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14/04/2008, 23:48 Fourbarewalls1 Joined on 23/08/2004 Posts 24 Is underfloor heating really worth the effort Why is that no mater who I ask no one has installed underfloor heating or knows anyone that has it, why is this? I could really do with chatting with someone about there system before I go ahead a spend £10,000 on ours, this includes wet system, bolier, back boiler, water cylinder. I'm over in la Souterraine 2nd - 4th May if anyone fancies a glass of wine or coffee.    Report

15/04/2008, 0:29 Btuckey Joined on 23/08/2004 11500 (Aude) Posts 123 Re: Is underfloor heating really worth the effort Have sent you a PM. Brian    Report

15/04/2008, 7:59 Cat Joined on 21/01/2005 ------- Forum Moderator ------- Lot Posts 2,788 Re: Is underfloor heating really worth the effort Strange that, we've had loads of posts about it Underfloor heating   Cathy Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...    Report

15/04/2008, 8:15 Gyn_Paul Joined on 23/08/2004 La Creuse - God's own Dept. Posts 1,163 Re: Is underfloor heating really worth the effort  Btuckey wrote: Have sent you a PM. Brian so have I, paul   "Don't think of them as problems, think of them as opportunities." "OK, I think I've hit an insurmountable opportunity!"    Report

15/04/2008, 8:16 Gyn_Paul Joined on 23/08/2004 La Creuse - God's own Dept. Posts 1,163 Re: Is underfloor heating really worth the effort Cat, is there something I need to do with Opera, to make it quote without printing all the formatting codes? paul "Don't think of them as problems, think of them as opportunities." "OK, I think I've hit an insurmountable opportunity!"    Report

15/04/2008, 8:20 Tandem_Pilot Joined on 23/08/2004 Posts 239 Re: Is underfloor heating really worth the effort  Gyn_Paul wrote: is there something I need to do with Opera, to make it quote without printing all the formatting codes? paul Yes, change it to MS Internet Explorer  - its the only browser that works fully with the forum software (I use Firefox ) Regards Alex Milton Keynes and the Haute Vienne    Report

15/04/2008, 8:34 Gluestick Joined on 22/03/2006 UK and Nord Pas de Calais Posts 2,342 Re: Is underfloor heating really worth the effort Underfloor Heating is the only real option for Geothermal. Why? Unlike other forms of wet CH, which use radiators, UFH when correctly installed, loses little heat to the substrate, but radiates heat gently upwards via the floor. Once the thermal mass of the floor has reached temperature, the floor heat creates a classic thermo-cycle, but at the bottom of the room. Most radiators also create a thermo-cycle, but at the top of the room. (Try standing on steps with your head just beneath the ceiling in a room with a wood burner working at maximum and breathing deeply!). People don't need heat just under the ceiling: they want it at waist height. UFH allows significantly less heat input to reach a cosy environment thus it's cheaper to run. UFH also spreads the heat radiation uniformly across the whole floor: not just in localised "Hot Spots" around radiators. Unfortunately, installing UFH in an established property as a Retro-Fit is not normally viable, due to the dislocation, mess and cost: it ought to be the first choice for all new builds and barn conversions (e.g.). UFH is invariably used for environmentally friendly builds. It is critical for the quality of ALL underfloor materials and workmanship to be of premier quality, since after the top floor screed is poured, it's too late for snagging! Employing the latest synthetic materials, well designed and installed UFH should demonstrate a life expectancy of 50 years ++ I think that's all: but slept in unusually today and still slightly dozy!       "Yes, but that apart, Mrs Lincoln, did you enjoy the play?" Gluestick    Report

15/04/2008, 8:40 jondeau Joined on 15/04/2008 Posts 3 Re: Is underfloor heating really worth the effort I have often wondered about this myself, the main drawback seems to be that you need to switch it on several days before you need the heat in order for the system to heat up the floors. Conversely of course, if you've got the place all warmed up and the weather suddenly becomes hot how do you turn it off ? I can't help but feel, that unless you live somewhere that is permanently cold it may well be a waste of money.      Report

15/04/2008, 8:40 Cat Joined on 21/01/2005 ------- Forum Moderator ------- Lot Posts 2,788 Re: Is underfloor heating really worth the effort Paul, I think it's probably a bug, but you could try switching from the design view to the HTML one (buttons at bottom left hand side of the text input window) to see if the formatting code is carried through to there, and then manually delete it? Not perfect, but a workaround. Cathy Sun, sun, sun, here it comes...    Report

15/04/2008, 9:10 Gluestick Joined on 22/03/2006 UK and Nord Pas de Calais Posts 2,342 Re: Is underfloor heating really worth the effort UFH runs at far lower temps than conventional wet CH. The aim is to keep the building at a comfort mean temperature level. Most systems suggest that some additional source of heating is required (e.g. woodburner) for evenings in the main room/s. Unfortunately, and as with so many engineering advances, all too often, realisations of concepts tend to be downgraded and thus defeat the primery original design philosophies. UFH ought properly to use the latest control technologies, including flow measurement, zoning and most critical of all, external sensors feeding into the central control logic, as well as "Smart" controllers which "Map" usage habits and enjoy access to historic memory; for example, average ambient external weather according to seasons. I recently posted some long overdue results from a chum who converted a bran in Wales a couple of years ago and heats this using geothermal bore holes. He recently sent me an update from his latest electricity bill. From interest, I'll post it again. This is the total cost for One Year! As a further matter of interest, the total bill for the last (Winter) six months has dropped even further, thanks to more insulation: down to £ 790! And this includes, of course, all the later price rises of circa 15%. A wee bit better than oil-fired in France with fioul now at circa 91-92 cents per litre! So, as I’ve said our single story cottage is approx 1900 squ ft. Insulation is basically stone walls with lime mortar 18” to 24” thick. The a 2” air gap to permeable building paper attached to a timber frame with 50mm celatex under plasterboard. Half the building is normal ceiling height while the remainder is open plan 16 foot to eaves. Total Energy bill per annum is £1800. I’ve subdivided it up as follows.   Jacuzzi heating and filtration.   £400        35degC operates 24/7/12 Workshop power & light.          £150        Welding, compressed air, battery charging etc. General Household.                £100         Computer, TV, domestic appliances etc. Cooking.                                £150        Heating & Hot water               £1000       Main room stats set at 18degC, Bedrooms 17degC. Hot water 49degC. Anti                                                                 Bacterial High hot water set for 60degC every 30 days. Wood burner (12kw) used in open plan area in the winter evenings. We have to be careful we don’t over do the wood burner as it easily gets too hot! "Yes, but that apart, Mrs Lincoln, did you enjoy the play?" Gluestick    Report

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