Electrical Underfloor Heating - The basics
Introduction
Electrical underfloor heating has been widely implemented in the colder countries of Northern Europe, Finland, Norway and Sweden, for example, over the last 60 years or so and has a proven track record of efficiency and safety. The electrical underfloor heating systems available in the United Kingdom today are a far cry from those that appeared in the 1960s, which were impractical, expensive and unreliable. Electrical underfloor heating systems use the electrical resistance of a cable in the form of a basic cable, a "ribbon" cable, or a loosely woven mesh mat for ease of installation, to create a heating effect, and therefore provide a source of low temperature heat, spread across the entire surface area of a floor. Systems of this type are economical to install and run and provide an efficient, controllable alternative to standard heating systems in many situations. Heating cables and mats which can be cut to size or to avoid obstacles with variable outputs are available for use in different flooring situations. Cables, for example, are suitable for use on concrete or wooden subfloors, whilst mats allow rapid, and flexible, coverage of most floor types and room configurations.
How Electrical Underfloor Heating Works
Electric underfloor heating systems operate on the same fundamental principle as electrical storage heaters or immersion heaters. Instead of storing heat energy in bricks or water, however, electrical underfloor heating systems radiate heat to the subfloor and floor covering so that the whole mass of the floor acts as a heating body. From the point of view of safety, each circuit in a electrical underfloor heating system is connected to the domestic supply via its own dedicated fuseway and circuit breaker and heating elements are insulated and earthed, to prevent any danger of electrical shock.
The nature of the heat provided by an electrical underfloor heating system is slightly different from that provided by a traditional central heating system based on radiators or convection heaters. Instead of heating a surface to a high temperature, typically between 60°C and 90°C, in the case of a conventional radiator and allowing the air in a room to be heated by convection, electrical underfloor heating transfers a much larger proportion of heat by radiation to the floor and other surfaces in a room without heating the intervening air. This mechanism more closely mimics the heating effect of the Sun with a gentle and comfortable gradient or stratification of heat which is warmer at foot level and cooler at head level. The larger surface area of a floor when compared to conventional heating surfaces means that the operating temperature of an electrical underfloor heating system can be as low as 30°C or 40°C.
Benefits of Electrical Underfloor Heating
Unlike so-called "wet" underfloor heating systems which inevitably involve a large degree of disruption in the digging up of existing floors, extension of existing plumbing systems, etc., electrical underfloor heating systems can be installed fairly easily and at a fraction of the cost. The only requirement is a source of mains electricity which should for the sake of safety, be connected by a properly qualified electrician, so electrical underfloor heating is popular in properties with no mains gas supply. Electrical underfloor heating also requires less depth beneath the existing or replacement floor covering than a "wet" system and can therefore be advantageous in situations where headroom as well as wall and floor space, for conventional radiators is at a premium. Electrical underfloor heating can be installed beneath virtually any type of flooring covering: laminated or engineered, wood, carpet, stone, tile, etc. without raising the height of the floor by more than 1" or so. Conventional radiators or convection heaters also have a tendency to overheat a small space, making it stuffy and uncomfortable, whereas electrical underfloor heating offers a gentler, less oppressive heat.
A electrical underfloor heating system can, of course, be designed – in the same way as a hot water underfloor heating system so that heating is "zoned" throughout a property but is also eminently suitable for heating a single room. Bathrooms, kitchens or conservatories for example, or any room with an otherwise cold and uninviting stone, or tiled floor can benefit from electrical underfloor heating. The electric underffloor heating technology is especially appropriate in rooms that are used only occasionally. Electrical underfloor heating systems tend to feature individual, room-by-room controls rather than a single, centraisedl thermostat as in the case of conventional heating systems. Any differences in efficiency and costs are likely to depend upon the thermal characteristics of the heated area, desired temperature and the length of time for which it is heated. Generally speaking however, a reduction in energy consumption of between 10% and 15%, in comparison to traditional heating methods should be easily achievable and reductions of up to 50% may be possible in certain circumstances.
Further electrical underfloor heating Information
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