Underfloor heating in kitchen

rocketdoggy · 2023-02-27T07:58:23+00:00

How easy and expensive is it to install and then run? If you have it and moved elsewhere would you install it in your new home? Basically is it worth it?

Sausagis · 27/02/2023 08:50

I'm no expert but have underfloor heating in my kitchen. Fairly sure you couldn't move it.

I think there is a big difference between wet and dry underfloor heating. I have dry, which is cheaper to install but more expensive to run. I slightly regret it - I thought my ceramic floor tiles would have more of a heat sink effect (ie store heat) but the kitchen cools down fast once the heat is off so it's not cheap to use. I think wet would have been better (but that's just a guess!)

Sausagis · 27/02/2023 08:52

Sorry, re-read and you didn't mean move it . I wouldn't put dry underfloor heating on my "positives" list, but it wouldn't be the end of the world if I ended up with it again.

CellophaneFlower · 27/02/2023 10:03

I would never have dry and it would put me off a house if it didn't have rads to use instead. I'd love wet if tiled and when I sort my kitchen, I'll only have tiles if I get ufh.

I must have a pipe that runs under my current kitchen tiles and that small area is so lovely to walk on! The rest of the floor is freezing!

emmyren4 · 27/02/2023 13:25

We have it under wood flooring in the kitchen and it's lovely. We did it out of necessity as there was no existing heating system in the house and the windows are too big to allow for sufficient radiators, but it's turned out to be amazing.

Original poster

rocketdoggy · 27/02/2023 13:43

emmyren4 · 27/02/2023 13:25

We have it under wood flooring in the kitchen and it's lovely. We did it out of necessity as there was no existing heating system in the house and the windows are too big to allow for sufficient radiators, but it's turned out to be amazing.

So is this classed as wet heating?

Does it cost much to run?

OP posts:

cocksstrideintheevening · 27/02/2023 13:54

My sil was horrified when she realised hers is costing £25 a day to run in an open plan kitchen diner, not massive. They've turned it off.

sparkypupp · 27/02/2023 14:11

Have a wet UFH system in kitchen/diner/family room. We didn't install it but the actual pipe work would have been easy to DIY. Not particularly expensive to buy however do consider that it runs best when it's on constant so the gas bills aren't cheap at the moment.

emmyren4 · 27/02/2023 14:17

rocketdoggy · 27/02/2023 13:43

So is this classed as wet heating?

Does it cost much to run?

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Yes, it's wet. Our energy bills have been pretty reasonable, considering that it's a big Georgian house with big windows in every room and we're mostly WFH. In weather like this, we have it set to run all day. For most of the winter, we've had it set to come on from 6:30-10:30am and then from 4-10pm and that's been plenty. Our kitchen is what I would call semi-open plan, has a massive opening into the dining room and a big opening on the other side into the entry hall. Each space is zoned separately and we have it set to 22 degrees and it's really comfortable.

I should add, that since the house was a completely refurb, it's very well insulated and we don't have any damp issues, so don't know if that makes a difference.

BarrelOfOtters · 27/02/2023 21:34

We had wet underfloor heating installed when extension built…it’s cheap to run. We’ve got an oil boiler. I think you can retrofit it…

electric underfloor heating is v expensive to run…

Blowitout · 27/02/2023 22:01

We have wet underfloor heating in the kitchen/diner. It heats up instantly so it only needs to be on when it’s actually needed. Before the energy prices went insane it was only a couple of £s a day for the whole house. I love it, so warm and cosy! I would like to have it installed in the rest of my house next.

HollyandHebe · 28/02/2023 09:54

We have wet underfloor in kitchen diner and it's brilliant, leave it on over winter and it seems fairly economical. Nicer (not a stuffy) type of heat compared to radiators. Better layout in my room as no radiators needed.

However, if retrofitting you'll need to add on cost moving doors/skirting up and if the floor isn't already well insulated you'll need to add insulation, otherwise you are just heating the ground. We raised the floor 22cm in total for our retrofit.

Electric is a good idea in a very small kitchen, but anything big it's expensive to run. For the people reporting really exorbitant costs I wonder if electric has been retro-fitted over existing flooring without decent insulation (to avoid having to move skirting/doors or because not enough headroom)?

Diyextension · 28/02/2023 10:16

You did not raise the floor 22cm

HollyandHebe · 28/02/2023 10:24

Yes we did, it wasn't a typo for 22mm. Insulation plus slab with pipes in. It added a step. Victorian house, with steps into the kitchen already and 2.8m high ceiling to start with.

That's the problem with retrofitting wet underfloor, if you don't have an insulated floor to start with or don't have a high ceiling or you don't want a step into room or don't want to move doors/skirting. So people fit electric as it's just a centimetre or two extra height and then get very expensive running costs, especially if the floor isn't well insulated.

Diyextension · 28/02/2023 10:25

You just build the kitchen on a raised up plinth 😀

SaltyGod · 28/02/2023 10:25

We've got electric underfloor heating in our kitchen.

