Underfloor heating has been around since the time of the Romans but with modern technology at our disposal, with today’s underfloor heating there has never been a better way to safely heat numerous different living and working conditions.
An underfloor heating system heats almost entirely by .jpg)
radiation; this is a comfortable form heating rather like the heat from the sun. Radiant energy is emitted by the floor, partly reflected by each surface and partly absorbed. Where it is absorbed, that surface becomes a secondary heat emitter.
The energy reaches into every corner of the room or space, which means no cold spots, no warm ceilings and no cold feet.
In buildings with high ceilings, the temperature actually reduces as the height increases, whilst with other systems; the convection effect increases the temperatures at high level, giving a high heat loss through the roof.
In addition to this, with underfloor heating, the comfort level is achieved with an air temperature that is 2˚C lower than convection heating systems. These factors mean that when designing an underfloor heating system, little allowance is required for buildings with high ceilings such as churches, barns, sports halls.
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• It can reduce running costs by 30%
• It is the most comfortable form of heating
• It is safe, unobtrusive, frees wall space and is quiet in operation
• It is virtually maintenance free
• It is easy to control
Underfloor heating reduces humidity within floor coverings, preventing dust mites from surviving or ensuring that they rise to the surface, where regular cleaning removes them. The reduction in air movement with underfloor heating also reduces the ingress of airborne and carpet or floor covering fungi spores, leading to an allergy free environment.
The system is installed within the buildings floor construction and comprises c cross link polyethylene pipe (PE-X) or polybutylene pipe (Pb), specifically manufactured for underfloor heating and installed within the floor in a specific design configuration with system components to suit the floor type.
Water at temperatures of 45˚C to 65˚C is circulated through a network of underfloor pipework, heating the floor to a temperature of 23˚C to 32˚C thus turning the floor into a low temperature emitter.
This form of heating can be installed in any type of floor construction, such as, screed concrete, timber joisted and timber floating floors with nearly all floor coverings.
This type of heating is suitable to operate in conjunction with boiler fed system or by using an eco-friendly ground source heat pump.
Screed Floor System
Solid floor underfloor heating systems include all floor constructions that have underfloor heating pipework embedded in concrete or screed.
They include concrete structural floors and concrete screed floors, as well as block and beam floors with a screed finish.
A typical concrete floor is shown pointing out the different elements of the floor structure and showing the underfloor heating pipework within the structure.
The sub-base will usually be made up of two layers, the first being a compact or consolidated hard-core, which will have a binding layer on top. A damp proof membrane is usually included at this level; this is essential to stop moisture transfer into the concrete.
Insulation is then laid, which is necessary to meet current building “U” values to comply with current building regulations, as well as to reduce the heat loss from the underfloor heating pipework to the floor below
PE-X or Pb pipework is then laid, held in place with one of the anchorage type and the concrete. The heating pipework is positioned to give a minimum screed depth of 60mm. Screed floor will be laid onto a sub-base, which can be a concrete base or a block and beam sub floor
Joisted/Batten Floor System
Underfloor heating systems may be successfully installed within suspended floors providing the floor is constructed to suit the application. The underfloor heating plated system can be easily adapted to accommodate a number of special floor details, including sprung floors, acoustic pads and cross battens.
The underfloor heating system consists of aluminium diffusion plates between the joists or battens. The diffusion plates are grooved to accept the heating pipework.
Floating Floor System
Floating floors reduce the overall loading within a building reducing the weight of the floor compared to other floor systems.
Insulation panels are pre-grooved at 200mmm centres with a bell shaped groove at one end to allow the pipe to turn at the end of its run.
Aluminium plates are installed to spread the heat from the pipes to the underside of the floor. The panels are produced in a range of sizes from 30mm to 100m in thickness.
Andy Vasper, KV Radiators
andy@kvradiators.com
Tel: 01788 555023 www.kvradiators.com
