Which central heating system - UFH

How does an underfloor heating system work?

There are two main types of underfloor heating – dry, using electric power, and wet, using hot water.

In wet hot water systems, underfloor pipes heat the floor above as hot water flows through the piping. This leads to more even central heating as your whole floor, a large area, is heated consistently. One of the biggest benefits of underfloor heating is the fact that they operate at much lower than radiators.

In electric, or dry, systems, instead of pipes passing water under your home, underfloor electric heating elements are used to warm your floors.

Is my house suitable for underfloor heating?

UFH systems can be installed in commercial properties and homes too. In fact, the system is particularly useful in public buildings as it avoids the use of exposed radiators and heaters which can scald.

A popular alternative to complete underfloor heating is part-underfloor heating. For example, you could use radiator heating for the upper floors of your property, and underfloor heating for the ground floor only.

How should I lay out my underfloor heating pipework?

In many ways the structure of the floor under which you plan to install will answer this question for you.

A screed floor gives you a some flexibility as solid floors allow you to lay pipes in a variety of arrangements prior to screeding.

Take a look at which rooms in your home will require the highest temperatures. For example, you may have a sunroom or conservatory, which build up plenty of heat through sunlight. Because water leaving the manifold at the start of your system will be hotter than the water returning to the manifold at the end of your system, you can choose to lay this colder area under your warmer rooms.

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