Need some advice re underfloor electric heating.
My brother in law was installing a mat type underfloor electrical heating system which is non without the mat.
What we are looking for is a stainless steel pre-punched fixed bands system which is used to secure a lose wire system, as described on the following site:
TIA,
KJR
Just a vague idea atm but...
Our central heating system is pretty old (single pipe system, Potterton Kingfisher boiler) and will have to be replaced at some point.
Last year we had a quote from a heating engineer for about £4,000 to replace the lot (including replacing 5 of the radiators).
I really like the idea of getting rid of the radiators completely, installing underfloor heating throughout and sticking a combi in just for hot water. We've got a pretty normal 1930s house, most rooms are floorboards, two of the bedrooms and the extension to the lounge are chipboard and one room concrete (converted integral garage). We have carpet in all rooms apart from one which is laminate floor (no problems replacing this) one tiles (kitchen, tiles need replacing anyhow) and one vinyl (bathroom).
Is my idea feasible? Presumably you don't put it on the stairs? Can you actually put this stuff on floorboards? Under vinyl?
I've had a quick look at a few websites and it looks like it could be a DIY job with a sparks to finish it off but all the sites seem to concentrate on bathrooms/kitchens and conservatories with tiled floors and don't seem to mention the standard carpet-over-floorboards scenario.
Anyone any idea of cost? 5 bed,three recep not huge house.
Anyone got this kind of heating system? If so, what's it like?
TIA
PS The Bathroom is complete! 100% complete! It looks fantastic if I do say it myself.
Yes, it is feasible on wooden floors. However, it would be a massive job. The carpet acts as insulation, so you need to choose short pile carpets that don't prevent the heat coming through. It is absolutely essential to insulate underneath the pipework so that the heat goes into the room, not the underfloor void.
The best method with wooden floors is to run the pipe up and down between the joists embedded in the top of some solid insulation (i.e. expanded polystyrene or Kingspan/Celotex). Then metallic spreader plates on top and then the floorboards. It will be a lot of work, as the floorboards/chipboard will require removal. However, on the plus side, it is all pretty much donkey work and emminently DIYable, as well as providing a floor at the original height, so avoiding the need for adjustment to doors, frames and skirtings.
Christian.
It's absolutely horrible. There are people who like it, but there are those who absolutely loathe it, and would not consider buying a place that had it without considering the cost of ripping it all out and replacing it with something rather nicer, such as anything else. Cue the "Its luverly" brigade.
(In the case of a ground floor)
I don't think you run the pipes _in_ the insulation but in the channels of the spreader plates, on top of the insulation.
This method is also suitable for fitting to a floor from below, either if access is possible from a cellar or under-floor void, or by removing the ceiling of the room below. This obviously saves ripping up all the flooring and even replacing the ceiling below may not be that much of an imposition if it's crap and could do with renewing anyway. (Obviously the insulation is not necessary if there's a room below.)
Another method for installation from above is to fit battens and boards between joists and bed the heating pipes in a mixture of concrete lightened with vermiculite.
Its horrible if done badly.
Its luvverly if done well.
Laying a few heating wires under a floor is horrible.
Ripping up the floors and fitting the proper insulation and a wet heating system, and paying attention to the rest of the house insulation is fine.
You wont want or need deep pile carpets., With a warm floor they are redundant. If you want to keep deep pile carpets, use some other form of heating.
Any dumb plumber can stick in rads...but you need to really understand heat flow and heat calculations to get UFH to work for you.
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