in which floor heating is to be installed, but also the country in which the home is located.  Since its introduction, underfloor heating has become extremely popular in Asian and European countries.  In these locations, such systems will be cheaper than they would be in, say, the United States, where this technology is not as prevalent.

However, underfloor heating is gaining popularity throughout the world.  As nations push for cleaner, more sustainable energy sources, underfloor heating systems are being looked to as energy savers.  As traditional compression and combustion cooling and heating get phased out, underfloor heating will rise up as the new system of choice.

Underfloor heating is also popular in community based systems.  These systems have to deal with temperature differentials between generating plants and the buildings being heated.  The principles behind community based systems are easily adapted to underfloor heating systems, allowing them to be used in places like multi-story buildings.

Energy efficient buildings are also looking to switch over to underfloor heating.  The system lends itself well to renewable energy sources like solar and geothermal power.  Additionally, underfloor heating systems can heat small spaces efficiently and without using as much power as a conventional system.

Those who chose a hydronic heating system for their floor heating will need some sort of energy source for the system.  Unlike electric underfloor heating, which uses mats, wires and electricity to produce heat, hydronic underfloor heating uses waters and anti-freeze to create heat.  This mixture of fluids is circulated through the home via a complex series of pipes that run under the floor.

Here is where the energy source comes in.  Hydronic heating systems require some source of energy to help circulate the mixture.  Coincidentally, this will also help manage energy costs. 

This energy source can come in a number of different forms and combinations.  It can be a single source of energy or a combination of energy sources that all work together.

One of the options for a floor heating energy source is a boiler.  This is a common option.  However, boilers are not one size fits all.  They too come in a number of varieties.  Some boilers heat via electricity.  Others will use natural gas, coal, oil or waste oil to produce energy.  On the cutting edge of boiler and heater technology are those powered by alternative fuels.  Today, there are even boilers powered using solar energy and bio-fuels.  Back on the more traditional end of things are wood-burning heaters and boilers.

The other options are heat pumps or chillers.  These can be powered by electricity or natural gas.  A heat pump is different from a boiler in that it literally pumps the heat through the system.

When considering the installation of underfloor heating, many people have concerns about how it is controlled.  Can temperatures be adjusted easily?  Can the heating to one room be turned off if it is not being used?  The simple answer is yes, by using underfloor heating thermostats.

The heating is controlled by underfloor heating thermostats, which enable each room to be set at individual temperatures or turned off if not in use.  This is particularly handy for homes with guest bedrooms that are used on rare occasions.  Although underfloor heating is extremely cost effective, to have it on it a room that is not being used is wasteful and so the controls will allow you to isolate each room and adjust the level of heating as required.

Rooms that have tiled floors such as bathrooms, kitchens and conservatories, may need to have their thermostats set a little higher as tiling is notorious for being cold underfoot.  Children’s bedrooms or playrooms are also the ideal place to have underfloor heating installed, as children tend to sit and crawl around the floor as they are playing.   

There is never any risk of being burned by underfloor heating, as it is not designed to become very hot.  The system simply warms the floor, similar to a heated towel rail.  Heated towel rails are not designed to heat a room, only to warm the towels, but underfloor heating works on the same principal.  If a room is particularly cold an additional heat source may be required to warm it, for example, central heating or gas fires.

Radiant heating is a form of heating source that emits radiant energy throughout a space to be heated.  Radiant heat transfer is the term for heat emission from a heated surface to the objects and people within an enclosed space. It is also known as infrared radiation. When used in the floor, radiant heating is also known as radiant floor heating or underfloor heating.

The benefits of radiant heating are its relative efficiency and lower operating cost, as less heat is required to warm up a room due to the larger surface used. Its unobtrusiveness – by placing equipment underground – is also a bonus. Also, hot air does not circulate as it does when using convected heating sources such as hot water radiators or conventional wood, gas, oil or coal burner; this can limit the spread of bacteria and viruses.

Despite often being criticised for its lower heating performance when compared with more conventional convected heating sources, radiant floor heating does generate effective warm air circulation within a room with heat rising from the floor, though it is at a comparatively lower level.

One of the first forms of radiant heating was the underfloor heating pioneered by the Romans. This depended on a system of hypocausts – literally ‘heat from below’ – which funnelled hot air from a furnace through a series of under floor ducts and passages.

Other than underfloor heating, radiant heating can also be used outdoors. A pathway leading to a hot tub for instance can now be heated using underfloor heating technology.  Driveways can also be heated during winter to keep them ice-free.

If you are thinking about taking on a DIY underfloor heating project, there are a number of issues involved that you need to consider.  The type of system (i.e. dry or wet), the type of flooring involved (carpeting, tile, or wood flooring), material and installation costs, and the budget you have allocated for the project are all critical factors.  Make sure you avoid the most common mistake that a lot of DIY’ers make when they are installing an electric underfloor heating system, namely under-sizing the system.

This is such a critical issue because you want to ensure that the proper amount of heat will be generated in order to offset the potential loss of that heat. Some houses do not require the same number of heating elements that others do.  Homes that are located where the winters are very cold are going to require more BTU’s during the winter months to heat them than homes located in warmer climates.

