Why Underfloor Heating?
Underfloor heating is the perfect way to heat your home. It provides a gentle, even heat, without the cold draughts associated with radiators or the high surface temperatures of radiant panel heaters. The concept of underfloor heating is simple, and in different forms it has been around since Roman times when warm air underfloor heating was used to heat many of their buildings. Underfloor heating uses either electricity, hot water or hot air, to heat the floor itself which then transmits the heat into the room.
How underfloor heating works
The heat is introduced into the room in three ways as follows:
RadiationThe floor itself will radiate heat in exactly the same way that the sun does. This means that whatever the rooms air temperature, you can feel some of the heat from the floor as it warms up. Tiled floors are particularly good at radiating heat, with laminate and wooden floors radiating less and carpeted floor the least.
ConvectionAs the floor surface warms up it heats the air above it, or in the case of a carpet within it, and this warm air then rises by convection. As the air rises it causes the cooler air beneath it to move towards the floor surface where this air is then heated but, unlike all other heating systems, this happens over the entire floor area preventing cold draughts.
ConductionIf you are walking on the floor your feet will feel warm as the heat passes to them from your floor. This is obviously only applicable if you are actually standing or sitting on the floor. By heating a room in this way underfloor heating creates a very comfortable environment with your feet slightly warmer than the core of your body, and your head slightly cooler. In many cases people feel completely comfortable with this form of heating when the air temperature is a few degrees less than they require for a radiator system, allowing the thermostat to be turned down to save energy and money.
Advantages of underfloor heating
Underfloor heating also has a number of advantages over radiator systems and panel heaters, these include:
- You do not use up precious wall space by installing radiators or panel heaters which provides more flexibility in where you place your furniture.
- There are no dangerously hot surfaces for children and adults to hurt themselves on.
- The floor itself is warmed, so tiles and wooden floors become far more comfortable to walk on.
- The system can be simply used on a 'room by room' basis, controlling both the floor and room temperature.
- Unlike water boilers and gas fires, electric underfloor heating is entirely maintenance free, saving you money.
- Underfloor heating creates very even air movement within a room, rather than the draughts that are often created by radiators or fires. This is particularly important for allergy suffers as it prevents dust and allergens being blown into the air.
- The systems are invisible apart from the wall mounted thermostat preventing any damage to the system in communal areas.
Electric, Wet or Air Based Systems?
Although air based underfloor heating systems do exist, their use in the UK is virtually unknown and they do not appear to offer significant advantages over conventional electric or water based systems. They are sometimes seen in retail developments where they can offer a warm air curtain system in front of doorways.
Water based underfloor heating is usually installed in very large 'new build' projects where an entirely new floor base is due to be installed. The systems can then be incorporated into the new screed bed as part of the construction and they are normally run off a gas boiler, but occasionally are used with ground source heat pumps and heat exchangers.
The cost of installing a wet underfloor system is often no more than the cost of fitting conventional radiators and a boiler, and when the use of a gas powered heating system is preferential to an electric system they offer a reliable and environmentally friendly heating system.
Electric based systems, such as Heat Mat's entire range, offer all of the advantages of underfloor heating but without the ongoing servicing costs that water based systems incur. There are no boilers or manifolds to service and Heat Mat's systems are entirely maintenance free with a potential life expectancy matching that of the floor they are encased in.
Where an in screed system is required our 7mm electric cable offers potentially lower purchase and installation costs than a wet system, in addition to the benefits that the cables can also be used outdoors for frost and snow protection.
Our high quality BEAB approved heating mats and 3mm heating cables are ideal for renovations where any increase in build height must be kept to a minimum. In most circumstances when tiles are being fitted the ultra-thin heating cable can be incorporated into the tile adhesive layer with no increase in build height whatsoever. Our electric systems, when installed in the correct way, also benefit from a much speedier warm up time than water based underfloor heating, in addition to a higher potential output per square metre, so they are more suitable for rooms with a high heat loss. In cases where water based systems are installed but the output is not to the required level, our heating mats can usually be installed on top of the wet system to speed up the reaction time of the floor and increase it's heat output.
Finally, as gas prices increase beyond electricity prices, electric based systems become less costly to run in comparison to a gas fuelled system.
