Cost of running underfloor heating?

Any

Hi,

We are re modelling part of the house and will be having a bigger bathroom then we have now as a result.
My OH wants to re use what we can (which makes sense), but I am not sure about the towel heater radiator.
I don't think it is big enough to heat up the new bathroom. It barely manages the one it is in now (only 2 yrs old btw) and the new one will have a bath too (so more time spent in there).
OH suggested underfloor heating, turn to low and on constant (and the heater we have now).
I don't know anything about the costs/cons or pros of this..
Anyone has experience of this?

Thank you

macman

kWh for kWh, it'll cost about 300% more to run than a towel heater radiator running off mains gas.
All electric heating is the same efficiency: 100%

Any

The radiator is connected to our combi boiler. But I think we should have a bigger one than we have now.
I don't really fully understand heating.. currently the heater comes on only in winter, when the rest if the house is heated.
Apparently electric underfloor heating is better to be run on low setting all year round?

bouncydog1

We have electric underfloor heating in our bathrooms under tiled floors. We keep it on low most of the year to keep the floor warm and also have towel rails connected to the oil system, that come on at the same time as the rest of the heating in the house. The underfloor heating on it's own is not enough to heat the bathrooms in the winter. We have tall ladder towel rails and they do the job perfectly.

MX5huggy

Any wrote: »

The radiator is connected to our combi boiler. But I think we should have a bigger one than we have now.
I don't really fully understand heating.. currently the heater comes on only in winter, when the rest if the house is heated.
Apparently electric underfloor heating is better to be run on low setting all year round?

If by better you mean best way to get a huge electric bill then yes run electric heating all year.

If you want a warm room get a heating engineer to size a radiator/towel rail for the room. If you want a warm floor as well fit underfloor heating and run it on a timer so the floor is warm when required for the length of time required.

Any

MX5huggy wrote: »

If by better you mean best way to get a huge electric bill then yes run electric heating all year.

If you want a warm room get a heating engineer to size a radiator/towel rail for the room. If you want a warm floor as well fit underfloor heating and run it on a timer so the floor is warm when required for the length of time required.

What I was able to read on the net was that to heat up the floor to start heating the room is a lot more expensive then if it is run continuously. Supposing due to the heat to get through the tiles and reaching a thermostat.

It seems to me I just buy a new radiator for the bathroom with bigger BTU.
I am not that worried about warm floor, we use floor mats anyway. I wanted warmer room and as it is being all done up I thought we will look into it now.
So far no one said that it is in any way better.

Furts

Any wrote: »

What I was able to read on the net was that to heat up the floor to start heating the room is a lot more expensive then if it is run continuously. Supposing due to the heat to get through the tiles and reaching a thermostat.

It seems to me I just buy a new radiator for the bathroom with bigger BTU.
I am not that worried about warm floor, we use floor mats anyway. I wanted warmer room and as it is being all done up I thought we will look into it now.
So far no one said that it is in any way better.

Using a heated towel rail as the source of heat in a bathroom is not a good idea. Many have low kW outputs and also when towels are on them this acts as a jacket of insulation over the heat source. Two potential answers are to install a radiator or a bigger towel rail with more KW output.

However if you are careful with insulation and ventilation design a bathroom can be kept warm on miniscule heat input. Adopting this approach could mean your existing towel rail will then be adequate.

Any

Hi,
It's 200 year old stone cottage, so insulation is not easy.
Yes, I have decided for proper radiator, like this, with little over 3 thousand BTU output (similar, from the builders catalogue, but only 23 cm wide, so space saving).
https://www.victorianplumbing.co.uk/rico-double-panel-white-radiator-1800-x-377

Yes, we realise that with the heater-we were told it would be enough. It has 2000 BTU output for 1,5x1,9m room currently. New room will be 2,6mx1.9m.
And we only put towel on it while in the shower-to warm up. We don't cover it in it permanently-that is quite silly, it's obvious that would stop heat getting in the room!

FrankRizzo

Underfloor heating is great. If you find its too expensive to run just turn it off.

Furts

Any wrote: »

Hi,
It's 200 year old stone cottage, so insulation is not easy.
Yes, I have decided for proper radiator, like this, with little over 3 thousand BTU output (similar, from the builders catalogue, but only 23 cm wide, so space saving).
https://www.victorianplumbing.co.uk/rico-double-panel-white-radiator-1800-x-377

Yes, we realise that with the heater-we were told it would be enough. It has 2000 BTU output for 1,5x1,9m room currently. New room will be 2,6mx1.9m.
And we only put towel on it while in the shower-to warm up. We don't cover it in it permanently-that is quite silly, it's obvious that would stop heat getting in the room!

2000 BTU is fine in a modern well insulated and ventilated home. It is dubious in one such as yours - but only you know what heat losses you suffer. Ceiling insulation and dry lining may give you far greater comfort, but none of us have seen the room. This may mean you save the expenditure of the designer radiator.

Looking at floor areas and output it is probable your addition of the radiator will work - but it depends what level of heating you are trying to achieve.