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Is it safe to use electric underfloor heating?

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Electric underfloor heating is an excellent method to increase the sustainability of your house, and because electric systems use mains-connected energy, it is normal that you have concerns about the safety of installing these systems. In this article, we’ll go through the many ways Heatec’s electric floor warmers have been developed to keep you safe. You will discover:

  • Why is there no danger of electric shock with floor heating?
  • Our technology’s safety accreditations
  • Top tips for installing electric floor heating safely
  • How might floor heating assist with allergies?
  • Our guarantees offer you with peace of mind.

Is electric floor heating dangerous?

Concerned about the possibility of receiving an electric shock while installing underfloor heating? Don’t be. Our electric floor heating systems go through a thorough research and development process, resulting in a totally safe product with almost no risk of shock.

Is installing UFH in a wet room safe?

Floor heating is a particularly common heating solution for bathrooms. After a pleasant shower, the subtle warmth created by floor heaters significantly boosts comfort levels and adds a true feeling of luxury to chilly tiled bathroom floors. One of the concerns that individuals may have when putting an electric system in their bathroom is whether or not the system will be safe, given that water and electricity may be a deadly mix. Yes, electric underfloor heating is a highly safe method of heating thanks to Heatec’s cutting-edge technology, which avoids any inadvertent injury to you before, during, or after installation.

Is it safe to use floor heating if you have allergies?

Another advantage of electric underfloor heating is that the heat radiating from the floor not only increases comfort levels but also improves the air quality of a space when compared to alternative heating systems. Conventional heating methods focus on heating the air of a space, which increases the movement of dust and can cause breathing problems for allergy sufferers, whereas underfloor heating uses radiant heat technology to directly warm the people and objects in the space, keeping the air fresh and clean. Traditional heating methods also lower the humidity in the space, making the air dry and unpleasant. Floor heating is therefore highly recommended for allergy patients.

If you have any questions or need assistance with your UFH system, please contact Heatec at (07) 38062326.

radiant-heating

What is heat loss and why is it significant?

Conduction, radiation, convection, or a combination of the three can cause heat loss. Heat loss is the movement of heat from the inside of a building to the outside via the building’s fabric. Heat loss is frequently stated in kilowatts (kW). Calculating heat loss allows you to calculate how much energy is required to keep a space at the specified temperature on cold days. It is critical to understand what heat loss is, how to decrease it, and how it will affect your choice of a floor heating system. Subtracting the heat loss amount from the heat output of your heating system can help you decide whether your underfloor heating system is capable of heating a space.

Heat loss has an impact on the installation of underfloor heating. For example, by insulating your home, you may be able to use the underfloor heating system as your major source of heat. You may also utilize the system in conjunction with other heating systems. It is critical to understand the heat output of an underfloor heating system before purchasing one. To verify that your system produces enough heat, compare its output to its heat loss. Calculating the heat loss ahead of time will offer you confidence in purchasing a heating system that you know will perform properly after installation. To generate enough heat to warm a dwelling, a system’s heat production must be greater than its heat loss.

There are various reasons why determining a building’s heat loss is important:

  1. Calculating heat loss allows you to assess the necessary heating and electricity needs for your building to guarantee that it is sufficiently heated.
  2. Determining heat loss allows you to determine if your structure satisfies regulatory requirements.
  3. You will be able to determine whether or not it is possible to fulfill the comfort levels of a building’s residents.
  4. A heating system’s operating expenses and energy consumption may be precisely calculated.
  5. Before installing an underfloor heating system, it is critical to determine the heat loss of a home or a room. This manner, you may get a heating system that will fulfill your property’s heating needs.

Selecting the Best Underfloor Heating System

With so many different types of underfloor heating systems on the market, how do you know which one is suitable for your home? When selecting an underfloor heating system, you should constantly consider the heat loss of a room or structure. If you neglect to account for heat loss, you may wind up purchasing an underfloor heating system that does not effectively heat a building or a room to improve occupant comfort. It is also essential to assess a building’s insulation and whether it should be increased. Underfloor heating systems need a particular quantity of insulation in order to reduce heat loss to the subfloor and maximize heat output above.

