There is more to heating than simply panels
December 16, 2008
Are you looking for an effective way to keep your home warm? The answer could be right beneath you...
Talk to any interior designer and it is without doubt that if they could have their own way, conventional radiators would be consigned to the science museum. Yes, they can be considered ugly given the blank panels hanging from walls but also the pipework that feeds them is a eyesore. When compared to underfloor heating, a properly laid system can provide consistent warmth as opposed to the hot and cold spots of conventional radiators and free walls from clutter.
Whilst some systems use electric-powered underfloor heating, this tends to be energy hungry and in these days of high energy prices, can equate to expense. Instead, the reality of underfloor heating is that it is likely to be a wet system of pipes filled with circulating hot water.
Yes, you have guessed it; it works very much on the same principle of a conventional heating system with pipes buried in a solid floor or between the joists of a suspended timber floor.
The system is very much favoured by green builders who use it for its energy saving potential. Underfloor heating works by creating a giant radiator from the floor. This has the effect of warming you directly rather than the air around you for which I am reliably informed means it can run on lower temperatures.
When compared to underfloor heating, radiators work on the principle of giving off only around 20% of their heat by radiation, the rest by convection. The hot air rises from the radiator then flowing across the room and drawing up cool air in its wake. Not only is this extremely inefficient with the warmth located invariably at ceiling level but it also means that the temperature of the water in the system has to be much higher. It is believed that the water temperature has to be in the region of 80 Degrees C as opposed to 45-55 Degrees C. Moreover, if your room only has one panel, think that single panel has to heat the entire room...
The benefits of underfloor heating include its ability to run off any type of boiler, and that it can be bolted onto any existing central heating system. For most of us, the last thing we really want to be doing is lift existing floor slabs. However, if you are considering an extension or converting your loft, why not install this type of system?
Additionally, it runs at low temperatures making it an ideal for renewable energy sources such as solar panels or ground source heating, which are unable to provide water at high enough temperatures for traditional heating systems.
Whilst the benefits of underfloor heating cannot be denied, the system has drawbacks and these are largely to do with installation and the flooring beneath which you wish to install it. Should you wish to choose this form of system, you will need to compliment it with high levels of insulation at floor level. Additionally, if your floorboards are prone to warping or shrinking, this may also affect the efficiency of the system. Some say that underfloor heating is best avoided beneath timber flooring and others believe that if the floor is properly seasoned, there should be no issue.
When considering any alteration work, there is more to heating than simply panels...
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