 No1 for Wet Underfloor Heating
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Unit 11F
Carcroft Enterprise Park
Carcroft, Doncaster
South Yorkshire
DN6 8DD
PHONE: 01302 727182
FAX: 01302 728634 |
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FAQ |
WHAT IS UNDER FLOOR HEATING AND WHERE CAN IT BE FITTED TYPE QUESTIONSWHAT IS UNDER FLOOR HEATING?
WHY IS UNDER FLOOR HEATING BETTER THAN A RADIATOR SYSTEM?
WHY SHOULD I CHOOSE UNDER FLOOR HEATING?
WILL UNDER FLOOR HEATING WORK IN MY CONSERVATORY?
CAN I HAVE WARM WATER UNDER FLOOR HEATING IN THE BATHROOM ONLY?
CAN I STILL HAVE AN UNDER FLOOR HEATING SYSTEM INSTALLED IF MY BUILD IS AT AN ADVANCED CONSTRUCTION STAGE?
CAN I HAVE UNDER FLOOR HEATING INSTALLED IN MY EXISTING HOME?
CAN I FIT A UNDER FLOOR HEATING IN A SUSPENDED TIMBER GROUND FLOOR?
CAN I HAVE UNDER FLOOR HEATING IN MY CONSERVATORY OR EXTENSION?
WHAT GUARANTEE DO I GET, WITH YOUR UNDER FLOOR HEATING SYSTEMS?
HOW MUCH WILL IT COST?
CAN A UNDERFLOOR HEATING1 SYSTEM BE FITTED IN ANY FLOOR CONSTRUCTION?
CAN I FIT CARPETS ON TOP OF THE UNDER FLOOR HEATING?
WILL THE UNDER FLOOR HEATING SYSTEM DAMAGE MY FLOOR OR CARPETS?
CAN I FIT LAMINATE FLOOR ON TOP OF THE UNDER FLOOR HEATING?
INSTALLATION, RUNNING COSTS AND FUEL TYPESIS IT MORE EXPENSIVE TO INSTALL COMPARED WITH A RADIATOR SYSTEM?
IS UNDER FLOOR HEATING CHEAPER TO RUN THAN RADIATORS?
IS IT ECONOMICAL TO RUN?
WHAT FUEL DOES AN UNDER FLOOR HEATING SYSTEM RUN ON?
IS THERE A NEED FOR PRESSURE TESTING BEFORE SCREEDING?
WHAT TYPES OF HEAT SOURCES CAN BE USEDCAN IT WORK WITH HEAT PUMPS?
CAN IT WORK WITH SOLAR PANELS?
INSTALLATION AND DESIGN QUESTIONSCAN I INSTALL IT MYSELF?
DO WE NEED TO FIT ALUMINIUM SPREADER PLATES?
WHO CONNECTS THE MANIFOLD TO THE BOILER OR HEAT SOURCE?
DO I NEED AN ELECTRICIAN TO WIRE THE SYSTEM UP?
WHAT HAPPENS IF I NAIL A PIPE?
IS UNDER FLOOR HEATING MORE DIFFICULT TO INSTALL THAN RADIATORS?
DO WE PUT THE HEATING PIPES UNDER UNITS OR CUPBOARDS?
CONTROLS AND MANIFOLD QUESTIONSWHAT IS NIGHT OR UN-OCCUPIED SETBACK TEMPERATURE AND DO I NEED IT?
MY BOILER HAS A CIRCULATION PUMP. WHY DO I NEED ANOTHER ONE ON THE MANIFOLD?
WHY DO WE NEED A MANIFOLD AND WHAT IS ITS FUNCTION?
HOW BIG IS THE MANIFOLD?
WHERE SHOULD I PLACE THE MANIFOLD?
What is under floor heating?
Warm water is circulated through a series of pipes laid in the floor at the time of construction. These pipes are of the highest standard and form a continuous loop between two central manifolds. Each room has its own circuit and is individually controlled putting the heat exactly where you want it.
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Why is under floor heating better than a radiator system?
A radiator central heating systems work primarily by creating convection currents of hot air supplemented by some radiated heat. It also picks up fine dust from the floor and distributes it into the air and over the furnishings.
This convection results in the floor being the coolest part of the room and leaves a mass of warm air at ceiling level. This can mean that much of the energy, which had been put into the room, is wasted and not in the area you want it to be.
Radiant energy emitted by under floor heating is partly reflected by each surface and partly absorbed. Where it is absorbed, that surface becomes a secondary emitter. After a while, all surfaces become secondary emitters. Furnishings themselves radiate energy and the room becomes evenly and uniformly warmed. The energy reaches into every corner of the room - no cold spots, no hot ceilings and no cold feet.
