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Floor Heating

electric floor heating

Can Radiant Floor Heating Replace Other Forms Of Heating?

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Electric in-floor heating is a perfect choice for bathrooms and kitchens because most of those rooms are finished with tile floors that get very cold to walk on in the winter months, and there is something appealing about stepping on a warm floor first thing in the morning to prepare your cup of coffee. Can, or should, this type of heating system be utilized as a primary source of heating outside of kitchens and bathrooms? Instead of using radiators or forced air, depending on the insulation of your property, underfloor heating is a viable option to a primary source of heat.

Is it appropriate for your home?

While tempting, it may not be the best choice for your home. The reason for this is due to your home’s heat loss calculation. The maximum heat output must be greater than the maximum heat loss in order to provide adequate heat to warm the room or residence. If you don’t, this isn’t the suitable heating system for your house. You can determine this by performing a heat loss calculation.

Existing Central Heating System

If you have central heating in your home, you may want to consider replacing it with underfloor heating. You may improve the air quality of your home by changing existing fixtures, such as radiators, because these other types of heating move dust particles and allergens from room to room, irritating anyone who is sensitive to them.

New Construction or Total Renovation?

If you are building a new house or renovating an existing one, now is an excellent time to consider installing one of these systems over other types of heating. One of the most significant benefits of an underfloor heating system is that it allows you to be more creative with how you design your home because you don’t have to worry about where you place furniture in each room. This type of heating also eliminates cold and hot areas because each room maintains a steady and level temperature. Furthermore, when compared to alternative heating solutions, these systems require relatively minimal maintenance.

Having the Best of Both Worlds

If you are renovating your home room by room, or you know you only want radiant floor heating in the bathrooms and kitchen, you can have both types of heating in your home. It may be far more cost effective to install these systems in the rooms your family uses the most and leave the others with the existing heating system, especially if a central heating system is already established. With a decent quality underfloor system, it will last as long as your flooring, if not longer, so you don’t really need to have both in your home unless your budget does not allow for it.

Overall, radiant in floor heating Australia could very well and very efficiently replace traditional methods of heating, particularly in new homes being built. When building a new home, you have the luxury of having this system installed without having to complete renovations or live in a construction zone, allowing you to move into a house with a steady and even natural temperature right immediately. Installing it throughout an existing home would require a significant investment, but it would be well worth it. So, if this is the best option for you, you can be assured that you are installing a system that your family will value for many years to come.

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Inscreed Cable Floor Coverings

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With Inscreed Cable, almost any floor covering can be considered. Because the heater is securely set in cementitious screed, there is less risk of the heating cable being damaged if the floor covering is replaced on a regular basis. Inscreed Cable is compatible with the following floor coverings:

Tiles

If a tiled floor is installed on top, the Inscreed Cable electric underfloor heating system must be utilized with flexible tile adhesive and grout.

Laminate/Wood

To ensure that heat may flow through laminate or engineered wooden board floors, the flooring must be no more than 18mm thick. If you use soft insulation beneath the flooring, it must be suitable with installation on top of an underfloor heating system.

Concrete

Concrete heats up quickly and maintains heat efficiently, even storing the energy produced by solar gain, making a heated polished concrete floor an excellent choice for increasing the comfort and warmth of your house.

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Is it true that heated floors consume a lot of electricity?

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One of the most common worries regarding radiant heat flooring is the amount of energy the system would consume and its comparability to other services. The good news is, not only is radiant heat comparable, but the efficiency of the system will likely save you money in the long term. Below, we dive into some of the specifics about the amount of electricity heated floors need.

Heated Floor Electricity Specifics

Most heated tile floors and electric floor heating systems consume 12 watts per hour per square foot, which means a 100-square-foot room consumes 1200 watts total per hour. This means that the even, efficient heat provided by a floor heating system might potentially save money almost immediately.

How To Calculate Radiant Heat Costs

By following this approach, you can acquire a prospective estimate of costs:

  1. Determine the square footage of heated space in your facility. You can generate an estimate by multiplying the total square footage of the room by 0.9.
  2. Because most systems utilize 12 watts per square foot, double the heated area by 12.
  3. Now divide the total number of watts by 1000 to get the number of kilowatts the system will use every hour. (KW is the unit of measurement used by electric companies to calculate monthly bills.)
  4. Finally, multiply the number of kilowatts used per hour by the cost of electricity per kilowatt in your area. The average cost per KW is around.12.
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Carpet floor electric underfloor heating systems

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Under carpet heating mats are designed to give covert heating beneath carpet and floating timber flooring. The 500mm wide foil mats are taped onto the underlay and are perfect for large or small areas. Heating near the floor surface has a quick response time and should reach temperature within 15-30 minutes.

TECHNOLOGY OF CABLES

The foil mats are made up of a twin conducting heating element sandwiched between two layers of reinforced aluminum foil, which ensures equal heat dispersion.

OUTPUT OF HEAT

The heating mat produces 140W/m2 of heat and is available in 500mm wide pre-fabricated mats in a number of pre-determined lengths. Comfort Heat specialists will assist you in determining the proper mat length for your heated space.

INSTALLATION

Before installing the carpet, the under carpet heating mat is taped down on top of the underlay. Under carpet mats, unlike under tile or in-slab heating cables, can be installed up to 300mm away from walls, fixtures, and furniture within a floor space. Comfort Heat technicians can create the optimum installation for a comfortable operation.

