So, I've had electric underfloor heating put down in a new conservatory, the cable/electric type, all tested and checked (with a simple volt meter) before putting a scree and laminate over it. Go to turn it on, and no joy, having put a 'mega meter' on it (or an electrician did), it would seem that one of the cables has a 'nic' in it, causing it to 'earth'. There is a local company who can 'trace and repair' but it's an expensive fix. Would any of the STW peeps know what they use to 'trace and pinpoint' the fault, if so I could get a general tradesman friend to lift up the suspect area and a sparky friend to do the repair. Appreciate this is a specialist field and if I have to stump up for the 'specialist' repair company then so be it! You live and learn!
strawb3110.
Couple of points if it is going to Earth then the rcb should trip.Do you know where the end of the mat is as it will be terminated there.this would be a starting point, as your sparks can test both ways and use a meter to loop test. Check your thermostat is set correctly for floor and not room temp.Cannot help any more, but a decent meter will help by measuring both legs to pinpoint (nick/break).Local Co to trace and repair may be the cheaper option. Decent test equipment and experience cheaper in the long run. Best of luck.
I'd expect a more cost effective solution would be to carefully pull the laminate, add a foil heat mat for a couple of hundred quid and reinstall the laminate. Recover the cost and screed labor of the failed product from whoever broke it?
Sucks when things dont go to plan 🙁
Ask the specialist company what they'll do.
I'm not up to date on the latest instrumentation, and I'd guess that it'll depend on how it's been wired in/how many mats/cables. On a ring final circuit that didn't work you'd pull the "middle" socket and test the cable to each end, pull the middle one on the faulty half and narrow it down that way. An electrician should be able to assess that. A single loop of cable will clearly be trickier
Are you 100% sure the Mat is faulty? Only asking as I've fitted 100's of them and never managed to damage a cable despite being on site and asking people not to go on it and being ignored. I'd know if I'd have damaged one whilst laying, it's not easy to damage.
what brand is it? Devi mats have a 20 year warranty that covers fault finding and even replacing floor coverings and labour if the product is found to have failed.
If there’s no chance of electrocution (since the wires are completely buried) can you wire it up without the earth connected and see where the floor gets warm and where it doesn’t? If you know the cable layout then you should be able to work out much more accurately where the fault is?
I am not an electrician or H & S expert.
timely thread - our builders have just turned up with a 3rd replacement mat. The first one they damaged laying it out, the second one installed and then covered with flooring prior to skirting, painting, snagging and guess what one of the two mats not working.
It going to be a very long day for all involved - glad we kept a decent retention!
That's a point what type of flooring is it, still going to cost but laminate should be easier to trace and repair. As Blazing states hard to damage unless you are dropping things onto the mat before leveling compound is laid.Installer of mat should be responsible I would have thought. As it has not been commissioned.