Submitted by admin on Tue, 11/01/2011 - 11:58am
Most conventional heating systems use warm water,which is circulated through radiators in the heating system. This process is called convention, and this heating system simply heats the air in the room. This means that the floor is the coolest part of the room, with warm air rising to the ceiling; it also creates drafts and temperature fluctuations.
Radiator Heating Heat Movement Underfloor Heating Heat Movement
In comparison an underfloor heating system heats a room by radiant heating, which quietly and continuously warms the room by constantly circulating warm water through pipes located beneath the floor. This means that the air temperature is always highest at floor level and decreases steadily as it rises up. By using an underfloor heating system you are creating a very pleasant and comfortable environment
Energy Savings
In well insulated homes, the underfloor heating system efficiently raises the temperature of everything in the room. This allows you to lower the thermostat setting, while enjoying the same level of comfort. This can reduce your heating bills by up to 30% on heating bills.
Underfloor heating systems can also be combined with over renewable energy systems such as heat pumps and solar energy. This allows for further energy savings (please click here for further information)
Furthermore underfloor heating is now the accepted method for heating low energy or passive houses.
WHY USE UNDERFLOOR HEATING?
There are a huge nuber of benefits to using an underfloor heating system, here are just a few of them:
Comfort – A correctly designed and installed system runs efficiently and supports the bodys natural requirements for warm feet and cool head. The heat is uniformly rising from the floor, rather than having warm pockets around radiators
Aesthetics – Underfloor heating creates complete freedom of interior design with no radiators to worry about, you can use every square inch of space can be used for room layouts
Silence – Underfloor Heating is virtually silent when running
Low Maintenance – No need for manual operations, such as bleeding or painting radiatorsCost effective – Lower water temperature means lower energy, means lower heating bills
Space – more space in the property as there are no radiators to get in the way
Individual room control – Rooms are heated on an individual basis – for example the bedroom can be at a different temperature from the living roomHealthy living – Slower moving air particulates makes underfloor heating the system of choice for asthmatics. Floors dry quicker after cleaning, reducing slip hazard. Underfloor heating also eliminates the risk of contact burns and collision damage from radiators
Environment – lower fuel usage means lower CO2 emissions, better for the environment
Installing Underfloor Heating
In new homes, the most common type of installation is a “wet installation”. This consists of pouring concrete over pipes installed in the floor space. When the system is operating, the warm water circulated through the pipes and distributes it evenly throughout the floor and to everything in the room.
In comparison a “dry installation” is used when a poured floor just isn’t practical. In this case the pipe is placed in the joist space or underneath a suspended wood floor, or on top of a subfloor. Warm water circulated through the pipes and warms the floor above it.
Grants
The low temperature operating temperatures of underfloor heating systems make it ideal to combine with heat pumps. (Click here for more information).
In Northern Ireland, Heat pumps qualify as a Renewable heat source under the Renewable Heat Inventive (RHI) scheme. This means that the RHI will pay you to heat your home using underfloor heating in conjunction with a heat pump
Further Information
For further information and to obtain a quote please contact NuTech Renewables
Telephone: + 44 (0) 028 417 53031
Email: info@nutechrenewables.com