EXTRA REQUIREMENTS

It is difficult to install a sensor tube as with other floor heating installations due to the height of the carpet and underlay. Although the electrician must still construct conduits within the wall, only the sensor wire can be inserted in the floor. To provide redundancy in the event that the original sensor fails over time, a second sensor can be put under the carpet. Both sensors are taped to the foil mat beneath the carpet between two heating wires, however only one will be connected to the thermostat.

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Why is concrete an excellent choice for radiant heat floors?

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As the winter months approach, many company owners are thinking how they might make their facility more pleasant for their clients and visitors. A concrete floor might be lovely, but it can be uncomfortable when the weather becomes colder, especially in locations like hotels where customers rely on the comfort of the room. Heated concrete floors can make all the difference.

Rugs are a less expensive option if you live in a location that does not get too cold or if your concrete floors are confined to a small space, but they may be uncomfortable for your guests if they are few and far between. The ideal approach is to put radiant heat beneath your concrete floors. They are simple to install and will enhance your living environment. Heated concrete flooring are an option that can keep your guests’ feet warm!

What exactly is a radiant heat floor?

A radiant floor heating system sends heat upward to the floor’s surface. To put it simply, think of it as a stove top that warms the surface. Radiant heated flooring, unlike a stovetop, do not get excessively hot. The temperature of these flooring is comparable to that of the human body. It is entirely safe to stroll around these floors barefoot. They also help to regulate the temperature in the rooms.

Electric radiant floors and hot water (hydronic) radiant floors are the two forms of radiant heated floors. To build heated concrete floors, you can install tubes that circulate hot water or electrical heating elements installed beneath. Electric radiant flooring are made up of electric cables that are put on the floor. These radiant flooring enable the concrete to warm up and hold heat. Hydronic radiant flooring circulate hot water through tubes, warming the concrete floor’s surface. The room temperature can be controlled with thermostats. Both methods are simple and straightforward to install.

Why is concrete the best material?

Concrete is an excellent choice for radiant floor heating. Because of its inherent thermal mass, it is a natural radiant heat carrier. Concrete floors begin to radiate heat outward to the surface as water or electrical currents heat them.

The advantages of a heated concrete floor

Comfortable

You will be able to live more comfortably with radiant heated concrete. Your guests will appreciate not having to walk on frigid floors. Every room in the house will feel considerably cozier and more welcoming. You’ll even note that there are no chilly patches anywhere in the house.

Improved air quality

If you suffer from allergies, asthma, or other respiratory issues, radiant heated concrete floors may be the solution to your problems. Unlike traditional home heating, there is no outside air penetration. Radiant heating will provide you with much cleaner air to breathe in your home.

More environmentally conscious

Do you want to go green? Radiant heated floors solve this problem. It is regarded as one of the most energy-efficient methods of heating your home. It consumes less energy to heat your space than air-forced heating. The majority of furnaces run on fossil fuels, which harm the environment and the air you breathe.

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What kinds of furniture can be placed on top of underfloor heating?

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The majority of free-standing furniture can be placed directly on top of underfloor heating. To avoid hotspots created by a lack of circulation around specific regions, furniture (chairs, beds) installed on underfloor heating systems should have a ground clearance of 2-3 inches or roughly 10cm.

Also, when placing items such as dog beds or thick rugs over underfloor heating, you must exercise caution because they can reduce heat distribution, cause discoloration of floor coverings (e.g., carpets), and create hotspots, which can eventually lead to fire outbreaks in cases where carpets are used as floor coverings.

Underfloor heating is commonly used with stone and tile flooring. This is due to their superior thermal conductivity and ability to transmit heat to the floor’s surface. Because the primary aim for installing underfloor heating is to maximize heat transfer, furniture that will not interfere with heat transfer can be put on top of the underfloor heating.

The loose wire form of underfloor heating is intended for use in bathrooms and kitchens with fixed equipment (such as sinks, baths, and cupboards), as it can be maneuvered around those permanent sections. This will avoid the production of hot spots, which can cause damage to the floor if air circulation is inadequate.

It is normally safe to set furniture on a hot floor, but you must use caution. You must verify that neither the furniture nor the underfloor heating are not damaged.

 

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Why should you utilize an electric-heated floor system?

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Electric-heated floor systems are commonly utilized in regions of the home where a standard heating system, such as an HVAC unit, cannot reach or on surfaces that are ordinarily cool to the touch. These use radiant heating, which is comparable to how you can feel when the burner is turned on even if you’re across the room. The concept is simple: rather than having a forced-air vent in a room that determines which portion of the room is the warmest, radiant heat on the floor may warm the entire space uniformly.

Because you’re barefoot most of the time in the bathroom, electric-heated floor systems are common. And who wants to step out of a hot shower onto a shivering chilly floor? Because it is practically impossible to retrofit an electric-heated floor system into an existing floor, a new floor must almost always be built over the heating system.

Radiant floor heating is not a novel concept. It truly dates back to ancient Rome, where a system of tunnels beneath the elevated marble floors of certain buildings circulated air heated by fires. However, it has gone a long way since then.

To heat a floor electrically, thin cables are put beneath the floor’s surface. These cables are bundled in mats that roll out easily across the subfloor in some systems. Individual wires are spaced and fastened directly to the subfloor in others. If your flooring has an underlayment, the heating elements will be installed on top of it. Heat is produced in both circumstances as an electrical charge that flows across these wires.