Ren Pidgeon

What you need to know about summer heating.

It might be difficult to keep your house at a comfortable temperature all year. Homes are often designed to keep heat in and cold out. This is great for the cooler part of the year, but it might be an issue when the temperatures begin to rise.

Ensuring sure your heating system is properly configured for summer will help to guarantee that your home keeps cool and that your heating isn’t running when it shouldn’t. This will not only make your house more pleasant, but it will also minimize energy usage and heating expenditures.

Our summer heating guide ensures you’re ready for the hotter months. Here’s all you need to know about keeping cool and your heating systems working throughout the hotter months.

When should you switch off your heater in the spring?

Before summer arrives, you’ll need to start thinking about your heating system, and spring is the ideal time to do it. The best time to switch off your heating in the spring is determined by a number of factors, including the level of insulation in your home and your personal preferences.

It is, however, usually advised that you set your thermostat to 18°C to 21°C. This will tell your central heating system to switch on and off as needed to keep the temperature within this range.

Is it possible to switch off the underfloor heating in the summer?

In the summer, turn off the underfloor heating to save electricity and increase comfort. Every couple of weeks, turn on the underfloor heating for 15-20 minutes to detect any issues and prevent the system from malfunctioning.

After the summer, turn on the underfloor heating

When reactivating underfloor heating after an extended period of inactivity, proceed in the same manner as when the system was originally installed. For additional information, please visit heatec.com.au for complete instructions on turning on an underfloor heating system for the first time.

What steps to take with direct heating systems in summer

The distinction between a central heating system and a direct heating system is that a direct heating system must be manually engaged in order to function. This implies that you may simply choose not to use your direct heating system to heat your house during the warmer months, or even during the colder months.

Whether you have an electric heater, you will use it less throughout the summer. But, keep in mind that they may need to be cranked up from time to time to see if they require maintenance. Checking your heating system is critical to ensuring that it will function when you need it and should not be disregarded, even if it is hot.

Overall, properly regulating your heating system throughout the summer may save you money, ensuring that your heating system is completely operational, and keep your house at a comfortable temperature. For more information on a thorough energy saving guide, visit heatec.com.au.

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BENEFITS OF UNDERFLOOR HEATING IN BATHROOMS

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Do you despise getting out of the shower and feeling cold again? Thanks to underfloor heating, you won’t have to be uncomfortable anymore!

Bathrooms are ideal locations for underfloor heating systems, which work effectively beneath virtually any hard floor surface. Bathroom floor heating radiates upward through the floor, making the space more comfortable while softly adjusting the temperature. We’ll go over the advantages of bathroom underfloor heating in this section.

EFFICIENT IN ENERGY AND COST

Bathroom heaters consume less energy than traditional convection and fan heaters. Owing to the lack of a breakout path that prior approaches provided, underfloor heating keeps heat on the floor for a longer period of time. Radiant heat saves homes 15% on average on heating bills!

As a consequence, heated bathrooms only require modest surface temperatures of roughly 28 degrees Celsius. Many people feel that running an underfloor heating system will be expensive. In actuality, underfloor heating systems are designed to heat the areas that require it rapidly and accurately.

YOUR BATHROOM WILL BE MORE RELAXING.

Showering in cold weather, with moist bathroom tiles and water may be unpleasant. You won’t have to worry about any of this if your bathroom has underfloor heating.

Couldn’t the same thing be done with a regular forced air heater? No, not at all. Underfloor heating employs radiant heat rather than fan-based systems, which shows two things:

  1. There is no breeze to hit your wet body after leaving the shower.
  2. Even heating rather than unpleasant hot and cold zones close and distant from the fan.

THAT MAKES YOUR BATHROOM FLOORS LESS SLIPPERY.

This is a significant advantage of bathroom underfloor heating. Bathroom floor drying is faster and more uniform with underfloor heating than with forced air systems. As a consequence, slippery spots that might cause accidents and physical harm are efficiently eradicated.

