North Leeds Plumbing & Heating – Home Improvement and DIY Advice

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Certain floor coverings benefit greatly from having underfloor heating.  They include tiled floors, which are well known for being cold under foot and laminate floors that do not hold the heat as well as natural wood flooring.  There are several types of underfloor heating systems to choose from.

Electric underfloor heating and water underfloor heating are both suitable for eco-friendly, solar powered homes.  Underfloor electric heating is powered directly from the mains supply and the cables are extremely thin, around 3mm in diameter, so there will be no problem with floor levels once the laminate has been laid on top.

Water underfloor heating is powered using the hot water from the water tank or heated from the home’s boiler, in the same way that the mains hot water is heated.  Both underfloor heating systems are cost effective, but it is better to lay the system prior laying a new floor.

Removing laminate flooring to install underfloor heating in is an option, but many people find that the flooring does not go back down properly afterwards.  For anyone considering replacing a laminate floor, that would be the ideal time to install an underfloor heating system.

The provision of an underfloor heating thermostat in each room means that temperature can be controlled and temperature set individually.  Conservatory underfloor heating temperatures, especially in winter, may need to be set higher than elsewhere in the house.

Underfloor heating can be laid without the help of a professional and it is possible to buy DIY underfloor heating kits in many of the larger hardware and DIY stores.

Modern underfloor heating is a type of heating system which uses conducted and/or radiant heat to control interior temperature from under floorboards, stones, paving, tiles, etc. This method of heating can trace its origin to the Roman use of hypocausts to heat public and private buildings.

Originally, Roman underfloor heating was either a municipal technique, used to heat public buildings such as baths, or restricted to particularly wealthy households. It later spread out across the Roman Empire as it expanded to colder regions.

Hypocausts – which stands for ‘heat from below’ – entail the raising of the floor on pillars or stacks, which left open spaces and ducts running below the floor. The heat from a furnace would be funnelled through these spaces as well as up in spaces between the outside walls to further rooms on the upper floors. Great care was taken that such funnelling would allow the smoke and hot air to exit at designated points in the walls so as not to poison the internal space or pollute it with smoke.

Hypocausts are often regarded as the first major use of internal and/or domestic heating. Later developments of the technique in the Islamic world resulted in the use of pipe systems rather than open ducts to eliminate further the chance of indoor pollution.

Nowadays, the most common types of underfloor heating use hot water pipes, known as wet or water underfloor heating, electric cables, known as electric underfloor heating, meshes or film heaters.

Underfloor electric heating has been widely used in Northern Europe for the past couple of decades, and in recent years it has begun to spread in popularity in the United Kingdom. It is not only common to see underfloor heating kits installed in new construction projects but also during renovations where existing properties are updated to reflect modern technology. As with almost every other aspect of home improvement there are a wide variety of choices available to the average consumer when it comes to choosing what exactly they want to customise in their home.

The beauty of an underfloor heating system is first and foremost the simple fact that the floor itself becomes the heat emitter. Rather than heating the home as radiators have done in the past, where the actual emitters are mounted on the walls themselves and are heating from the ceiling down, underfloor heating systems work by heating the home from the floor upwards. This is a far more efficient manner that not only reduces the cost of the electricity bill every month (another of the many reasons they are so popular), but also allows for complete control over the internal temperature of a house with the aid of an underfloor heating thermostat . As every homeowner can testify, the home is the one place where everyone should feel completely comfortable, and the more elements that you can accurately control the better the comfort levels.

With such a variety of easy to fit DIY underfloor heating systems to choose from on the market today it is quite a simple matter to improve your home with such an installation project.

Underfloor or radiant heating is quickly gaining in popularity, and it’s easy to see why.  Underfloor heating is energy efficient and provides a soft, gentle heat that radiates up naturally.  Especially in cool climates, nothing feels better on a cold morning than a toasty warm floor to greet your toes.

There are several types of underfloor heating, some requiring contractor installation and others that you can install yourself.  Water underfloor heating can be installed beneath linoleum, tile, ceramic, and even engineered wood, so it can work in any area of the home.

