There are two common forms for underfloor heating, electric and hydronic (water based). Once installed within the floor construction, the entire floor area becomes a heat emitter. By having a large surface area of heating, more consistent, even temperatures are achieved.

Unlike conventional heating systems which use radiators as the emitters, underfloor heating produces mostly radiant heat, this equates to, less drafts and more even temperatures. If you’re racking your brain to try and remember back to your school days for what radiant heat is……we’ll help you out……think of them cold winter days, with clear skies and sunshine, when you stand outside in sunlight, you feel warm compared to being in the shade. This is because you are feeling the radiant heat of the sun, when standing in the sunlight.

There are many underfloor heating systems on the market, to cater for various floor constructions, our team have vast experience in this industry and shall help you through the entire process to find the right solution for your needs. Get in touch with us today for a no obligations quote.

Hydronic (water) – hUFH

• Insulation
  • Like any heating system, insulation is a crucial for both energy efficiency and system performance. This is why the majority of underfloor heating systems have insulation within their construction buildup.
• Pipework
  • Flexible pipework is installed directly to the insulation layer, or within specialist system panels, within each heated space/zone.
• Manifold
  • Individual floor circuits (loops) connect to a centrally placed manifold, which links them to the primary heating circuit.
• Controls
  • Commonly each space/zone would have a room thermostat, which would open the specific ports on the manifold for the pipe circuits (loops) supplying the space.

• Comfort
  • Even heat distribution
    • Consistent temperatures across the room, rather than certain areas.
  • Radiant heat
    • Feels more comfortable that radiators – convection
• Reduce drafts
  • Unlike traditional radiator heating systems, underfloor heating produces mostly radiant heat, therefore produces less convection air currents, which create drafts.
• Reduce running costs
  • Underfloor heating requires lower water temperatures when compared with traditional radiator systems, as such the heat source can be run more efficiently and reduce short cycling.
• Room design freedom
  • With a conventional heating system, valuable wall space is taken up by radiators, which can limit how the room is arranged. As underfloor heating omits the need for wall space, there are no restrictions for your furniture placement.

Believe it or not, underfloor heating is not a new concept, the first known use was by the Romans over 2000 years ago. The Hypocaust was a system where rooms were built on small columns, creating a void space below which was heated by hot air and gasses from a fire or furnace often within its own room on side of the void space. The exhaust vents/flues were built within the wall constructions in the opposite corner to the fire/furnace, this allowed the heat to naturally be drawn across the space, heating the room/floor above. Although mostly used for saunas or bath houses, examples of this heating system have been found in private residences.

Although the Hypocaust was very different from the underfloor heating systems we know today, the principal of utilising the floor as a heat emitter, producing radiant heat and creating comfortable warm floors for the occupants, is the same as modern systems.