STOPS THE DEVELOPMENT OF EVIL ORGANIZATIONS

Another advantage of keeping your bathroom flooring dry is that it avoids the growth of mold and other harmful germs, which might lead to a number of ailments, such as:

  • Asthma
  • Allergies
  • Sinus fungus caused by allergies
  • Hypersensitivity pneumonitis

When you combine this with a great heated towel rail to keep your bathroom towels toasty and dry at all times, you’ve got the ideal arrangement for decreasing the amount of moisture in your bathroom.

 

RUN STRAIGHTFORWARD

Another advantage of bathroom underfloor heating is that it requires very little maintenance after installation, and Heatec provides extensive warranties on all of our equipment for total piece of mind. Unlike water underfloor heating systems, which require periodic inspection to maintain optimum operation, electric systems do not require frequent maintenance.

 

health-benefits

Is underfloor heating beneficial to your health?

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Yes, simply yes! Underfloor heating has the potential to significantly enhance your health and well-being. There is, however, one condition. It must be installed appropriately, with the appropriate solution and in the appropriate environment.

Asthma affects around 2.7 million Australians (10.7% of the total population), 800,000 of whom are children, and attacks can be induced by mites found in home dust. Other allergy-related symptoms such as itching, sneezing, coughing, and even other respiratory issues might be induced in addition to asthma. Even if you clean your home on a regular basis, dust mites are difficult to eradicate.

But how might underfloor heating help?

Dust mites thrive in high moisture environments and are common in carpets. That is why, as the quantity of moisture in the space decreases, more people are shifting to hard floor surfaces and/or installing underfloor heating. In fact, underfloor heating can lower the quantity of dust mites in your house by up to 80%! If you don’t like the idea of a hard floor, electric underfloor heating may be put beneath your carpet. However, the carpet must not be more than 1.5 tog, or else the heat would be contained by the carpet and the room will remain cold.

Other health related benefits

Less travelling dust

Traditional radiators heat a space using convection, which causes heat to ascend and then descend when the temperature drops. This form of heat circulates dust particles around the room, making it easier to breathe in but far more difficult for those of you who have respiratory issues. However, because the area is heated by radiation, there is significantly less air movement with underfloor heating, lowering your chances of breathing dust.

Avoid those slips

How many times have you almost slid when getting out of the bath or shower? How many are there? Floors dry faster with underfloor heating, so you’re less likely to trip on those puddles.

Reduce aches and pains

Individuals suffering from joint disorders such as arthritis might also benefit from underfloor heating. High humidity and low pressure might aggravate existing conditions. As we now know, underfloor heating helps to minimize moisture in the air while also providing a continual source of heat. Having close contact with a heated floor really helps to alleviate those aches and pains.

Reduce the risk

Although it is uncommon, at some time in our life, we will inadvertently touch a highly hot radiator, resulting in an unpleasant burn. There is no chance of this with underfloor heating, which is why an increasing number of residential and nursing homes are turning to underfloor heating to help safeguard their residents.

So yes! underfloor heating can really improve your health!

living room - heating

Is it safe to leave my underfloor heating on all day?

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Is it safe to leave my underfloor heating on all day? We are all aware that as compared to a standard radiator setup, a well-installed and insulated wet underfloor heating system may save households money on their heating expenditures.

Furthermore, unlike a radiator system, which may require frequent checks and bleeding, underfloor heating is incredibly dependable and requires very little care.

But one question remains: how to get the maximum efficiency out of the system. Is it safe to leave my underfloor heating on all day?

Take a look at the following tips to help you make the most of your radiant heating system in order to optimize possible savings while keeping a warm and pleasant living area.

Is it best to leave my underfloor heating on all day?

In a nutshell, sure, but it does depend on the season.

Keeping the underfloor heating on throughout the cold months ensures faster reaction times when the warmth is required. It may seem strange to leave the heating on when everyone is gone for the day, but underfloor heating can take two or three hours to warm up from stone cold.

This is because the screed over the heater elements requires time to transmit heat and radiate it up through the floor to create the desired air temperature.

However, if kept on at a low heat, it may soon heat up to a comfortable level.

Nevertheless, it is still important to control the temperature overnight by efficiently managing your thermostats.

