The advantages of water underfloor heating

Author: dpinning  //  Category: Bathroom Flooring, DIY Tips, Heating

Water underfloor heating, also known as wet underfloor heating, is a type of underfloor or radiant heating system. Underfloor heating is an alternative to traditional types of heating such as wood, coal, gas or oil burners or wall radiators. In contrast to such types of heating, which convect heat which circulates in room air currents, usually concentrating in the highest part of a room, radiant heating brings heat into a space at floor level more evenly and efficiently. It is often cheaper to run due to the efficiency of the heat distribution and does not take up space in a room as the system is placed under the floor.

Water underfloor heating circulates heated water through a network of underfloor pipes. The entire system is regulated by an underfloor heating thermostat. The material in which the pipes are laid, which is typically concrete or wood, absorbs a great amount of the radiated heat, acting as background heat storage. Due to the relatively slow-acting nature of this heat absorption and retention, rooms have to be typically pre-heated by a number of hours to ensure the optimal and desired temperature.

In most cases, the installation of a water underfloor heating system is no more expensive than the installation of a network of radiators. Commercial operators usually market water underfloor heating on the basis that it is in the long run cheaper and more efficient than radiators.

Water underfloor systems are best suited to newly laid floors, where they can be incorporated easily during a new build.

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