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Original poster

Will I need radiators if I have underfloor heating?

26 replies

Fetasalad · 04/08/2021 18:55

Having kitchen/diner redone. We're having wet under floor heating. Will I also need to have a couple of radiators for winter or is the floor heating enough? The room is 7m x 5m.

OP posts:

Lentil63 · 04/08/2021 19:06

I can’t give you a definitive answer but I should have thought your installer could. We’re having a house built with wet underfloor heating and I am confident it will be sufficient to keep us toasty in the winter.

Livingintheclouds · 04/08/2021 19:38

No, what’s the point if you need rads too? We had it in our kitchen/family room and no need for anything else.

user16395699 · 04/08/2021 19:40

I was reading something yesterday that suggested the point of underfloor heating was so that you didn't need radiators and could free up more space.

Zarene · 04/08/2021 19:47

No need for radiators in any UFH house I've ever seen!

Our downstairs is all UFH as are the bathrooms upstairs, and it's all toasty.

Trethew · 04/08/2021 19:56

No you won’t need radiators in a room with UFH

Ozanj · 04/08/2021 20:31

No you shouldn’t need them and if your fitter suggests them be suspicious about the quality of the UFH. Just be forewarned that Porcelain is the best conducter for heat so if you really want maximum fuel efficiency go for tile floor.

PlanDeRaccordement · 04/08/2021 20:33

No. Normally underfloor heat is enough for ground floor. You’ll only need radiators for upper storeys. (In summer you can run cold water through it and it will keep house cool.)

macshoto · 04/08/2021 20:34

You shouldn't need radiators, but you do need to appreciate that the way you use UFH is different to other forms of heating.

UFH works best such that it is on most of the time and only varying room temperature a small amount during the day. It responds much more slowly than radiators do, but on the upside you only need to heat the floor to a much lower temperature. The nature of UFH is a gentle all pervading warmth rather than spot heat.

Summerhillsquare · 04/08/2021 20:43

No. The key factor is how much heat is escaping from the room. Your installer should have calculated heat loss which dictates the heat capacity of your system (in btu). If the room is well insulated, a lower heat output is needed. Only if it's basically a shed would you need extra heating. And if it's basically a shed I'd advise spending your money on insulation instead!

Original poster

Fetasalad · 04/08/2021 21:22

Perfect thank, I thought that was the case but thought I'd check with the MN massive

OP posts:

Bargebill19 · 04/08/2021 21:29

Neighbour says watch the weather forecast! As hers takes two days to reach temperature from cold and the same to cool down.
It’s a large house all ufh but stone floors downstairs and carpet upstairs. New build.

Roundearth · 04/08/2021 21:32

you shouldn't really turn underfloor heating up or down. u keep it at a set temperature always

Bargebill19 · 04/08/2021 21:54

I think when it’s approaching -15 or hitting the high 20s - they can turn that dial!!

Roundearth · 04/08/2021 22:14

that's what setting the thermostat is for . you don't fiddle with it

Bargebill19 · 04/08/2021 22:19

Exactly what the do do!!!! . When it’s forecast to be cold they turn the thermostat up. Wine it’s forecast to be hot, they turn it down. The thing is it’s NOT instant like gas heating. It takes two days for the heat to permeate.

Roundearth · 04/08/2021 23:21

they should have been given instructions on how to run it. you don't turn underfloor on and off for that very reason you just said about it taking ages..
the thermostat should be set at the temperature you want a room to be everyday regardless of what's happening outside . you don't turn the temperature you want the room to be up just because today it's cold outside. you have it set always at say 21 degrees through the day hours and timed to be 17 at night (or whatever your preference is)

Bargebill19 · 04/08/2021 23:29

@Roundearth. They aren’t turning the heating on and off. I never said that in any of my posts. However they are adjusting the thermostats up and down between 2- 4 degrees other than summer when the heating is off for 4-5 months.
It still takes 2 days for it to take effect. Hence looking at weather forecasts in advance. It’s a simple fact - gas or other heating is much more responsive. Ufh is not.
Our outside temperature can go from 0 - -15 in the space of 5 days. 18 degrees inside might be nice at the beginning of the week, but not enough at the need of the week.

To heat up the house from cold - it would take much much longer.

BlackAlys · 05/08/2021 08:14

@PlanDeRaccordement

No. Normally underfloor heat is enough for ground floor. You’ll only need radiators for upper storeys. (In summer you can run cold water through it and it will keep house cool.)

What??? Do people do this?

Mum5net · 05/08/2021 11:24

Will heating the 7m x 5m room add to OP's heating bill dramatically?
My friend has just bough a flat that is 1970s and 70metre square and is worried about the cost. He wants to replace the electric radiators with UFH.
OP - have you been told what it will cost - as we can just double your figure!

Original poster

Fetasalad · 05/08/2021 12:54

@Mum5net from what I understand wet underfloor heating is more economical that turning radiators on and off as the floor heating should keep the room at a constant temperature. Electric is cheaper and easier to fit but costs a lot to run.

OP posts:

TheLovleyChebbyMcGee · 05/08/2021 13:01

We have a heated towel rail as a radiator in our bathroom that has UFH, its livley and toasty in there when both are on. We were worried about towels drying.

But we switch the electric UFH off from around March to October t be more economical. Our cats are so disappointed its not on all the time!

TobyHouseMan · 05/08/2021 14:51

If you keep it on all the time then you should be fine.

We don't as we have a fireplace - we put the UFH in our lounge on when we feel like it and it can take 5 hours to come up to temp. So it depends on how you use the thing.

Our lounge is very well insulated so if it's cold and the UFH is off we just light a fire. Once or twice we've plugged in an electric heater until the UFH came up to temp.

PaulaSmith1 · 05/08/2021 16:07

Ask a/the manufacturer of underfloor heating system - if you give them the dimensions of your room they will be able to tell you how many BTus are needed. Allow a little extra so you should have some spare capacity just in case.

I sent our suppliers a sketch of the room marked up with door sizes, room height etc and they were very helpful.

Mum5net · 05/08/2021 21:37

My friend is getting a heating consultant to come show him the figures.
OP your new room will be such a benefit to you,

Sunflowergirl1 · 06/08/2021 02:48

@Roundearth "you shouldn't really turn underfloor heating up or down. u keep it at a set temperature always"

We have had Wet UFH for 4 years now. Ours is turned down at night and during certain parts of the day but in effect it goes off. Ie
On 4am and off 6am
On 3pm and off 6-7pm

During the depth of winter if the temp drops below 19 degrees it kicks in. Normal room temp when I'm house is 24 degrees.

Found very inexpensive to run. When it switches off at night the temp will drop to min of 23 degrees before we go to bed so last ages after turning off. Therefore underlines the insulation effect as well as the lingering heat

Radiators wouldn't work iff connected to the UFH controller as times would all be wrong but could be iff connected to the other house control. However, why would you? One aspect of UFH I love is no wall,radiators

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