Underfloor heating catastrophe

[PerranOak]

The floor sensor in the newly laid electric underfloor heating has failed!

I can't get it out as it's in the adhesive and everyone says that you HAVE TO HAVE one.

The whole floor is laid with tiles.

Is there anything that I can do other than rip it all up and start again!?

Thanks.

 

[John D v2.0]

What does the manufacturer suggest?

 

[r1flyguy]

Surely you only have to expose the section where the sensor is? Why would you be ripping the whole lot up?

It should have only been place in close proximity to a loop and not too far from the control panel itself.

Do you know where it was positioned?

 

[Nozzle]

Didn't the instructions say to install two?

Nozzle

 

[EFLImpudence]

That wouldn't inspire confidence.

 

[JohnW2]

That wouldn't inspire confidence.

I'm not so sure about that - I think that most people understand that anything can fail. The fact that my car has dual braking circuits "inspires me with confidence", rather than making me concerned that the manufacturer does not have confidence that they can produce a single circuit which won't fail.

Kind Regards, John

 

[EFLImpudence]

Ok.

 

[PerranOak]

The manufacturer (DEVImat) simply say that the sensor must be replaced.
Apparently, it was supposed to have been laid in a conduit for easy replacement!!!
Yes, I roughly know where it is but can a tile be taken-up without damaging the heating element?
I'm a reasonable DIYer but this all sounds a bit risky.
I wondered if there was another way I hadn't thought of?

 

[r1flyguy]

Yes, you can take a tile up without damaging the heating element, i have done it when i wasnt happy with a tiny chip in one of the tiles i'd laid and IF the element is in a layer of self levelling compound and not directly in the tile adhesive! Albeit if your careful you may just be able to get away with that too.

The difficulty will be knowing exactly where the sensor is and cutting a channel back to the wall where it goes to the control panel.

Cut a channel big enough for a conduit to lay the new one in then tile over the top.

 

[Lectrician]

These floor sensors fail regularly. Most DECENT installers do as instructed, and install the 12mm flex conduit in the floor for the sensor to sit in, allowing easy removal and replacement.

Most decent installers will bring this flexi conduit up into a low level FCU, with a conduit from this FCU vertically up to the stat.

Most decent branded UFH stats/mats come with the sensor probe AND a length of 12mm flexi conduit.

 

[PerranOak]

Yup. I just looked at the website and it seems that it did come with a conduit!

 

[Taylortwocities]

What does the installer have to say?

 

[PerranOak]

Basically, that he's happy to have a bash at repairing it but can't guarantee a successful outcome.

 

[333rocky333]

Would it not be a case, that if he knows an area were the elements are not located, of just disconnecting and forgetting the old sensor and not trying to dig it out causing more damage, and just drilling a new hole for a new 12mm conduit and sensor , removing a tile if needbe.

Is there not a sensor made that can be fitted other than in the floor, for incidents like this.
If its newly laid by an installer was there a reason he did not use the conduit

 

[Lectrician]

You have to router out a channel for the conduit. You don't for just the sensor. Tilers usually take over and want to just but the sensor in. Sparks need to stand their ground.

You only need the stat to be 300mm in, so abandon old sensor and lift one tile. Issue is possible damage to heating wire embedded in tile adhesive :-/