Underfloor heating - wet system or electric?

[Daisybell1]

I really don't know which to go for

We have an old boiler which I fear is reaching its capacity. Its inefficient but reliable and we're on oil. I'd always planned to have electric underfloor heating to try and reduce our reliance on oil, but now both the builder and plumber are trying to push us towards a wet system.

I realise they're better long term, but oil prices are only going up and the house is likely to be rented out in 6 or 7 years anyway.

The room is 4 x 8m, with a log burner going in the other end, and we'll be hanging on to at least one radiator too.

Can anyone advise? And while I'm here, which thickness under floor insulation do I need?

Thank you!

[Daisybell1]

Quick update, we've decided to go with a wet system. I am still really worried about the impact on our oil bills, and the other works which the plumber say he'll have to do (getting a straight answer out of him exactly what he needs to do is incredibly difficult).

However, he said that installing the wet system would be cheaper than the electric, plus with the running costs being less, it became the obvious choice.

[purplewithred]

I was about to say I put in wet with a gas boiler when we built our house and it was wonderful. We never got round to installing our log burner let alone lighting it, never ended it. (Which was a bit of a shame as I love a real fire).

[myron]

We decided to forgo the UFH totally when renovating our entire house due to budget. We originally had specified the wet system together with radiators. Insulating between the floor joists made a huge difference (easy and cheap to do with the ceilings down anyway) - so much that we have to turn off some of the radiators downstairs due to being too hot! If you are over budget, you will save a few thousand by not having it which is another option. No doubt, you will up spending the money elsewhere - such is the case with house renovation. We spent it on landscaping the driveway and patio!

[Daisybell1]

Thanks Myron, we're insulating around the external walls, and putting some in the ceiling.

The plumber has said it will only cost £500 to put it in as the floor is having to be redone anyway.

[myron]

Just to be clear, the 'wet' system is the more expensive to install because it's basically more pipework linked to the gas CH but cheaper to run. Electric matting system is much cheaper to install but more expensive to run. If you have been quoted £500, that sounds like a massive bargain to me! - what is the square footage?

[Daisybell1]

It's a 4x4m room, plus a bit underneath the removed wall.

The plumber is on the job already plus the floor had already been taken up as the joists were rotten. The plumber saying it was going to be cheaper than the matting was the final decision-maker.