Conservatory underfloor heating 150 or 200W

Domdumdom

Hi all

We are having a conservatory built. It is 3.5x3.5m. We are having ceramic floor tiles and the tiler is almost finished. I noticed the packaging for the underfloor heating said 150W instead of 200W and it appears they have inadvertently put the wrong wattage down.

So the tiles are going to have to come off and the heating mats broken out of the bedding to put 200W mats down. This seems crazy because the tiles aren't going to come up easy or can and the incorrect heating mats are going in the bin.

If I was to offer to keep with the 150W how much difference will it be? I only get once chance of getting the conservatory right but so if the mats need to be changed, they will. But wondered I the extra heating power really makes a difference.

Thanks

societys_child

Not a lot, the floor will still be warm to touch.

Davesnave

We don't know what the specification of the conservatory's superstructure is, or how much insulation went into the floor, which are factors of some relevance, but breaking all those tiles up to change for a slightly higher output would seem like madness to me.

If the conservatory is one of the standard varieties, I'm not sure if UFH is the right way to go anyway. In most conservatories, any heating required needs to be very flexible, since they gain and lose heat rapidly. For example, outside right now it's -2c and inside our conservatory it's around 6c, but by 11 am it'll be warm enough to use it without any artificial heat and by mid-day it will be adding heat to the house. Till around 5 or 6pm, it will take the place of the wood burner.

We don't usually heat the conservatory at all. Sticking a load of extra kW in there just to eat breakfast at the back of the house would be silly.

Domdumdom

thanks. i don't know how much insulation is in the floor to be honest. the roof is glass and it doesn't feel that cold in there this morning with no heating connected yet although the sun is bright already.

daveyjp

You may have been better saving your money on an expensive underfloor installation and buying a cheap convector heater.

Davesnave

Domdumdom wrote: »

thanks. i don't know how much insulation is in the floor to be honest. the roof is glass and it doesn't feel that cold in there this morning with no heating connected yet although the sun is bright already.

Glass double glazing is usually better than plastic, but unless one has a fancy conservatory built to building regs standards for thermal efficiency, large amounts of energy are going to escape via the roof, large windows, and the floor too if it's not insulated.