Are you about to construct a house and have all of the necessary permits? You will require a heat pump for underfloor heating in addition to a concrete pump for ready-mixed concrete. Underfloor heating is a fashionable and popular choice in house building these days, but there are a few things to consider before installing it.
If you are thinking of building a new house or expanding your current one, underfloor heating is a viable option worth considering. It will provide you with comprehensive comfort and cost-effective amenities.
This complete guide tells you what underfloor heating is and what you need to consider before installing it.
What Exactly Is Underfloor Heating?
Underfloor heating is an action or activity that involves the installation of plumbing on the floor during the construction of a home or property. The goal of employing underfloor heating is to create a radiator and warm up the floor. There are two kinds of underfloor heating:
- Electric Underfloor Heating. It is a kind of space heating that involves installing a thin heating wire under the surface of your floor. When necessary, the wires heat up, heating the floor surfaces and emitting radiant heat into your room. The floor will also be warm to the touch.
- Hydronic Underfloor Heating Systems. To transport hot water, hydronic underfloor heating depends on pipes installed in the concrete slab or screed. The water may then be heated using a number of energy sources, with a natural gas boiler being the most efficient.
Which Underfloor Heating System Is Best For My Home?
Choosing the right type of floor heating for your home depends on a number of factors.
Electric underfloor heating is generally your best choice if you want to add underfloor heating to an existing house, especially a smaller one, or if you only want to add underfloor heating to a single room, such as the kitchen or bathroom. However, if you’re searching for a total-home heating system for your newly constructed house, hydronic underfloor heating may be more costly initially but may significantly cut your power bill in the long run.
Considerations Before Installing Underfloor Heating
If you’re constructing your ideal home and want to remain warm all winter with pleasant, radiant heat, here are some things to think about before you begin installing underfloor heating.
1. What Kind Of Slab Will You Be Using For The Floor?
The concrete floor slab is often the first step in constructing a new house. The simplest and most cost-effective way to place pipes in a new slab is to attach them to the reinforced steel mesh. When the meshes have already been installed, we may install the lines in preparation for pouring the concrete. The hydronic piping is placed inside the solid slab. In this instance, you may place a second layer of concrete on top of your structural slab. It is frequent if there is a current structural slab or if your floor has a polished surface of the concrete since the topping slabs have different qualities than the structural slab, making it more suitable for polishing.
In this instance, we propose a topping slab thickness of 90mm. There should be two layers of steel mesh, with the bottom layer resting on 20mm seats and the hydronic pipes linked to the upper layer. The tubes should then be covered with a second level of steel, preventing the concrete’s surface from breaking. The typical diameter of the pipes is 16 mm. Therefore, this construction provides a 50 mm concrete slab over the lines. Minitec Uponor, which may be put on top of the existing slab and measures just 15 to 20 millimetres thick, can be used. This kind of technology is a lot more expensive.
2. What Source Of Heat Will You Use?
You must also evaluate the sort of source of heat you want to use. In Australia, gas boilers are often used to heat hydronic radiant floor heaters since they have the cheapest installation cost. However, when gasoline prices rise, operating expenses are no longer as reasonable as they previously were.
As an alternative, electrical heating pumps are gaining popularity, particularly in residences lacking a gas connection. These are typically $5,000 to $10,000 more costly to build over a gas boiler, but they are affordable to operate.
If you want a solar energy system, whatever electricity you produce will assist in powering the heat pump. In this instance, it may be cost-effective since your operating expenses would be almost nonexistent. Ultimately, you will need to select depending on your budget, the time you expect to reside in the home, the availability of gas or 3-phase electricity, and your preferences for renewable vs nonrenewable energy sources.
3. How Big Is The Area You’re Heating?
It is usual in European houses to install underfloor heating all throughout the structure.
In Australia, however, many individuals do not want heating within their bedrooms and instead install underfloor heating exclusively in their living room or moist areas such as bathrooms.
It is possible to heat the floor with either hydronic or electric radiant systems. Electric systems are less expensive to build but more costly to operate. Hydronic systems are probably more costly to make but less expensive to operate.
In Floor Heating System: The Best Way To Stay Warm And Cozy
The rules of thermodynamics are in your favour within the in-floor heating system. Consider the operation of typical furnace-based heating & cooling systems to better comprehend how floor heating may assist in heating a whole space. Heated air will be propelled (by a fan) via ducts that empty through vents & dampers further into different rooms of your residence. Some heat loss is unavoidable because air must be moved or circulated in your house. It may exacerbate this loss in homes and rooms where vents are situated towards the ceiling instead of the floor. Remember that warm air rises but only descends when it loses heat or energy.
Conclusion
Before installing an underfloor or in floor heating system, you better plan things to save more while enjoying yourself inside your warm and cosy home. Electric underfloor heating is preferable if you only need to heat a bathroom or any small area. A hydronic system and open-plan living/dining space will often save you money in the long run. With an in-floor heating system, thermodynamics works in your favour.