Use thermostats efficiently

A decent underfloor heating system should be highly programmable, and thanks to the rising popularity of smart thermostats, many are now remotely accessible via mobile devices. This offers you complete control over your system, ensuring that no energy is wasted when it is not required.

A correctly built system should also allow the family to choose the temperature they want in each room during the day, a process known as ‘zoning.’ Installing contemporary heating controls in a house may save a family up to 40% on their energy expenditures.

It’s a good idea to use your thermostats to lower the air temperature to the mid-teens overnight. Setting them to warm up in the morning will provide you with a pleasant temperature to begin the day and make getting out of bed simpler. Then, once everyone has left, return them to a resting temperature during the day if no one is in.

Again, you can do all of this using your control panel. Setting it up right will ensure that it begins warming automatically before anyone arrives home, ensuring that they return to a comfortable and inviting temperature.

Use heating only when necessary

Many families, particularly those with bigger houses, may discover that they utilize some rooms every day and others just sometimes.

During the colder months, it’s a good idea to restrict the amount of heat used in rooms that aren’t frequently occupied (spare bedrooms, dining rooms, etc.) and instead prioritize heating in social spaces.

A zonal control system allows you to individually set the temperature of each room, allowing you to experience the comforting comfort of radiant heating where you need it most – without wasting energy elsewhere.

greenhouseseedlings

Propagation Bottom Heats

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When propagating plants, particularly stem cuttings, providing bottom heat helps optimize root development without heating (and so drying off) the tops of the plants. It may be used to produce the optimal environment for plant growth – cool tops and warm bottoms!

Bottom heat can be provided in a variety of methods, including:

  • Buy a propagator with built-in base heating. These can range in size from windowsill propagators to enormous greenhouse propagators.
  • Soil warming wires should be placed in damp sand with at least 5cm of sand above and below them. If the cables are buried exactly beneath an enclosed enclosure, such as a propagation case, this is most effective for propagation. Cables are available for a variety of applications, including propagation units, general greenhouse heating, and cold frame warming, so make sure you choose the proper one.
  • Place a non-heated propagator under an electric blanket (one meant for the purpose, not a bed warming electric blanket).
  • Layer fresh straw horse manure, soil, and a sprinkle of lime to create a ‘hot bed’ in your greenhouse borders (to neutralize the acidic manure). Make three layers of these and allow it for a few days to heat up before using.

Where possible, seek to select a heating solution with thermostatic control (with the exception of the ‘hot bed’ solution) so that you can guarantee the proper degree of heat is provided to the plants and that you are not overheating them.

It is critical to keep the clear cover over the plants while utilizing a heated propagation unit to preserve moisture.

coldroom

What are Heating Cables and How Do They Work in Freezers and Coldrooms?

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Heating cables are a type of electrical wire that is designed to emit heat. Because the product is flexible, it is simple to wrap the cables around objects to keep them warm. When used in freezers and Coldrooms, the product’s purpose becomes clearer.

Application in a Room

When we think about freezers, we think of one environment. A thermostat and a cooling unit lower the temperature. Ice develops, and we never consider the need for warmth. After all, this is supposed to be a frigid area. Subzero air, as intended, prevents taste-degrading biological activities by keeping the temperature cold, but freezers and Coldrooms also rely on technology and structural components that cannot withstand ice. Special flexible heating components, heating wires that operate as a low-grade but effective trace warming line, are used to solve the problem. They are installed on freezer doors to prevent ice from distorting or freezing the mechanism, and they are also used to protect pipes since they run parallel to water lines and prevent liquid water from freezing.

Prevents Floor Heave

If we were to go inside an old cooler and see how it has survived the decades, we would definitely be astonished, because the floor has suffered a terrible transformation. Concrete flooring does not respond well to subzero temperatures; thus some type of floor heating is required to avoid this messy structural issue. A properly fitted network of heating cables, going over every square meter of the floor, prevents the floor from freezing solid and the concrete from “heaving.” Keep in mind that a frozen floor will split and raise, opening up a new route for energy loss.

