Probably a job for when I have a few weeks off, have a big step into bathroom so thinking about raising floor level when doing a refit. How easy is underfloor heating to fit? Ideally I'd like something that works with the existing heating system or has its own seperate schedule (basically on for the morning routine off rest of the time)
What should I be looking at?
Also think that room has a suspended wood floor (to be checked by removing tiles when I'm ready to start)
I've read these aren't suitable for tiling or underfloor heating? even though I have two bathrooms with hard tiles straight onto wood...is that just advisory?
For one room, electric underfloor heating is the way to go really, as all the gubbins for a wet system really won't be cost effective. For that you'd need a power source as you need to fit a 13a FCU, then from that you fit the controller and connect to that the UFH. It's pretty easy if you're practical. You'll need it signing off as it'll count as a new installation.
By suspended wooden floor do you mean floating? is it ground floor?
You are not supposed to tile floating floors, and as someone who makes a living from tiling, I wouldn't as I couldn't guarantee it. However, having said that, it's all about the movement in the floor. If there isn't much, you 'might' be successful by over boarding it with 12mm Hardie backer glued and screwed down to stiffen it up some, or there's a product by Schluter called Ditramat that is used for unstable floors, that might work for you.
You should never tile straight to floor boards, people do however, and sometimes it stays down just fine, other times it's a complete s**t show.
Suspended I mean wood joist with floorboards. I definitely have tiles on the floorboards as when you take the bath panels off you can see the first row of tiles direct onto the boards.
Does the controller allow timing?
My plan with signing off is when I've finished all the jobs in the house get a chap round to check it all over in one go and sign it off.
The key to it, is are the joists fixed down? if std construction with fixed joists then boards nailed/screwed to them, then you're fine. Just need to over board with a 6mm Hardie Backer cement board to stiffen.
A floating floor has the joists on top of insulation then the boards over the top of that. these are not fixed down and can't be tiled as there's too much movement. these will only be found on the ground floor and very rarely. They also use sheet chipboard rather than softwood floor boards.
Yes the timer can be programmed. I recommend the Devi range.
Everything [b]Blazin-Saddles[/b] says....
We've got electric UFH in our bathroom and wet UFH in our kitchen
The wet is far superior in terms of actually heating the room.
Probably electric is the way to go in a bathroom though in terms of cost/ease.
If you are expecting it to be the sole source of heat in the room then make sure it's appropriately specced for the floor area and room size.
Ours is a comfortable temperature to touch, so nice on bare feet, but not enough power output to actually warm the room up, so consequently the fancy thermostat is a bit redundant and may as well be in a cupboard. We've got a big towel radiator as well which heats the room.
We used Devi, would recommend although I've since seen other systems which are identical. It's a doddle to fit once the electrics are in place. You can program it til the cows come home (you may not want cows messing up your new floor).
For the wet system in the kitchen we used Wunda. Worth calling them anyway as they have a few different systems and are super helpful.
Had it fitted throughout our apartment in Korea. Concrete floors throughout. Amazingly hot, sometimes too hot, like the time i feel asleep in winter with all the windows open. Time i got out of bed the floir was to hot to stand on.
Before I start I'll let you know that I work for Nu-Heat as a technical support engineer - I will try hard not to sound like I'm selling something to you and apologise if I do.
UFH is more expensive to install than electric but you will find that the wet system is quite a bit cheaper to run, whether or not it gives the same heat depends on your choice of supplier.
If you want to even out your floors then you could install batons, infill with insulation, cover with chipboard then use an 'overlay, retro fit' wet underfloor option. Nu-Heat for example sell a 'onezone' pack (lots of m2 options) that will plumb into your present boiler system and work independently. Other suppliers have similar systems 😉
Thanks for the tips. Sounds like my floor is okay then and not a floating jobbie.
Room is quite small as an ensuite and already has a towel rail I'm keeping. Possibly a wet system is easier as I could tap into the towel rails connections?
Thermostat is down in the living room so no easy way of regulating it independently of the main ch plus means it would come on in the evening when not needed.
Or am I misunderstanding how a wet system works?
Can you put electric UFH under wood floors?
We have an electric mat type from Warmup as fitted by the previous owner. The "3iE" controller we have is excellent - we run it on air-temp thermostat control mode because the floor sensor has broken.
Make sure you put any floor thermostat for an electric system away from the heating mat and away from central heating pipes.
We've got 'proper' ufh with it's own zone and pump in our kitchen, but in the bathrooms our plumber recommended just putting some ufh pipe down in series with the radiator, so controlled by the? trv on the radiator. This has worked really well - the floor is warm enough underfoot.
No.
. Possibly a wet system is easier as I could tap into the towel rails connections?
And, no.
ufh pipe down in series with the radiator, so controlled by the? trv on the radiator.
You aren't listening.
I refer you back to [b]Blazin-saddles[/b] post. The floor area of your bathroom is small enough that running costs don't warrant the additional installation costs of doing wet UFH "properly."
Also, leaving it on low permanently during the cold months is much more cost effective than switching it on and off all the time.
My advice is get some advice, but for Gods sake, don't get it from [b]sl200o's[/b] plumber.