More and more people are choosing the option of under floor heating for their homes; thanks to low running costs and great efficiency, under floor heating systems are becoming extremely popular.
Under floor heating allows the heat to radiate around a room from many points; this is unlike a radiator which only heats up the air around it. A constant heat around a room is much more comfortable than an intense heat in one area. Under floor heating warms a room to a comfortable temperature and keeps it at that temperature. Unlike central heating, under floor heating should be turned on for the majority of the time in order to experience its best effects.
Under floor heating systems are great for all types of houses – no matter how new or old – however, people who live in smaller houses may find under floor heating more beneficial as they will gain, on average, 15% more space without radiators.
Once the room is warm other surfaces begin to absorb the heat so eventually they too will emit heat around the rest of the room. The best thing about under floor heating is that it prevents draughts from chilling the room.
Under floor heating systems are also much more hygienic than radiators and other convective heating forms. Radiators use heated air as a mechanism to transport heat energy to the rest of the room. Because hot air rises it means that the warmest air is at the ceiling and the coolest air on the ground; this can cause the air to become dry which can lead to dry eyes. Conventional heating systems also cause dust from the ground to circulate in the air that you breathe which can be particularly bad for allergy sufferers.
Under floor heating systems are really energy efficient and work really well when paired with alternative energy sources like solar panels. Because the water in an under floor heating system only has to be heated to between 40°c and 60°c as opposed to the 70°c to 80° required by a radiator it is much easier to heat the water using solar energy. Although the water flowing through the system is probably too hot for comfort, the temperature of the floor doesn’t actually rise above 29°c which is extremely comfortable. As the weather warms up you can turn the temperature down and even turn it off altogether in the summer months.