Underfloor Heating

gromituk

A couple of myths which I'm not accusing you of perpetuating but which can't be exploded often enough:

1) All forms of electric heating (underfloor, oil filled radiators, convector heaters, fan heaters, storage heaters...) are 100% efficient - all the electricity you pay to put into them comes out as heat. The same is not true of systems involving a boiler (gas, oil, coal...) because some of the heat goes up the chimney. Electric appliances don't have chimneys. In addition, if heat given off by a boiler and pipework isn't used, it's wasted too.

2) It does not cost less to leave the heating on all day, even though it doesn't have to work as hard to warm the house up when you get home.

Lady_E

Well thats me told then !!!!!!

That will teach me to express an opinion based on experience of an undertile tiling.

My brother being a qualified electrician also installs other forms of electric heating but undefloor heating, in his opinion, is the most efficient as it warms from the floor upwards . But everyone is entitled to an opinion

Lady_E

Also warm up time is different to Warm Up the product !

gromituk

It's merely robust but fair criticism - the stuff of bulletin boards!

Lady_E wrote:

Also warm up time is different to Warm Up the product !

If you choose it to be - it was an ambiguous description which I took to mean the time taken to warm up the heat emitter - the tiles in this case.

Yes, different forms of electric heating can heat up different bits of the room. I agree that if the air at user level is heated before the air at ceiling level, the apparent warm-up time is going to be reduced. But hot air rises, so you're going to heat all the air in the room eventually.

Nowhere have I said that electric underfloor heating is rubbish. I have merely stated a few of the points of which people should be aware before investing in it. It gives great comfort, but is not an economical form of heating if you have the alternative of a gas boiler or Economy 7.

rizla01

So is the hot water underfloor system preferable?

I am about to have a newbuild and wanted underfloor heating installed therein.

Suggestions Types Makes Etc?

gromituk

Hot water underfloor is in theory preferable in that it's cheaper to run, but it is much more complicated and expensive to install. I believe it is particularly suited to condensing boilers as you can use it with lower temperature water than the average radiator, so your boiler will stay in condensing (hyper efficient) mode. I would guess that the installation cost won't be so significant in a new build, but I don't know anything about different makes.