Underfloor heating, yay or nay?

[TerrysNo2]

Do you have it?

Just wondering if we should get it in our kitchen rather than a new radiator (we are totally renovating so easy to put in before the new floor)

Our builder thinks we should just get a radiator as he thinks underfloor heating can break and then you can't fix it unless you take the whole floor up.

[PareyMortas]

Nay.

It takes two hours to heat up so you have to know in advance if you want it on, this is particularly annoying in the winter.

We have had ongoing issues with ours and have tied everything to avoid taking up the engineered wood floor that's over it, but really it all needs to come up.

I dream of a radiator.

[Taffeta]

We have it in most of downstairs incl kitchen.

Advantages, no ugly rads, toasty warm feet
Disadvantages,it does take a while to warm up. You have to be organised. In our set up, which is open plan it's hard to heat a small area

I love it.

[TerrysNo2]

so I could have it throughout downstairs and not have any radiators??

can you put it under hardwood flooring?

[Taffeta]

Yes all downstairs. We have a little rad in the downstairs loo. Can't remember why.

We have it under engineered oak.

[didireallysaythat]

Am I right in thinking that retro fitting electric under floor heating means using electric and if so how much chasing in is required ? Our floors downstairs are solid and the EPC suggests insulating which again requires chasing in and raising things. Was wondering if when going through this hassle fitting heating wouldn't be much more upheaval.

The running costs are what bother me... Not sure PV will help...

[didireallysaythat]

Doh - excuse my obsession with the word electric. Life will be so much better when the toddler sleeps through...

[frogwatcher42]

Its ok while it works. You need one cool area though, for the dog to lie on as he gets too hot!!!

But then it all goes wrong! And then it is a nightmare. Give me a radiator any day.

[PigletJohn]

electric heating costs about three times as much to run as gas.

how difficult to install, and how long to warm up, depends on whether you have a wooden floor with a gap underneath, or concrete. If you have an existing concrete floor it will be approximately impossible to insulate under it.

It s all much easier if you are laying a new floor anyway.

[purplewithred]

Water underfloor heating is fantastic but not an easy retrofit. Definitely need a specialist company to do it.

[yourcruisedirector]

I love our underfloor heating - we installed it under our slate bathroom floor a few years ago, and we have it on a timer to come on morning and evening through winter. There's nothing more cheery on an early winter morning than warm feet.

We have it under the wood floor in the conservatory, which is at a low level all through winter and off in summer - it takes the chill off but doesn't ever feel warm like the bathroom.

I would certainly think about having it in a tiled kitchen, if the kitchen is big enough to hang out in, and especially if you want the wall space where a radiator would be. Having said that, a friend had it installed under her stone kitchen floor and half of the mat broke almost immediately. It was almost two years before the builder agreed to take on the cost of pulling up the floor and fixing the broken bit, so they only had one warm half. That was pretty rubbish...

[didireallysaythat]

PigletJohn I have been greatly puzzled by the EPC statement that insulating the ground floor would save us £s when I can find no good explanation of what we'd need to do to achieve this insulation .. I suspect its a box to tick on the form but to qualify for the RHI you are supposed to do the work in the order they state...



I'm not that inclined to go to under floor heating because of the running costs.

[TerrysNo2]

yourcruise is yours electric?

[yourcruisedirector]

terrys I think so - DH bought and installed them both but I'm pretty sure both electric. One is a wire which you lay out in a looped pattern and the newer one is a series of mats.

[MrsTaraPlumbing]

UFH yes if possible esp in new build.
Electric is easy to retro fit.
UFH is a must under tiled floors.
Even though we do not have it on mos of the time.

[stealthsquiggle]

Do you mean plumbed stuff to heat the whole room, OP?

If so, yet, but get a specialist to fit it.

Electric UFH is good for snuggy floor but not an alternative to radiator.

[stealthsquiggle]

Yay

[TerrysNo2]

not a consensus here, I've no idea what to do now!

[TerrysNo2]

not sure about plumbed stuff, will look into it. pigletjohn is electric ufh going to be more expensive to run then a radiator?

[PigletJohn]

yes.

energy from electricity costs about three times as much as energy from gas.

If you have a concrete floor to heat up, an "economy 7" type tariff will enable you to heat the slab overnight more cheaply, but you are likely to need additional heating devices as well.