Underfloor Heating - BMJ Plumbing & Heating Ltd

Our team of plumbers have many years experience installing, maintaining and repairing underfloor heating systems and there associated controls throughout Mid Wales. So if you're currently considering installing underfloor heating in a new build or renovation, or would be interested in finding out more about the new low profile options that can be installed directly onto the floor of an existing property, such as Nu-Heat's LoPro Max system, then give us a call now on 01686 411121 or 07778 809002. We cover all of Mid Wales including Newtown, Llanidloes, Welshpool, Machynlleth, Rhayader, Llandrindod Wells and Builth Wells.

Underfloor Heating vs Radiators

Underfloor heating is available either as an electric matting, usually laid under floor tiles and primarily intended to warm the floor and provide background heating in a bathroom or small room, or as a wet heating system connected to the central heating plumbing via a manifold and special plastic pipe laid in a concrete floor, or on special heat deflecting trays laid between floor joists.

Underfloor heating has a number of advantages over traditional radiator systems including:

1. No wall space is used up by radiators, leaving the final room layout far more flexible
2. As the whole floor area heats up, you can achieve the same comfort levels as radiators but at a lower overall room temperature. For large systems this can often result in a saving of around 30% on your running costs
3. The large thermal mass of the floor screed provides a more stable room temperature compared to radiators
4. Because of its lower operating temperature, compared to radiators, this system is ideally suited for all major fuel types including renewables.

However, there are a couple of draw backs with underfloor heating that should be considered before making a final decision. These include:

1. Because of the large thermal mass of a concrete floor it can take up to 6 hours from the time the heating system is switched on for any noticeable heat to be felt in the room, and an equal amount of time for it to totally cool down afterwards. Generally this isn’t a problem because of the way the system is controlled, however it may be an issue in a room where you require a rapid heating response time, such as a room where a wood burning stove is in regular use over part of the day or in a conservatory where temperatures can vary wildly and unpredictably depending on the prevailing weather conditions.
2. In some older properties that are poorly insulated and draughty the heat output from the floor may not be sufficient to adequately heat the room under all weather conditions.
3. Not all floor finishes can be used with underfloor heating due to their insulating properties. Slate flags or tiled flooring is best, and in well-insulated properties timber up to certain thickness's is acceptable, but thick carpets, with good quality underlays, are usually unsuitable.
4. Unless you’re undertaking some major renovation work, to retro fit traditional underfloor heating in an existing property is hugely disruptive and expensive because of the depth of floor that needs to be excavated – up to 300mm. However modern systems, such as Nu-Heat's LoPro Max system, have overcome this problem to a large degree and allow an underfloor heating system to be installed on an existing floor with as little as a 22mm increase in the floor level.

For further information regarding the installation, service or repair of underfloor heating systems, or to arrange for a free quotation, call us now on (01686) 411121 or 07778 809002, or use the contact box provided on this page.