Underfloor Heating Homeowner Guide

An important consideration with underfloor heating is the room size you’re looking to install it in. Electric underfloor heating is widely chosen for smaller areas of the home, in particular those spaces such as bathrooms and kitchens due to potential higher running costs here. Whereas water underfloor heating systems are considered to be better for larger rooms, and when installed in several different rooms of the home.

Though it can be possible in some homes to use underfloor heating as your primary heating source, some areas may need a little extra heating boost just to ensure complete comfort. Once again, this factor will depend on the size of the room you’re looking to heat, its insulation, design, and current heating sources.

If your room is well-insulated then UFH should be capable of providing the full heating demand to your home. Yet, for those rooms that need just that little extra help, smaller radiators or heated towel rails may be required to boost the heat.

Some people are simply not a fan of seeing bulky radiators taking up space around the home and consider replacing them with underfloor heating. Many also find radiators aren't entirely safe options for young children, they only work to heat certain areas of the room, and their reliance on air circulated solely via convection heating can aggravate many allergy sufferers. Overall, underfloor heating is considered to give a more comfortable, even heat while freeing up valuable wall space and being more efficient to run.

Underfloor heating works well with most flooring types including laminate, ceramic and stone tiles, vinyl, linoleum, and many carpet choices. However, solid wood is not advisable as it can shrink and expand by being dried out with the high heat.

Though most carpeted areas can still benefit from underfloor heating, it’s advisable that both your carpet choice and underlay offer no more than a 2.5 tog in total. This is to allow the desired temperature to penetrate through the material.

If you’re looking for a quick installation process and little disruption, then an electric underfloor heating system will be your best choice. The ideal solution for retrofits, electric systems have minimal effect on existing floor heights. Though most electric underfloor heating systems can be fitted as a DIY project, a reputable installer will be able to install electric underfloor heating in less than one day.

Water underflooring heating systems understandably require a lengthier installation process, taking anywhere from one to as many as five days. This is primarily to do with it being a more complex system, especially in the process required of pulling up the floor to accommodate it. Though it can be a DIY job, it will require some basic experience.

Both electric and wet underfloor heating can be controlled via a thermostat. Electric thermostats allow you to control your room temperature from a central location, adjusting the heat to keep your room warm and comfortable. If you have underfloor heating through multiple rooms then it’s best to have them individually ‘zoned’ with separate stats controlling each area.

Immersion heater thermostats can be used for both water and electric underfloor heating systems. With a larger temperature sensor, they can help maintain the desired temperature by controlling the power output and the water being heated. 

Such smart controls can help you get the most energy-efficient and comfortable temperatures throughout the day depending on the area and conditions, ultimately running at a lower temperature than radiators in the process.