The first types of modern underfloor heating were systems that circulated hot water through pipes beneath the floor.  Nowadays the heat for these systems can be provided via solar power, making them very energy efficient.  A small pump is needed to ensure continued circulation, as bubbles can collect in high areas and eventually stop the water flow.

Radiant heating does take longer than other types of heating for its effects to be felt, and for that reason many people choose programmable thermostats when installing a system.  With an electrical system, where cables or heating mats are installed under the floor, it can be turned on an hour or so before the desired temperature is required, say, first thing in the morning; and by the time you wake the room is already warm.  This is a wonderful feature of this type of heating system.

The cost of underfloor heating kits has been dropping as their popularity has risen, and the newest systems are both cost-effective and energy efficient, making them an unobtrusive addition to any home.

In most cases, you might assume that aesthetics and eco-friendliness don’t go hand-in-hand.  However, this is not the case when you are talking about an underfloor heating kit.  Here are some of the reasons to consider an electric underfloor heating or water underfloor heating system over the traditional types of heating systems where the issue of eco-friendliness is concerned.

- From an ecological standpoint, a water underfloor heating system does not involve the generation of much heat when you consider that it only takes a water temperature of 40° to 50° C to heat a room compared to the minimum 80° C it takes with radiator-based heating systems.

- The power required to heat the water can easily be generated by alternative energy sources such as ground source heat pumps, solar panels, or even wood-burning stoves, all of which are environmentally friendly and rely on sustainable energy sources.

- There is no reliance on the electric grid or fossil fuels to generate the power needed to heat the water.  This is also eco-friendly and will leave less of a carbon footprint on your surrounding environment.

- Because the heat is being generated gently over a larger area, the draughts, dry air and cold or hot spots that you would normally experience with a traditional system are less likely to occur.

- A real bonus for an open sitting room is the fact that underfloor heating systems do not require or take up any wall space.  This is a key where aesthetics is concerned as radiators are not things of beauty.

An underfloor heating specialist such as Floor Heating Online can advise you on which system would suit you and provide information about buying and installing the kit yourself, as well as fitting it for you if you don’t have the expertise.

New and sophisticated wet underfloor heating systems are able to cool your house on hot days as well as heating it when it is cold. Installed as the primary heating, and cooling system, in a newly built or renovated building, this is becoming an effective alternative to forced-air cooling. Underfloor pipes avoid several problems associated with air conditioning, such as dust and microorganisms gathering in the ducts, bulky machinery and high running costs. Practically invisible in the home, underfloor heating and cooling components are mostly hidden out of sight. However, only water systems can cool as well as heat, it is not possible with electric underfloor heating.

One of the main challenges facing all cooling systems is how to reduce or collect condensation. Using your floor heating pipes to cool your home works best in dry rather than humid climates. An intelligent control device connected to the system is able to switch underfloor heating to cooling mode for individual zones, or the whole building. It can also control the dew point by monitoring humidity levels and adjusting the heating or cooling accordingly. However, if the temperature of the floor drops below around 68 degrees Fahrenheit, it will be uncomfortable to stand on, so the cooling ability is limited. Using floor heating in this way is more effective in rooms with extensive glazing where floors have direct sunlight. Well insulated and energy efficient homes gain the most from this system of temperature control, though in warm climates an additional cooling system may be required.

If your radiator has become less effective at heating the room it is usually because the top part of it fails to warm up.  This is probably because air has got into the central heating system and risen to form a pocket at the top of the radiator.  Though irritating, the problem can easily be solved, by bleeding the radiator.  This article aims to give you a brief overview of how to go about it.

In order to bleed your radiator you will need a radiator key; they are available at most DIY stores and an old rag.  Before starting, you should switch off the heating and allow it to cool.  You then use the radiator key to loosen the air bleed valve, which is located at the top corner of the radiator.  While doing this you should hold the rag in place underneath the valve to catch any water that comes out.  Initially, only air will be emitted and there will be a hissing sound.  As soon as water starts to emerge you should close off the air bleed valve.  When bleeding the radiator be very careful as the water may still be quite hot.

