Understanding Heating Mats
Introduction
Heating mats are one of the more recent developments if the field of electric underfloor heating. Typically heating mats involve either a small diameter heating cable or a wide metallic ribbon attached to a nylon web or mesh, which may be self adhesive, or can be fitted into tile adhesive. These 'mats' can then be rolled out onto an existing subfloor for a quick and simple installation. The heating mat system eliminates the need for screed (traditionally, a mixture of sand and cement into which underfloor heating cables were buried) making them suitable for new or existing floors without raising the level of the floor. Underfloor heating mats are not only quick and easy to install, they are available in different outputs, typically between 100w/m2 and 200w/m2 to provide safe levels of heating beneath various types of flooring. The heating cables in the heating marts are manufactured in accordance with IEC ("International Electrotechnical Commission") Global Quality Standards. This means, for example, that heating mats typically feature twin conductors, with earth shielding, and minimum EM ("Electromagnetic") radiation.
Benefits of Heating Mats
Heating mats are suitable for use in any regular, simply shaped room – especially a large room – such as a living or dining room or a bedroom. Indeed, heating mats hold an advantage over heating cables or ribbons, insofar as the mat itself can be turned or cut (and turned) or the cable stripped away from the mat to fill any gaps or fit awkward areas.
Furthermore, heating mats with power outputs of 100-150w/m2 are suitable for use beneath engineered, laminated, or other wooden surfaces, without the risk of damage or fire, Heating mats with outputs of around 150w/m2 can provide "comfort" heating for concrete, stone, or tile floors, rising to 200w/m2 for primary heating in these situations. In the case of a tiled floor, for example, heating mats can be installed into a skim of tile adhesive, not thicker than a few millimetres, onto the existing wooden subfloor. In other words, underfloor heating mats if chosen carefully can be installed successfully and safely under virtually any type of flooring (including vinyl and carpet) with a minimum of disruption. Concrete or cement floors in particular do tend to act as heat "sinks" and the heat energy travels down (as well as up) beneath the floor, absorbing energy that would otherwise be absorbed by the floor covering, itself. A layer of insulation is therefore usually a prerequisite for successful installation on this type of floor.
Control of an underfloor heating mat system is usually provided by an intelligent, programmable thermostat. This works via a sensor in the floor and allows you to switch the heating mats on or off at various times of the day or according to the temperature, often within +/-0.5°C to suit your precise requirements. As a further safety precaution, a cable monitor, which monitors resistance in a heating mat system, and sounds an alarm if the resistance changes markedly (usually the result of damage to a cable) may also be available. A monitor of this type can be useful, for example, when laying tiles over heating mats.
The design of underfloor heating mats is such that they cover a much greater area beneath the surface of a floor than traditional heating cables. This greater area means that the heat output per unit area and therefore the temperature of heating elements, can be anything up to 50% less, when compared to a traditional heating cable. A typical, traditional heating cable may be as hot as 60°C at its core, whereas an underfloor heating mat typically operates at around 30°C, and is therefore much kinder to wooden or carpeted floors in terms of discolouration and other damage. The heat from underfloor heating mats is circulated by radiation to the floor and other surfaces in a room, rather than convection currents in the air. Convection currents by their nature, also circulate dust throughout a room so heating mats can also create a cleaner, allergen-free environment for you and your family.
Underfloor heating mats also offer environmental and indeed economic benefits on a wider scale. Domestic underfloor heating mats may cost as little as a ½p/m2 per hour to run depending of course on the level to which your home is insulated and your geographical location. This can typically reduce your heating bill, not to mention the "carbon footprint" of your home by anything up to 40%. Furthermore, unlike "wet" underfloor heating systems, electric heating mats require no ongoing maintenance of boilers, manifolds, etc. and provided that their connection to domestic mains electricity is left to a properly qualified electrician there is no reason why heating mats should not last as long as the floor itself.
Further heating mats Information
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