Underfloor Heating question

[junglejim01]

Hi, i'm replacing a concrete floor in what is to be a kitchen so considering installing water underfloor heating at the same time. The boiler is in the same room as the new floor. The current central heating system is vented, however later this year i'm planning on replacing with an unvented system. Is this likely to cause any problems? are there certain underfloor heating systems i should be looking at?
Thanks for any advice

 

[dcawkwell]

underfloor. dont over rated.

 

[bolshy]

Have you considered plinth heaters?

 

[HellDiver]

underfloor. dont over rated.

In English, please?

I'm considering putting in underfloor throughout the whole house when I renovate in the next few years. It's a bungalow, 80's build with concrete floors. The floors are coming up to remove the old piping, so was thinking about going underfloor.

Is underfloor a mistake, or is all the bad press due to people not using it correctly?

I already run the heating 24/7 on a programmable thermostat, so the underfloor will only be keeping the temperature of the well insulated house stable. We're not expecting the underfloor heating to work magic by heating the house by running the boiler 2 hours a day, as seems to be the normal for people who complain about it being rubbish.

 

[Diyisfun]

I think he is saying its not very good.
I think its good just takes a long time to warm up.

 

[HellDiver]

I think he is saying its not very good.
I think its good just takes a long time to warm up.

So, he's another one of those who don't know how to use underfloor, then?

Do you have underfloor yourself?

 

[Diyisfun]

Helldriver..Why do you ASSUME I dont know how to use it.
Yes I do have it, thats how I know it takes a while to warm up, funny even the instruction say that, maybe they dont know how to use it.
Or have I got this wrong & you didnt read it correctly.

 

[HellDiver]

No mate, I meant dcawkwell didn't know how to use it.

I'd be interested to hear more about your system. Do you run your heating 24/7, or on timer? Solid floor? What coverings, etc?

Being in N. Ireland, there's not many have underfloor, and 50% of people I talk to that have it say it's rubbish. But most of those people that say it's rubbish are the type that have their heating coming on 30 minutes before they come home in the evening and then wonder why their house is cold.

 

[Diyisfun]

I moved in to a house last year that had it. It took many weeks of adjustment to get it working as we want it.
Its a wet system
Concrete floor, tiled.
We are home all day, so I have it come on at 8am 18 degrees, off at 6pm.
The floor takes about 1hr to warm up the t/stat over runs to 19 degrees, in heating we leave the living room door open so that gets a bit of the warmth. The main heating comes on at 3pm.

 

[junglejim01]

thanks for all the replies...didn't realise i was going to a can of worms! I looked a little bit at plinth heating i can't remember how it was looking price wise but figured that being electric it would be less cost efficient in the long run.

 

[HellDiver]

The main heating comes on at 3pm.

Thanks for the reply. So from what you've said, you've got normal radiators in addition to the underfloor?

I'd be looking at underfloor throughout the house, and maybe a single radiator or fancoil in the hallway. Do you think underfloor would be good enough for that scenario?

The house will be very well insulated (it's currently got rockwool filled cavity walls and 12" loft insulation, but during renovation I'll be getting additional Kingspan fitted to the inside of the internal walls) and also replacing the old 1980's windows with modern A-rated double or maybe triple glazing.

 

[Agile]

Plinth heating working from your central heating is the best solution!

Cheapest form of heating.

You only turn it on when its needed.

You can fit a timeswitch so it only comes on at limited times when the kitchen is likely to be occupied.

You turn it off as soon as the kitchen is hot from cooking.

It does not take up any wall space!

I really dont understand why so few use it as it has all the advantages and no disadvantages!

Tony

 

[bolshy]

thanks for all the replies...didn't realise i was going to a can of worms! I looked a little bit at plinth heating i can't remember how it was looking price wise but figured that being electric it would be less cost efficient in the long run.

It runs on a finned heater from CH. Just a small fan assisted radiator with thermostat.

 

[DP]

JungleJim, so for underfloor heating. I fitted same for son who has underfloor heating inn the extension and rads rest of the house. The rads are controlled by Honeywell wireless stat and UF controlled by timer/ thermostat.

Since UF runs at lower temperature, boiler will run more efficiently if it is a condensing boiler.

Plinth heaters are good. Connect a thermostat to it to control it but these do get noisy after a while as dust cloggs up the heater matrix.

 

[junglejim01]

Centrally Heated plinth heating looks interesting. Anyone got any experience with this...pros/cons vs UF? Thanks