UNDER FLOOR RADIANT HEAT PATCH
UNDER FLOOR RADIANT HEAT SERIES

For more on the different types of energy sources and heat distribution systems for home heating, explore our Energy Saver 101 infographic on home heating.ĭespite its name, radiant floor heating depends heavily on convection, the natural circulation of heat within a room as air warmed by the floor rises. Hydronic systems can use a wide variety of energy sources to heat the liquid, including standard gas- or oil-fired boilers, wood-fired boilers, solar water heaters, or a combination of these sources. Hydronic (liquid-based) systems use little electricity, a benefit for homes off the power grid or in areas with high electricity prices. People with allergies often prefer radiant heat because it doesn’t distribute allergens like forced air systems can.

It is more efficient than baseboard heating and usually more efficient than forced-air heating because it eliminates duct losses. Radiant heating has a number of advantages. When radiant heating is located in the floor, it is often called radiant floor heating or simply floor heating. Radiant heating is the effect you feel from the warmth of a hot stovetop element from across the room. The systems depend largely on radiant heat transfer - the delivery of heat directly from the hot surface to the people and objects in the room via infrared radiation. But if you did.Īt DiscreteHeat, we have spent a lot of time replacing those small 10mm bore systems from the 80’s and 90’s that have failed.Radiant heating systems supply heat directly to the floor or to panels in the wall or ceiling of a house. It’s one of the reasons that ‘microbore’ copper tube (remember that?) is no longer available for central heating systems.Īdmittedly, if you kept the system regularly flushed, used an appropriate inhibitor and changed it regularly, and didn’t have steel radiators on the system, you would probably not have a problem.

UNDER FLOOR RADIANT HEAT SERIES

Well, unfortunately, a small bore pipe with a series or curves is prone to clogging and building up deposits – especially in hard water areas, or where there is a mixed system using radiators which create sludge over time. Admittedly, in the 90’s these were set into the screed, but the principle is the same, in that small areas, typically 10~12m2 were each heated by a small pipe, requiring 2~3 circuits for an typical room. The concept of small bore pipes for UFH is not new. In the 80’s and 90’s similar small bore, 10mm pipes were all the rage in underfloor heating. They say that history repeats itself (firstly as a tragedy, the second time as a farce according to Karl Marx).

UNDER FLOOR RADIANT HEAT PATCH

By being an ‘above ground’ solution, there was no need to lift any floor coverings or carpets, nor plane down any doors.īy taking care, each system was installed in a day, with no cleaning or redecorating required (except to touch up the dirty patch where the radiator had left its mark). In both cases, ThermaSkirt could connect onto the existing radiator pipework meaning minimal disruption and cost.

Until they googled ‘UFH alternative’ and found ThermaSkirt. When discovering the cost and disruption of making good afterwards, they thought their hopes of freeing up their walls and creating a more inviting (and safer) space for their family was lost. In both instances the owners wanted to remove the radiators and fancied UFH. On the right is an entrance hallway with lovely lime washed timber floors. On the left is a carpeted upstairs child’s bedroom, already decorated and looking pristine.

Under floor radiant heat