Any Experience of Underfloor Heating under Carpet Please?

Hatrick24

My elderly parents have a problem in that their ground floor radiators are no longer getting hot. This has been diagnosed as a blockage in the microbore piping which is encased within the concrete/screed floor.

Looking at what options there are, none of which are without significant upheaval and cost, has anyone any experience of electric underfloor heating fitted under carpet. I understand they may need to purchase new underlay but it could possibly be a quicker fix with less upheaval than installing new pipework for the rads.

Many thanks!

moonpenny

I have no experience of underfloor heating but a couple of issues come to mind.
I would think that putting a carpet on top of heating would kill most of the heat and heating would rot any underlay
I once removed underlay on my landing that had turned to dust as the central heating pipes were to near to the floorboards.

ComicGeek

Quicker fix, but much much more expensive to run. Would be cheaper in the long run to install new exposed heating pipe work to each existing radiator.

Underfloor heating mat manufacturers would also normally quote the maximum tog value of the carpet for the system to work. It's unlikely that an existing carpet would meet this requirement, but you might be able to find out with some detective work.

You would also need to install an insulation mat under the heat mat, so would raise the carpet level - you would probably then have issues with door thresholds.

Hatrick24

Thanks for the info, really helpful.

Unfortunately the downstairs room layout means to replace the pipework, they either need to dig up the floors, however, I'm told the replacement screed would take about three weeks to dry, so not a good option or to run pipework down the walls from above, having taken up the first floor chipboard floor boarding. Again, huge upheaval and cost. In addition, if we go the second option above, they have been told they would need to replace the boiler.

There is no cheap option. The issue is they are both in their mid eighties and the stress of the upheaval is the biggest issue at the moment. I am therefore just trying to think of any other solutions that would be quicker and less invasive.

Really appreciate the comments and understand the issues raised.

southcoastrgi

You can't just lay a electric mat down & put carpet over it, there are low profile wet system available but these still require wood or tiles over it

snowcat75

Iv installed both wet and electric and TBH its a non starter for what you want UFH to work efficiently needs to be on insulated floors, electric will still need self levelling compound over it, although it can work through carpet unless your slab has a decent insulation bellow it much of the heat will be lost to the ground....


What I fail to understand and it sounds like the plumber is making the worst of it is entire floors don't need to come up, if the rads are plumbed in 8mm plastic with a main flow and return in 15mm, then chasseing the slots is a fairly simple job, for each room your talking 20mm slot per rad... the ultra flexible silicone based heating pipes can even be routed behind skirtings.....Chased slots can be made good and dried in hours with self levelling compounds, TBH even entire floors with wet latex screeds instead of traditional sand and cement require a fraction of the drying times.


Personally Id look for someone else to give a look..... or do the pipe runs yourself.