If you are having recurring problems with your radiators you should consult a professional, as they should not require frequent bleeding.

Air Release Valve

More advanced heating systems have automatic air release valves, which normally have a red top.  This merely needs slackening off to enable the air to escape.

In recent years you may have heard quite a bit about underfloor heating, but do you know what it is?  Underfloor heating systems have been around since ancient Roman times.  Modern underfloor heating is quite effective, creating the ideal temperature profile between floor and ceiling.  The secret lies in the principle of radiant heat.

Conventional heating systems make use of convection, which basically circulates hot air.  This type of system also makes the ceiling the warmest part of a room, since hot air has the tendency to rise.  In contrast, underfloor heating systems use radiant heat, which allows the floor to release heat evenly.

Underfloor electric heating, as well as wet underfloor heating, can provide ideal comfort in the home – warm up feet, cool head, and an overall relaxing atmosphere.  Homes heated by underfloor solutions are evenly heated, more energy efficient, and spend less on overall heating bills.

If you want to install underfloor heating in your home, it isn’t as difficult as you might think.  In fact, underfloor heating systems work well with most types of floor finishes including tile, hardwood, laminate, stone, and even carpet.  There are some floor finishes that are better heat conductors than others, but all work well.  It just depends on your personal preference.

Floor heating systems are a great thing to consider when refurbishing your home, adding an extension, or building a new house from the ground up.  There are a variety of DIY underfloor heating system kits to choose from as well as many professionals willing to do the installation for you.

The 21st century has brought us advances in technology and conveniences that we never dreamed possible twenty years ago.  Today, one of those very conveniences has become commonplace – underfloor heating systems.  In many new homes, floor heating comes as a standard amenity. In these homes, the days of stepping out of a steaming hot shower onto ice cold tile are gone.

Modern technology has given us DIY underfloor heating kits.  These kits make it easy to install this simple luxury.  In most cases, such floor heating systems are installed directly underneath floor tiles and can be powered electrically or by a hot water system.  Both electric and water underfloor heating allow you to take the chill out of the floor on cold winter days.

There is a variety of underfloor heating systems to choose from these days.  The most popular is the do-it-yourself method.  DIY underfloor heating systems are generally easy to install, but a good amount of preparation and research is required.  In most cases, electric underfloor heating is the easiest to install while wet underfloor heating is a little more complicated.  However, there are DIY underfloor heating kits for either method.

No matter which floor heating solution you choose, it will come with an underfloor heating thermostat that allows you to adjust the floor to any desired temperature, depending on the time of year.  You can get DIY floor heating kits at almost any hardware or home improvement store.

Underfloor heating, a concept that dates back as far as the Roman Age, has become increasingly popular since its mass-market introduction in the 1960s and 1970s. The main benefit of underfloor heating is that it allows for a greater and more even spread of heating than is possible from wall fitted radiators, wood burners or gas fired heaters. Additional benefits are that the heat is retained for longer, and floor-space is saved because the heating equipment is placed underneath the tiles or floorboards.

DIY installation of underfloor heating in bathrooms, conservatories or hallways has become easier, as manufacturers produce fully fitted-out sets, with instructions. The two main types of underfloor heating use either water or electricity to generate heat. It is advisable to be aware of basic plumbing or electrical rules. In some cases it may be better to ask for professional help before starting.

A main aspect to consider in laying underfloor heating is the close proximity of the water pipes or electrical mesh to the main water or electricity source. Ensure that you have enough to fill the space to be heated and to lay the pipes or electrical mesh out evenly.

Be careful not to damage the pipes or mesh during installation, as it may prove very expensive and time-consuming to have to dig them out again in order to repair them. Also make sure that you place the correct type of floor over the underfloor heating. Wooden floorboards, for example, may not withstand the intense heat generated by water pipes, whereas electrical mesh is often relatively gentler.