Uncontrollable, too hot underfloor heating...

[Rod]

... not actually DIY :-), but relevant to the ongoing discussion of the merits/demerits of heating systems.

[www.GymRatZ.co.uk]

"An independent review of the cause of the apparent flooring defects and the remedial measures needed to correct them has already been commissioned and this review should be concluded before the end of the month."

"Once the outcome of the review is known, we will be in a position to determine the timescale required to complete that work."

Why don't they just turn the boiler down? Or is it one of those special boilers they also use in schools where it runs flat out and the only way of reducing the heat is open all the bloody windows in the classroom. !!!

[Andy Burns]

Schools? Make that all local authority buildings, also the programmer turns on in September and doesn't turn off until April.

[Dave Liquorice]

No acount taken for expansion. Serious design fault I hope that the architects will be paying for *all* remedial work.

Or adjust the zone thermostats, but as they "forgot" expansion gaps maybe they "forgot" theromostats as well.

[Onetap]

The UFH should be on a variable temperature circuit(s) with its own temperature control valve; the boilers would probably also be supplying higher temperature water to air handlers and water calorifiers.

It could be a simple control glitch or possibly they can't turn the UFH temperature down and maintain the room temperatures. The latter would suggest an UFH design balls up. That might involve all the floors being .hacked out.

[Donwill]

It would be interesting to know who the Mech Services Consultants were, as in the past. :-)

Don

[Donwill]

See

paragraph, headed Installations , I can't help but smile. Don

[Onetap]

It doesn't mean it was down to them, there are lots of parties involved any one of whom can wreck a good scheme. The tiles may have cracked just because the floor was being run above the maximum design temperature. One project I heard of suffered a runaway UFH system over a week-end and most tiles had cracked by Monday. Marble tiles. Ouch. There but for great good luck to date, go I.

[Peter Parry]

They could use the programmer we had at RAF Catterick in North Yorkshire. The anaemic heating system turned on on the 14th of October (and usually immediately broke) and went off again on the 1st of March.

[Andy Dingley]

Same with all those NHS PFI projects - they never use a long enough spoon and the floors start to overheat from sheer proximity

[YAPH]

Even so the system should have had both a normal control of the UFH temperature and an overheat cutout. Sounds like both were FUBAR.

[dmc]

Sounds like my office :-(

We have heating on at the moment - no control appart from opening the window which isn't much fun with the winds recently :-(

Darren

[Bob Eager]

I used to be in the office next door, and know what you mean! There is a little lever but it doesn't do a lot...

I'm still in the same building but must be at the end of the line as they've given me a supplementary heater...

[Rod]

We have had the temperature above 28 already this year. Today only about 24.

I was wondering of the underfloor pipes were uninsulated. Obviously they need to be where you want the heat delivered. But to transport it from one end of a corridor to the other, you probably need the main flow to be insulated.

[Andy Champ]

Know what you mean about the schools. But apparently it's wood fired, and not easy to regulate.

And apparently this terribly hot floor gets up to 40c. Sounds about right to be nice and comfy in your bare feet - just above blood temperature. What's the problem?

Andy

[Andrew Gabriel]

Happened to someone I know. They just have ordinary radiators, not underfloor heating, but controls went wrong and cooked the house. This wrecked a reasonably newly laid solid maple floor in a very large room, which expanded and then left gaping cracks everywhere. Floor had to be taken up and put down again, at a cost of thousands.

[D.M. Procida]

The management of public institutions, following the lead of 30 years' worth of successive governments, are completely in thrall to the corporate sector. Long spoons? They just can't get close enough!

Danele