Finally radiators are fixed to the walls and cannot be moved, therefore limiting where you can place furniture. One of the main advantages for having under floor heating is that it eliminates the design drawbacks of radiators.
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Why should I choose under floor heating?
With an Underfloor Heating1 system the heat surrounds you. The source, hidden away under the floor is invisible and ideal for modern living. Warm water is pumped through a continuous loop of plastic pipe (no joints under the floor eliminate the potential for connections leaking) placed under either a solid or timber floor. Your living areas are free from radiators giving a clean interior design and maximum usable wall space.
Furniture can be positioned without the constraint of radiators. The room is an even comfortable temperature with no cold spots. Ceramic and hard finish floors feel warm and welcoming. Individual room temperature control can be provided with hard wired or wireless programmable room thermostats.
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Will under floor heating work in my conservatory?
Under floor heating is ideal for conservatories. To comply with Part L of the building regulations, you must install control’s that allow switching off the under floor heating when not required. Conservatories tend not to have much wall space to install radiators maiking a Underfloor Heating1 system ideal.
For more information link to Danfoss kit
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Can I have warm water under floor heating in the bathroom only?
Yes Underfloor Heating1 have a kit specifically for bathrooms that require no wiring. Please click on link for more information.
For more information link to Danfoss kit.
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Can I still have an under floor heating system installed if my build is at an advanced construction stage?
Yes, this can be done, depending on your floor construction. In suspended timber floors, where your floor levels are already decided, (preventing you from laying the pipes on top of your joists), you can install the pipes in-between the joists. Our in house design team will design the under floor heating system specifically for each individual project.
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Can I have under floor heating installed in my existing home?
Each project is different. In most cases, yes you can and we are always willing to discuss any queries you may have regarding installing under floor heating in your home.
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Can I fit a under floor heating in a suspended timber ground floor?
You can install under floor heating between the joists in suspended timber ground floors however, as there is less thermal mass, the heat output will be lower, approximately 70 – 80 W/m2 depending on floor make up and floor finish. Depending on how much you improve the insulation you may need to add some supplementary heat for those really cold days.
The pipes are clipped to 50mm Kingspan or equivalent high density insulation at 100mm centres in joists packed with rockwool on top of sterling board or plywood fixed to the underside of the joists. The void on top of insulation and under floor boards is filled level to top of joists with sand cement biscuit mix. For more information link to section 4 in renovations.
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Can I have under floor heating in my conservatory or extension?
Conservatories are an ideal situation for an under floor heating system since the nature of construction usually leaves very little wall space to install a radiator. Likewise, most conservatories have large glass windows that, even when double glazed, can lead to very cold rooms. Under floor heating warms the conservatory gradually from beneath making them useable rooms all year round.
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What guarantee do I get, with your under floor heating systems?
Underfloor Heating1 pipe is manufactured to the highest standard and complies with European standards and comes with a 50 years manufactures defect guarantee. All the other electrical and mechanical components come with the manufacturers standard 2 and 1 year guarantees.
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How much will it cost?
Due to the fact that each project is unique we do not offer a set m2 price. Instead we will provide you with a full quotation free of charge for your requirements.
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Can a Underfloor Heating1 system be fitted in any floor construction?
The Underfloor Heating1 system and DIY kits are designed to be fitted into a solid floor. Underfloor Heating1 can customize the kits for most floors but the type. If you have a query and cannot find the answer on this site please email us on support@underfloorheating1.co.uk.
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Can I fit carpets on top of the under floor heating?
Yes, you can have carpets. Underfloor Heating1 recommends you check with the retailer or manufacture as to suitability for use with under floor heating. Tog value should not exceed 1.5. Check with the retailer or manufacture.
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Will the under floor heating system damage my floor or carpets?
The low surface temperature that an under floor heating system generates should never reach a temperature that could cause damage to your floor surfaces.
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Can I fit laminate floor on top of the under floor heating?
Yes, you can have laminate and wood floors. Underfloor Heating1 recommends you check with the retailer or manufacture as to suitability for use with under floor heating. Tog value should not exceed 1.0. Check with the retailer or manufacture.
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Is it more expensive to install compared with a radiator system?
In new build houses, when fixed in solid screed floors it is no more expensive than a radiators system.
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Is under floor heating cheaper to run than radiators?
Yes. Radiant energy emitted by the floor is partly reflected by each surface and partly absorbed. Where it is absorbed, that surface becomes a secondary emitter. After a while, all surfaces become secondary emitters. Furnishings themselves radiate energy and the room becomes evenly and uniformly warmed. The energy reaches into every corner of the room - no cold spot, no hot ceilings and no cold feet. Because you feel, and you extremities (feet) feel so much warmer you actually run the system at a lower temperature. This is save about 10% energy. If you then connect it to a new dual temperature under floor heating condensing boilers or a heat pump then your savings will be even greater.