Another key consideration is the method of electrical wiring that is employed during the installation of an electric underfloor heating system.  Many individuals who undertake a DIY underfloor heating system project are not certified or qualified electricians.  It is very easy to overload an electrical circuit if you don’t know what you are doing.  That’s why it is best to rely on the services of an electrical contractor or licensed electrician in order to handle the wiring of your electric underfloor heating system.

If you are wary of fitting an underfloor heating system in your house then why not use the expertise of an underfloor heating supplier such as Floor Heating Online, they specialise in installing all types of underfloor heating and can advise you on the system to fit your needs.

Underfloor heating is a type of central heating – interior room temperature control for short – that relies on heat conduction and radiant heating to regulate temperature. It is typically used in a domestic setting and provides an alternative to heating by radiators, electric heaters or wood and coal burners.

Heat conduction refers to a movement of heat between molecules, acting to equalise differences in temperature. Radiant heating refers to the emission of heat from a surface, driven by the temperature of that surface. Both are in contrast to air heating – the type of heating provided by radiators – which relies on heat convection. Underfloor heating is typically operated using hot water, electric cables, meshes or film heaters.

Underfloor heating is well known as being first used widely by the Romans. Roman underfloor heating systems were based on hypocausts – ‘heat from below’ – that were operational in public buildings such as baths, as well as wealthier private households. Hot air from furnaces would be funnelled through open spaces under the floor as well as up through spaces in between the outside walls to upper rooms.

Later underfloor heating systems improved in technology: Islamic hypocausts around the twelfth century used networks of pipes rather than open spaces to limit the possibility of fume poisoning and polluted air getting into the living spaces.

Modern underfloor heating often uses heated water, circulated through underfloor pipes, known as wet underfloor heating. Electric underfloor heating uses electric cables and can be easier to install, using less space than water pipes.

In the last couple of decades, underfloor heating has become a standard in many newly built homes.  Additionally, homeowners that did not previously have underfloor heating systems are now looking to install them.  Because of these trends, we are seeing more and more DIY underfloor heating systems in home improvement stores the world over. 

So, with such a rise in popularity, there have got to be both benefits and drawbacks to underfloor heating.  Let’s take a look at some of them.

The Benefits – One of the benefits of underfloor heating is that it is more cost-effective than traditional central heating that typically uses radiators.  When it comes to wet underfloor heating, it is cheaper because of the circulated heated water beneath the floor.  Unlike convection heating with radiators, both electric and wet underfloor heating provides more uniform warmth throughout a room.  If you use floor heating systems in the bathroom or kitchen, you’ll notice less moisture in the room as well.  Another benefit is that there is no need for wall-mounted emitters, which means you have virtually no restriction on where to place your furniture!

The Drawbacks – The biggest drawback of underfloor heating is that there is a slow response time.  This is especially true for underfloor heating systems in which the piping or cable is embedded into a solid floor. For example, a wooden floor may take up to 30 minutes to heat up while a concrete floor may take up to several hours.  The cooling time is similarly long.  Additionally, placing underfloor heating underneath cupboards may cause “sweating” and damage from moisture in some rooms.

Whether exploring whether to use a water underfloor heating system or an electric one, the basic principles remain the same. Here are two to consider:

The first principle is that it uses efficient radiant heating. Underfloor heating relies on thermal conduction, or radiant heating, to warm up a room, whereas traditional radiators rely on convection, the transmission of heat through air movement. Because warm air rises (think of hot air balloons and how they work), when radiators are used, the warmest air is found at the top of the room, while the coldest air is at your feet.

With radiant energy provided via an underfloor heating system, the warm air starts at your feet and rises. As it does, it is reflected and absorbed by the things around you. The result is a room that is not only warmer at the occupied level, but more consistently warmed, with no hot or cold spots created by the movement of the air. In addition, it has been shown that choosing radiant heating via underfloor heating systems can cost the user up to 20% less in operating costs than a traditional radiator system.

The second principle is that it is an unobtrusive heating system. Traditional convection systems rely on wall-mounted radiators to ‘share the warmth’. This means the radiator is a part of the design of your room, whether you want it to be or not. With underfloor heating, you have an unobtrusive method of staying warm. The source is out of sight, leaving you free to design your room and place your furnishings as you see fit, without the hindrance of a radiator.

Heating a home or place of business can be accomplished by installing an underfloor heating system or the traditional radiator type of heating system.  Although underfloor systems are a relatively new concept, many homes and businesses in the UK and the US have chosen this option for heating their structures based on the issues of cost-effectiveness and efficiency.

The radiator based systems have been around for decades and despite the fact that they have improved, based on technological advances and innovations, the basic concept of these systems has remained unchanged.  Not only do they differ from underfloor systems in how they operate, they also differ where aesthetic, economic, and the environmental impact on the structure is concerned.

Inner Workings – Underfloor heating systems (or radiant heating systems) use either electricity or hot water to warm the floor and thus the rooms they are installed in.  Heat is radiated into the surrounding air above the floor so the room is heated in its entirety without experiencing any cold or hot spots.

Energy Consumption – Anywhere from 10% to 40% of the energy usage you would normally experience with a traditional heating system is conserved when you use an underfloor heating system or an under tile heating system.

Pollution Factors – Whether you install an electric underfloor heating system or a wet underfloor heating system, you are going to reduce not only air pollution but noise pollution factors as well.  Additionally, the amount of dust and dust mites being circulated is greatly reduced which is a benefit to those individuals suffering with allergies and asthma.