FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

This is a very common question. The key thing is to determine whether an underfloor heating system will fit in the space provided. A water-based underfloor heating system requires a certain depth – traditional screed systems can be upwards of 75mm thick whereas our dry-installed systems can be low as 22mm. If the floors in your house are constructed from timber you could consider installing a system between the joists.

Generally speaking, yes. It depends on how well built and insulated your building / room is. Poorly insulated walls and ill-fitting single glazed windows are the normal cause of cold rooms.

Yes, we have a choice of solutions that can be on upper floors.

Less than radiators! As the water temperature only needs to be half that required for radiators, running costs are considerably less.

The choice of floor finish is determined by two things – firstly, customer choice and secondly, is the floor finish suitable for underfloor heating and capable of producing sufficient output.

We do install our own systems and employ a full-time installation team to ensure that you get the best service and so that we can provide you with various guarantees. You are most welcome to install the system yourself by following our installation guides and through phone support with us.

Yes. We have supplied many systems to self-builders. Our products are simple to install and we provide full installation manuals and layout drawings specific to your project for you to follow. We even rent out the specialist tools needed for a successful installation. For more information on tool hire please contact us

There is no reason not to heat under kitchen cabinets however heating pipes are generally not installed under the main kitchen cupboards. Kitchen islands can be moved or removed so it is worth considering running pipework under them to avoid a large cold spot in the future. Fitted baths and shower trays tend not to receive underfloor heating pipes whereas free standing baths and wet room floors do tend to receive heating pipes. Floor standing toilets need to be fixed to the floor so keeping the pipe work clear of the toilet footprint is common sense.

More than likely, yes. More often than not an existing boiler is quite capable of running a new underfloor heating system as the heat load required by the underfloor heating (kW) is generally much lower than required by the previous system that was attached to it.

A heating zone is an area that you wish to control independently via a room thermostat. It can be one room or multiple rooms but most commonly one. Not be confused with a heating circuit.

A large living room may be a single zone but consist of several pipe circuits within the floor. The maximum length of a circuit is approximately 100 linear metres which equates to a certain area. Therefore, a large church may consist of 40 or more circuits but still only be one zone.

A manifold is a central distribution point which the individual underfloor heating circuits are connected to. The manifold has a valve for each heating circuit which, when instructed by a room thermostat, opens and closes to regulate the flow of warm water to the corresponding room.

Ideally as centrally as possible as that gives the most economic distribution of pipework.

There are various types of thermostats but the choice comes down to the following: Wired or wireless? Dial or digital? Wired thermostats require no change of batteries but the location needs to be carefully considered whereas wireless thermostats can easily be re-positioned if needs be. Dial thermostats are suitable if you like things simple and don’t wish to program on / off times for individual rooms. Digital thermostats allow complex programming of room temperatures / times and even allow access via mobile phone or PC.

It is a common misconception that you automatically get a floor that feels warm with underfloor heating. Interestingly, if the system is designed correctly the room will be warm but you shouldn’t notice the floor being too hot. Typically, floors should be no more than 29°C in living areas and 33°C in bathrooms. These temperature limits are set within the European norms for underfloor heating.

Don’t worry, the pipe can easily be repaired and with our dry, panel-based-systems, it is even easier to access the damaged pipe. Once exposed, the damaged pipe can be repaired using specialised press fittings.

Typically none. Underfloor heating systems themselves require no maintenance. The main cause of damage to underfloor heating components is the water itself. Mixed systems (radiators & underfloor heating) are more susceptible to problems than systems where no radiators are fitted, this is down to the ferrous materials within the system. Water treatments such as Clarimax, can keep the water within a system in optimum condition and so extend the life of all the equipment attached to the heating system.

Weather compensated gas boilers and heat pumps dramatically improve the efficiency of a heating system.

If you want to fill a modern heating system with water, you should not only look at the heating water for its ability to transfer the heat from the boiler to the manifold. The water in the heating system is much more. It is the 'blood of the central heating' which circulates through the pipes of the house like blood through our veins. The quality of the heating water has a massive impact on the efficiency of the heat transfer and the lifespan of the whole heating system. Read more.