The cables are available in two variations: self-regulating and fixed resistance. Within the cable, two self-regulating conductors sandwich a particular conductive core that alters its conductivity as the temperature changes. Meanwhile, the purpose of the fixed resistance is self-explanatory in that it always supplies the same amount of heat.

When adding heating to freezers and coldrooms, an installation engineer examines the length of the run, the kind of heating wires, and a variety of other criteria.

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How Long Does It Take to Warm Up Underfloor Heating?

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When you’ve finished installing all of the flooring and the weather begins to cool, you may use your underfloor heating system to keep warm. Only to be left shivering till early am since the heated floors do not appear to be working correctly. Many people forget how long it should take for heated flooring to warm up.

Electric underfloor heating begins to warm up instantly and reaches operational temperature in a matter of minutes. It might take up to three hours for water-based underfloor heating to reach full working temperatures from cold. The heating components in your floor will heat up far faster than the room temperature.

Understanding the best forms of underfloor heating for your house and how they will effect the total temperatures that you may enjoy can have a significant impact on how you use the heating system. Many homeowners who use underfloor heating for the first time make the mistake of treating it like regular heating. You must learn how underfloor heating works and which methods are appropriate for your house.

How long does it take for underfloor heating to heat up? – Water vs. Electric

Two methods of heating have grown popular among homes worldwide in the area of underfloor heating. Each has different advantages and downsides. The rate at which radiant heating heats your house is the most important of them.

Water-based heating has been viewed as the preferable long-term heating option for homes that are still being built, with the heating elements requiring more in-depth construction than can be done in a building that has already been completed.

While electric underfloor heating provides a versatile solution for individuals looking to retrofit heating into their homes, it also expands the places in which it may be employed.

It will take some time for the heat from the electric panels or the water in the pipes to radiate upwards and raise the ambient temperature of the air in your home.

The time it takes for underfloor heating heat to radiate into the home is determined on the system utilized, your flooring, and any screed and insulation installed.

winter-season

A brief guide on preparing your heating system for the winter season

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The weather is dropping and the nights are drawing in, which means it’ll only be a matter of weeks until we all go for the thermostat and put our heating back on.

Unfortunately, after months of having our thermostats turned all the way down, it’s inevitable that for some homeowners, putting their boilers back on would result in them discovering difficulties exactly when they need their warmth the most.

As you deal with these emergency call outs, October and November are among the busiest months on the calendar for plumbers and heating professionals, frequently resulting in lengthy hours as you try to get to as many people as possible. While there isn’t much you can do to prevent a late-night call from a client whose boiler won’t switch on, there are things homeowners can do to assist maintain their underfloor heating in good working order, reducing the likelihood that they will need to make that urgent call.

Some fast heating tests you may perform now

Visual inspection: Locate the manifold and examine it as well as the surrounding pipes. Take a snapshot of any signs of a leak or anything you are unsure about and email it to your plumber. If you need to inspect those hard-to-see places, use a torch.

Tissue check: If you suspect a minor leak, clean the area with tissue and then wrap a clean piece of tissue around the point to keep it from falling off. Every day or so, check the area. There is a leak if the tissue paper becomes wet again.

Pressure check: Locate the pressure gauge for the heating system (this could be next to the expansion tank, which is usually a big red cylinder the size of a beach ball, built into the boiler, or sited close to the boiler). The gauge should normally be between 1 and 1.5 bar. Contact your plumber if it is higher or lower.

Check the batteries: If you have thermostats with batteries, check them and replace them as needed.

Turn everything on: Start the system by raising the thermostat to create a demand for heat. Open all thermostatic radiator valves and set any time switches to operate 24 hours a day. Examine all of your radiators for leakage.

Listen for noises: Can you hear any strange noises when you turn the system on? What kind of sounds are they? Do they come to a halt when the system warms up? Can you figure out where the noise is coming from? All this is vital information for your plumber.

Schedule a system service: This is the greatest approach to prepare for winter, but your heating engineer will rapidly get overworked as the temperature cools. Make an appointment early (like now) to ensure a trouble-free winter. Having the service completed early ensures that if anything needs fixing or replacing, you will have enough time to do it before the weather becomes bitterly cold.

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