bathroom underfloor heating - help needed

littlejaffa

I'm hoping someone can give me a rough idea/outline of
cost / effort / skill needed to install underfloor hearing in a bathroom.

planning on only doing the floor area, after the suites been fitted, not the whole floor (underbath etc) then tilling on top of it

so what do i need to think about, can i do it myself (do i need an electricians sign of/certificate?) and what's it likely to cost?

the areas about 1mx1m


xx

weekendwarrior

I have never done it personally, but it does not look too difficult according to this- Under floor heating

roger56

If you intend to fit electric underfloor heating in a bathroom, whilst you could lay it yourself, electrical connections must be made and certified by a suitably qualified electrician.
All electrical work in a bathroom is notifiable under Part P of the building regulations.

Joannag_2

Our bathroom fitter bought ourunderfloor heating from Topps tiles and used his trade discount to get nearly £50 off, he charged £100 to fit it so effectively cost us £50 for him to do it. The kit then was £149 for a large wet room. Might be easier in the long run.
Jo

soya

Hey, Joannag how big is your bathroom for that £100 underfloor heating?

Mr_Warren_2

Ebay sells some nice underfloor heating kits (a resistance wire glued to a thin mat). For a floor 1m x 1m it will cost you near nothing. You can lay yourself and call in electrician to do connection. For £150 all in you should be ok.

littlejaffa

this info is great!

does anyone know if these prices are for connecting directly to the central heating or a 'stand alone' system?

xx

Mr_Warren_2

stand alone system you get this connected to your power supply. Speak to your Sparky about it.

Mr_Warren_2

Check that ! https://www.stores.ebay.co.uk/Perfectheat Look up Vysa-Mat™ Popular Heating Mats in the Underfloor Heating category and select the size you require (you need 1m2 because 1m x 1m = 1m2)

littlejaffa

ok new questions, there seems to be underfloor heating that just takes the chill of your tiles, and others that actually heat the room?
anyone tried & tested, what's best for a bathroom?

Mutton_Geoff

For fitting in an existing room such as a bathroom, I would only consider the electrical vareity. The plumbed version will raise your floor level too much and be more difficult to put in.

The problem with the mat version of the electrical one is that you can't cut the heating wire in the mat so it's a little more awkward to fit around the loo etc. I've just fitted the version that comes as a long cable with tape. The heater cable is very thin, around 3-4mm and you simply lay it in a zig zag pattern on the floor area, stick it down with tape (supplied) at the bends and middle, then tile straight over it.

You need to put the controller outside of the bathroom (IEE regs) and run power to the controller (fits single electrical box size). From the controller, there is the heater cable and a thermostatic cable. I bought mine from TLC for £121 plus VAT for a 2 sq m area (the heater cable was 19 metres long and spaced every 10 cm over the concrete floor). If ordering the kit from TLC you need to tell them to make sure you've got the right thermostat as the normally supplied one has a second stat for measuring room temp (which you can't do with the bathroom option as you're not allowed to install the wall box in the room).

It took me an hour to chisel the hole for the box, cut a channel to the floor, lay the cables. Another couple of hours and it was all tiled.

I'm getting a sparky to sign off all my electrical work once I've finished. If you are competent with electrics, then there is not a requirement for the work itself to be done by a sparky, only it's certification.

Topps Tiles do a (more expensive) kit and their website has some help pdf files too.

To answer your other question, the heating depends on whether your bathroom has outside walls, windows etc. Mine is a top floor flat with concrete floors, no external walls and 250mm of loft insulation above so it should be enough to heat the room. I'm still also installing a heated towel rail though. That will add to the warmth and keep those towels dried as there is no central heating in the flat.