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Is it economical to run?
Yes, users enjoy savings of up to 20% for domestic and as high as 50% for commercial.
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What fuel does an under floor heating system run on?
You can use any kind of fuel to warm the water that circulates through the under floor heating system pipes.
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Is there a need for pressure testing before screeding?
The system should be pressure tested before screeding and left tested while screeding. If any damage was caused while screeding you could therefore check the pressure easily.
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Can it work with heat pumps?
Under floor heating works well with heat pumps as they give a constant low heat temperature.
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Can it work with solar panels?
As well as producing hot water solar panels can be used for space heating. However the design is implementation is outside of the capabilities of most DIY projects. For more information Underfloor Heating1 suggest you contact the specialists eco hometec at eco-hometec.co.uk. or cal 01302 722266 for more details.
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Can I install it myself?
Yes, self-assembly packs from as little as £395 plus VAT, can be bought from Underfloor Heating1.
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Do we need to fit aluminium spreader plates?
Spreader plates are expensive and when compared to the biscuit mix method and add nothing to the performance of the under floor heating. In certain conditions they can produce metallic sounds as they expand and contract were as the biscuit mix acts a very good sound insulator between the 1st and subsequent floors.
Because the biscuit mix method works best it is the preferred method, in timber floors Underfloor Heating1 recommend the use of a 8:1 biscuit mix screed. However care should be taken to make sure the floor construction as adequate to take the additional 18kg - 26kg m2 (depending on thickness) weight. If your floor construction prevents the use of a biscuit mix then consider using SuperFloor as an alternative. For more information Underfloor Heating1 please call or email.
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Who connects the manifold to the boiler or heat source?
Any competent plumber or heating engine can do this.
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Do I need an electrician to wire the system up?
Yes, you should always use a qualified electrician for any wiring to wire all the under floor heating. It is very simple to wire up and comes with wiring diagrams. It also needs to be wired in a way that gives you separate control of your under floor heating and hot water. See this page for more information.
Yes, you should always use a qualified electrician for any wiring to wire all the under floor heating. It is very simple to wire up and comes with wiring diagrams. It also needs to be wired in a way that gives you separate control of your under floor heating and hot water. See this page for more information.
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What happens if I nail a pipe?
To help prevent carpet fitters nailing pipes when fixing gripper pipework should be fixed 100mm away from walls. On a timber floor care should be taken when nailing the floor down. If you do nail a pipe, repair connector fittings are available.
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Is under floor heating more difficult to install than radiators?
With good preparation and planning a Underfloor Heating1 system is easier to install than radiators.
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Do we put the heating pipes under units or cupboards?
You would not normally install under floor heating under kitchen units, fridges, freezers, kitchen appliances, bathrooms and showers. These areas are generally referred to as sterile areas.
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What is night or un-occupied setback temperature and do I need it?
During the day you would typically set your room temperature controller to 20°C. During the night or when the building is un-occupied you do not need to heat the house to the same daytime temperatures. If you turned the heating off completely the house would go very could overnight and the heating system would take a few hours to warm up again in the morning.
How long would be decided by how cold the air temperature was overnight. So to overcome this problem and at the same time reduce the energy consumption during the night we use programmable room thermostats that allow you to select a lower, typically 3°C - 4°C, setback temperature during the night. If the house temperature drops to the level set by the user the heating will automatically come on until the setback temperature is reached. For added comfort and efficiency Underfloor Heating1 recommends that all heating systems control packages should unclude night or un-occupied setback temperature control as standard.
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My boiler has a circulation pump. Why do I need another one on the manifold?
The pump in the boiler circulates hot water to the radiators and the under floor heating manifolds. The pump on the under floor heating manifold is positioned downstream of the blending valve and used to pump water around the under floor heating pipework.
When the temperature of the under floor heating water reaches the point set on the blending valve it closes and isolates the under floor heating from the boiler or heat source. When this happens the manifold pump keeps the under floor heating water pumping around the under floor heating system.
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Why do we need a manifold and what is its function?
The manifold acts as the distribution hub for the under floor heating pipework and the connection between the under floor heating and the heat source. This means there are no joints under the concrete floor; it is one continuous run. The manifold is a mixing manifold and therefore needed to mix the hot water from the boiler to attain the lower temperature for the under floor heating.
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How big is the manifold?
Please click on link to download manifold dimensions. Ideally, the top of the manifold should be positioned between 600 and 700mm from the floor high enough to bend the under floor heating pipework up to it.
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Where should I place the manifold?
The manifold should be placed as close to the room that is to be heated as possible. If it is a multi zone system, the manifold should be placed as near to the centre of the house as possible so as ot to heat any of the rooms with pipework from another room.
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