11 Feb 2018

7 Things to Consider Before Choosing Underfloor Heating

Are you sick and tired of having cold feet whenever you step out of bed in the morning? Perhaps you’re looking for a heating system that won’t cost an arm and a leg to run? Maybe you’re building a new home and you want the ultimate luxury in home heating? If you’re saying yes to any of these points, then you’ll love everything that underfloor heating has to offer. Whilst this has only recently become a popular choice among Australians, it uses a method that dates back thousands of years, allowing you to combine modern technology with ancient techniques – though that doesn’t mean it’s the ideal choice for everyone. Consider these seven things before you install slab heating in your home.

  • Wet or Electric? - There are two main ways to heat your home when it comes to underfloor systems: Wet and Electric. Electric runs from your mains power and is often slightly cheaper to install. Wet systems use warm water from a boiler and have far lower running costs – which is generally why it’s the more popular choice.
  • Will your floor coverage work? - Many people are reluctant to invest in underfloor heating because they love their carpet and feel it can only work with tiles or polished concrete. Thankfully, slab heating can be used with all of the most popular types of floors, including timber, carpet, natural stone and tiles.
  • Can you heat different rooms at once? - If cutting down heating costs is your goal, the idea of heating the whole home when you’re only spending time in the living room may not sound appealing. Luckily, your professional installation team will be able to set your home into different zones – all able to be controlled with the same remote!
  • Do you have a two-story home? - Unfortunately, if you are interested in slab heating but have (or are building) a home with more than one level, underfloor heating may not be the best choice, as the pipework is laid in concrete. Take advantage of this method by using underfloor systems on the ground floor and trench heating or radiators on the other floors – all connected to the same boilers.
  • Which pipes should you use? - Work with a builder who knows exactly what they’re doing, and you will have high-quality and long-lasting materials used throughout the build. We recommend insulated polyurethane pipes, as they are almost completely maintenance free, easy to install, and resistant to corrosion.
  • Can it be installed within existing homes? -  As underfloor heating is laid in a concrete slab, it is often installed during a new build or substantial renovation. If you live within an existing home but still want to use hydronic heating, consider the wide range of other options; including trench heating and radiators.
  • Is it environmentally friendly? - With more and more people becoming eco-conscious, looking for sustainable heating solutions is incredibly important. Not only does underfloor heating use less energy to run, the boilers they are connected to have an extremely low mono-nitrogen oxide and carbon-dioxide emissions – making it the ideal environmentally friendly heating solution!

As you can see, underfloor heating truly is an excellent choice for everyone, thanks to its eco-friendly design and low running costs. If you’re unsure if it will work within your home, or you’re ready to take the next steps, get in touch with an experienced hydronic heating company today!