Underfloor Heating

What is Underfloor Heating?

Underfloor heating is the most modern and efficient method to heat up rooms. It comes in two different forms:

Wet Underfloor Heating - This is where pipes are laid out underneath the floor of a room and warm water is run through these pipes

Dry Underfloor Heating - This is where electric coils are placed under your floor and an electric current passes through them to generate heat

The pros and cons of underfloor heating 

Pros

One of the main advantages of having any type of underfloor heating is that it takes up no space and it's one less thing you have to worry about children running in to.

Underfloor heating makes full use of the science behind heat rising, whereas a radiator will heat up the area around them and that will then rise to the top of the room before getting to any other cold areas.
Typical radiators will need to work a lot harder for you to get the desired outcome from them, the water that runs through them will also need to be at a very high temperature in order to work effectively.
Underfloor heating can be fitted to new or pre-existing rooms.

Cons

Underfloor heating can sometimes take longer to heat up than traditional radiators, however you can combat this by setting up times during the day when you would like it to turn on.
Underfloor heating can be more expensive to install, especially if it is a new addition to an already existing room. 

Electric Underfloor Heating

Electric underfloor heating is a system that's comprised of a network of wires that run underneath the floor. Depending on the size and shape of the room you can either run individual wires throughout or use heating mats. On average using heating mats will save you money if you are in need of heated floors.

The electric wires are quite thin and are usually cheaper to install than a "wet" underfloor heating system, however they are generally more expensive to run which makes them more appealing for smaller rooms.

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• Water Underfloor Heating
• Water based underfloor heating systems, also known as hydronic heating, are similar to electric underfloor heating but use pipes instead of wires to carry the heat across the floor. Your boiler then supplies the hot water which travels through the pipes and this then provides your house with radiant floor heating.
• Because wet underfloor heating systems distribute heat evenly, they will utilise water at a much lower temperature than a conventional radiator which makes your boiler a lot more efficient.
• The main disadvantage of wet underfloor heating is the price associated with installation.
• You will also need to make sure there is enough room for the pipes as they are considerably larger than the electric wires, this is typically speaking why new builds incorporate water based systems and why electric underfloor heating systems are retrofitted on older properties.

• Is Underfloor Heating Right for you?
• Although a water based system might only save you £20 per year on energy prices, underfloor heating is a much more efficient heating system and can easily increase the price of your house which will usually cover the price of installing the underfloor heating.
• If you wish to install underfloor heating by yourself then please make sure to check our our underfloor heating spares.