Water underfloor heating.

If you're considering water underfloor heating, make sure you know how it works and if it's the best fit for your home. A water based underfloor heating system can sit beneath pretty much any type of flooring, including stone, tile, wooden or even carpeted surfaces. But unlike electric underfloor heating, water underfloor heating is more complicated to install.

With a water-based underfloor heating system, a series of pipes connected to your boiler circulate warm water throughout the floor to heat the space. Alternatively, you can connect the water underfloor pipes to a solar water heating system, air source or ground source heat pump. The Energy Saving Trust says water underfloor heating is typically more energy efficient than radiators and therefore less expensive to run. This is because the heat emitted from an underfloor system is more evenly distributed than a single radiator, and so the system can use water at a lower temperature. But how much you save on your energy bills will depend on how energy efficient your home is, the size of the system and the room and how often you use your heating.

Underfloor heating offers an alternative to radiators in bathrooms, kitchens, or an entire house - or can simply be a means to warm up a cold floor in winter. However, because of the cost and potential upheaval to your home, there are lots of things to think about before you go ahead. To help you make the decision on whether to get water or electric underfloor heating.

 A water underfloor heating system is more expensive to fit than an electric one, in part because it's more complicated to install. The price can also be affected by a number of other factors, such as whether the room you want it in is on the top floor or near the heating system. Abbey Boilers can give you details of how various factors can affect the price.  

Installing water underfloor heating should ideally be fitted by a professional. This is because it's a more complex process with plumbing connections and tests that need to be carried out. Underfloor water heating works by connecting pipes laid under the floor to a manifold (essentially a central system to connect pipes together) and then to your heating system. It will also be fitted to a thermostat so that you can regulate the temperature. The floor should be properly prepared and insulated to make the system work efficiently. There needs to be enough space to accommodate this and the piping, so you might have to elevate the floor level, especially if it's being retrofitted in a room that already exists. Because of this, it's easier to install water underfloor heating in a new build as these adjustments can be taken into consideration from the start. However, there are now a lot of low profile floor systems that mean water underfloor heating can be added to an existing room without raising the floor considerably or disturbing fittings.

Abbey Boilers have trained engineers who love the challenge of fitting the perfect heating system for you and your house. Give us a call so we can explain the process and the costing to you before you get started.