Underfloor Heating Systems : The Main Types

vwaring | Jun 30, 2010 |

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There are three different types of underfloor heating systems that you can have installed in your home to replace your existing central heating. They are becoming more and more popular as they are easy to install, they are a cost effective and energy efficient way of heating your home, and they are becoming very affordable compared to the traditional heating systems.

1. Wired Electric Underfloor Heating

This type of underfloor heating system is acheived by electrically conductive wires/cables being laid underneath the floor boarding or tiles in an even fashion across the entire room. The way it is laid out is similar to the way a kettle works, in which a current is passed through the wiring, which then gives off heat and warms up the surrounding air. As heat rises due to the laws of physics, the hot air then hits the floorboards or tiles and then conducts the heat into the room via the floor. You can also install electric underfloor heating in the form of electrical mats, in which you simply lay out on the sub flooring. This is a much easier installation process and is a lot less messy as there are no loose wires lying around. Electric underfloor heating systems are often controlled by a thermostat, or even a number of thermostats where you will have one in each room.

2. Forced Air Underfloor Heating

This method of underfloor heating systems, is the oldest in the book, with the ancient Romans the first on record to have introduced such a method. This works by a series of ducts being installed underneath the flooring that are connected to a furnace or boiler, often powered by natural gas or oil. This will heat up the air, and this is then forced through the ducts and out through vents pointing up towards the room. There are different types of forced air systems depending on what kind of flooring you have, with some types heating the room via conduction and others by convection. However, whilst this method is perhaps the fastest to deliver heat, it is not the most energy efficient.

3. Hydro Underfloor Heating

This type of underfloor heating systems is achieved by installed a series of metal pipes underneath the flooring. Connected to a boiler, water is heated and then passed through the pipes continuously, with heat emerging from the pipes from radiation, subsequently heating the room from below. These underfloor heating systems are just as easy to install as the others, whether it be an existing house or a brand newly built one, and this method of heating is often preferred to a radiator based central heating system, as this provides a more gentle and even form of heat distribution.