The Benefits Of Having Underfloor Heating
If you are considering having underfloor heating in your home, there are probably hundreds of questions running through your mind. Whilst there are many advantages involved in having underfloor heating, it is not for everyone. At the same time, as well as providing general comfort, it has the added bonus of delivering significant energy and carbon emission savings. This is especially the case when it is compared to other forms of heat emitters. On the other hand, underfloor heating is not suited to everyone and can have it's disadvantages. Whether it is for you or not will depend on your preferences and your choice of lifestyle.
What is underfloor heating?
The warm water from the boiler system is circulated through lengths of pipe embedded in the floor. Each room has its own circuit and all circuits are connected to a distribution manifold. With each room having its own circuit, the process behind temperature control is quite simple. A thermostat is fitted in the room and connected to an electrically operated valve on the circuit serving that room.
What are the advantages of underfloor heating?
One of the reasons why many people decide to have underfloor heating installed is so that they can have the flexibility and room space to decorate how they wish. Another positive attribute is that an underfloor heating system can be suited to almost any type of flooring.
A further good aspect of underfloor heating is that homeowners will not have to hear unusual noises coming from the room. This is in contrast to radiators which have a tendency to make sounds when they are switched on or off. This can be beneficial for health and safety reasons as you will not have to worry about hot radiators and the under floor's heating presence will hardly be felt.
A problem often associated with radiators is that they tend to dry out the air. This will not be the case with underfloor heating, and thus you will feel an overall benefit to your home as a whole. Furthermore, allergy and asthma suffers will also benefit from an underfloor heating system as it has a balance of convection and radiation which minimises disturbance.
What are the disadvantages?
Although underfloor heating is great for saving lots of space in the home, and is a positive step forward in terms of energy saving, as with anything, there are some disadvantages to having underfloor heating.
For instance, if you decide to do a complete installation, you will have to be prepared to turn your whole house upside down. In order to have proper insulation in the floors, you will have to be prepared for a complete rebuild.
Perhaps one of it's most frustrating qualities is the amount of time it can take to heat up, especially if the pipe is embedded in a solid floor. All of this will usually depend on what type of flooring you have. For instance, if you have a wooden floor in your home, you could be looking at a 30 minute waiting time for it to warm up, whilst concrete could potentially take many hours. If the heating up period takes time, be prepared for an equally long cooling period. It all depends on individual preferences and whether or not you can put up with this. Some people simply adjust better than others.
What is underfloor heating?
The warm water from the boiler system is circulated through lengths of pipe embedded in the floor. Each room has its own circuit and all circuits are connected to a distribution manifold. With each room having its own circuit, the process behind temperature control is quite simple. A thermostat is fitted in the room and connected to an electrically operated valve on the circuit serving that room.
What are the advantages of underfloor heating?
One of the reasons why many people decide to have underfloor heating installed is so that they can have the flexibility and room space to decorate how they wish. Another positive attribute is that an underfloor heating system can be suited to almost any type of flooring.
A further good aspect of underfloor heating is that homeowners will not have to hear unusual noises coming from the room. This is in contrast to radiators which have a tendency to make sounds when they are switched on or off. This can be beneficial for health and safety reasons as you will not have to worry about hot radiators and the under floor's heating presence will hardly be felt.
A problem often associated with radiators is that they tend to dry out the air. This will not be the case with underfloor heating, and thus you will feel an overall benefit to your home as a whole. Furthermore, allergy and asthma suffers will also benefit from an underfloor heating system as it has a balance of convection and radiation which minimises disturbance.
What are the disadvantages?
Although underfloor heating is great for saving lots of space in the home, and is a positive step forward in terms of energy saving, as with anything, there are some disadvantages to having underfloor heating.
For instance, if you decide to do a complete installation, you will have to be prepared to turn your whole house upside down. In order to have proper insulation in the floors, you will have to be prepared for a complete rebuild.
Perhaps one of it's most frustrating qualities is the amount of time it can take to heat up, especially if the pipe is embedded in a solid floor. All of this will usually depend on what type of flooring you have. For instance, if you have a wooden floor in your home, you could be looking at a 30 minute waiting time for it to warm up, whilst concrete could potentially take many hours. If the heating up period takes time, be prepared for an equally long cooling period. It all depends on individual preferences and whether or not you can put up with this. Some people simply adjust better than others.
About the Author:
Tal Potishman, editor of Heating Central, writes articles about pipe blockage, central heating, plumber Crawley, underfloor heating and solar thermal. He specializes in helping save money by advising on efficient heating.
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