It costs around 3-4kw an hour to run depending on the temp. We've turned it off to come on a certain times only with a minimum temp setting that would also kick in. This makes it much more cost effective. The cost to heat ratio is appalling.

I didn't want it but was talked into it by DH. I wouldn't have it again. In our house radiator is much more cost effective and much warmer.

Diyextension · 28/02/2023 10:43

I have retro fitted wet underfloor heating , it took us a week to dig out the floor in the kitchen, back breaking work by hand. But by raising the floor you just create more problems, step into the room, step out of the room ( outside? ). Altering the door heights internal / external . I don’t know maybe some people like steps in houses , but I prefer to keep it as level as possible.

we had a bedroom where it was one step down in to it , it was pointless so raised the whole floor level with the rest.

Diyextension · 28/02/2023 10:46

emmyren4 · 27/02/2023 14:17

Yes, it's wet. Our energy bills have been pretty reasonable, considering that it's a big Georgian house with big windows in every room and we're mostly WFH. In weather like this, we have it set to run all day. For most of the winter, we've had it set to come on from 6:30-10:30am and then from 4-10pm and that's been plenty. Our kitchen is what I would call semi-open plan, has a massive opening into the dining room and a big opening on the other side into the entry hall. Each space is zoned separately and we have it set to 22 degrees and it's really comfortable.

I should add, that since the house was a completely refurb, it's very well insulated and we don't have any damp issues, so don't know if that makes a difference.

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What do you class as pretty reasonable? It’s just I know someone with it and is £15 a day on at timer and set to 19c

whoruntheworldgirls · 28/02/2023 10:53

Blowitout · 27/02/2023 22:01

We have wet underfloor heating in the kitchen/diner. It heats up instantly so it only needs to be on when it’s actually needed. Before the energy prices went insane it was only a couple of £s a day for the whole house. I love it, so warm and cosy! I would like to have it installed in the rest of my house next.

What system is it you have that heats up instantly? I love mine but it has to come on at 5-5:30am to be warm for when we wake up at 7.

Blowitout · 28/02/2023 10:58

whoruntheworldgirls · 28/02/2023 10:53

What system is it you have that heats up instantly? I love mine but it has to come on at 5-5:30am to be warm for when we wake up at 7.

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I have no idea to be honest. It was installed by the builders as part of a bigger kitchen renovation project. I’m always surprised when people say they have to pre heat the room because mine heats up as quickly as any radiator would.

whoruntheworldgirls · 28/02/2023 11:14

Thank you @Blowitout yours sounds great. I do love mine and once we got to know how long it took to warm up it was fine, just means no 'top up' heat if it gets a bit cooler so we close the kitchen door to retain the warmth

minipie · 28/02/2023 11:18

Electric (dry) ufh is notoriously expensive and I would only have it in eg a bathroom where the area is small and it won’t be used that often.

Wet ufh (hot water pipes encased in screed, under the floor) - we have this in our kitchen, love it but it is very difficult to retrofit. Ideally would be installed at the same time as an extension or big refurb when you are doing a new subfloor.

If you already have a solid subfloor, ie a concrete slab, then retrofitting wet ufh will be bloody hard work as either the concrete will have to come out or the floor level raise up, which affects doorways steps etc.

You can however get systems like Warmboard (may have that name wrong) which are designed to fit under an existing suspended floor (ie your floor rests on joists with a space underneath), if this is what you have.

It does take a while to warm up IME, it’s actually more efficient to leave the heating on low overnight in winter than switch it off altogether. Also depends on flooring - wood takes longer to warm up than tiles.

teaandakitkat · 28/02/2023 11:28

We have an electric mat in our smallish kitchen. It heats up quickly, we only really have it on for an hour in the morning then later at night. It doesn't noticeably heat the room, just the floor. Which I love because I walk around in my socks. Dh always has his slippers on so he doesn't notice it.

We have cats and I've noticed that if there's any wet food in bowls on the floor when the heating is on it really starts to smell quickly. Dry food doesn't but I can always tell if the heating has come on and the cats have left meat in their bowls!

HollyandHebe · 28/02/2023 13:57

Diyextension · 28/02/2023 10:43

I have retro fitted wet underfloor heating , it took us a week to dig out the floor in the kitchen, back breaking work by hand. But by raising the floor you just create more problems, step into the room, step out of the room ( outside? ). Altering the door heights internal / external . I don’t know maybe some people like steps in houses , but I prefer to keep it as level as possible.

we had a bedroom where it was one step down in to it , it was pointless so raised the whole floor level with the rest.

Digging down makes more sense in most homes, despite the huge effort! Our layout is fairly unusual (split level, built on a slope, high ceilings) so building up made more sense. To the outside it did create a step down to the back porch, but I like that as it keeps the mud out of the kitchen and reminds people to take their shoes off.

For big rooms probably best to go to the major hassle of putting in wet ufh (it's lovely!) or stick to radiators!