From the Romans to present day, underfloor heating has been a good idea. Underfloor heating provides gently radiating heat from the whole of the floor surface. This radiant heat is similar to the heat from the sun, heating the occupants of the room directly rather than the air around them (must admit I’ve never fully followed that, but that’s what I’m told!). As such the whole of the room is heated and the hot / cool spots and convection air currents caused by traditional radiators avoided. Thus dust movement is reduced and humidity levels in the air maintained – the moted health benefits for underfloor heating lie in these attributes.
Is it green? Underfloor heating has a couple of green credentials:
- It requires a lower water temperature (and therefore consumes less energy) than traditional radiators.
- Heat wastage is minimised as the air is not dried-out or circulated unnecessarily.
The underfloor heating pipes can be set into the screed of a structural floor slab or laid on-top of the floor slab in a layer beneath the floor covering. Maintenance of the pipe work is minimal once installed and should last as long as the floor it is set into.
Running costs are attractive at up to 25% less than a traditional radiator based system running off the same heat source. Additionally, installation costs are comparable.
Many heat sources can be used in conjunction with underfloor heating. Perhaps the current system of choice is a ground source heat pump … of which more coming soon …
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