Insulation under under-floor heating pad?

Do I need it?

The sparks putting it in says that the heating pad can just be laid on the bathroom floor (which is new green 22mm chipboard). The builder says we'd waste heat if we didn't have an insulation pad under the heating pad.

Since these two don't get on, I'm left deciding what to do. I'm inclined against because the sparks is the pricklier of the two, and I'm a coward. More particularly, it would build the floor up too much compared to the landing outside the bathroom.

Any opinions?

Reply to
Tim Streater
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On Tuesday 18 June 2013 09:56 Tim Streater wrote in uk.d-i-y:

Is your floor slab under the chip insulated?

Even so, chip would offer some insulation itself - not a lot, but it should allow faster warm up times comapred to trying to heat screed or a slab. But the energy question is: if it is heating the slab or screed, is the heat going to be wasted (no slab insulation) or will it stay there and remain useful...

Reply to
Tim Watts

This is upstairs bathroom with megaflow etc. Lots of pipework under the floor, all climaflexed, and also lots of fibreglass insulation under the floor in remaining space.

Reply to
Tim Streater

If I may slightly hi-jack this thread rather than start a new one. I've got a similar situation, except mine is over plywood. I'm at the stage where I need to decide whether or not to install electric underfloor heating in an en-suite. Floor will be tiled. my question is what additional height will the underfloor heating cause?

mark

Reply to
mark

On Tuesday 18 June 2013 12:11 Tim Streater wrote in uk.d-i-y:

Then the builder is taking bollocks - it has all the insulation it needs. And even if not, the heat will just go downstairs.

Reply to
Tim Watts

Could not some kind of thin reflective substance be put there as you can behind radiators?

Brian

Reply to
Brian Gaff

Hijack no 2: You know when Ivisit people in flats, they usually say, hope the bathroom was OK only the underfloor heating failed years ago and it would cost too much to fix it. Makes me wonder if this scheme is really that good in the long run.

Brian

Reply to
Brian Gaff

In one house we have hot water underfloor heating. In the other electric. The electric was installed years ago, by me. I have the feeling that longevity depends on how carefully the element is installed.

Reply to
Steve Firth

and on the thickness of the element. Use thick element on low voltage and youre going to get much more life expectancy

NT

Reply to
meow2222

Correct. But... if you have Gas CH and electric UFH, then letting half the heat go downstairs will raise the bills unnecessarily. Ditto with electric storage heating on economy 7 or similar.

NT

Reply to
meow2222

heat go downstairs will raise the bills unnecessarily. Ditto with electric storage heating on economy 7 or similar.

But would half of it go downwards? Or just a small fraction?

My argument would be that you sometimes don't want any extra heating going downwards (e.g. today) but a touch of warmth to the bathroom floor might be appreciated, especially if it gets lots of wet on it.

Reply to
polygonum

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