tell me about underfloor heating, have you got it,would you choose that kind again?

Question

I don't know where to start looking for impartial information. All the websites I have found want to sell me a system.

Answer 1

My gf's parents have it here in Copenhagen, but only in their large kitchen.

It is really nice (as you might expect), but much more noticeable as it get colder outside.

It means you don't mind spending so much time in the kitchen as you might otherwise have done.

Cost to run? Search me...

Answer 2

Underfloor heating is probably the most efficient as the whole floor area acts as a radiator and the heat rises in a fairly uniform way so that there are no cold spots in the room as with a radiator. To keep it efficient you need to run it all the time as at the start up the floor area has to be heated before any room benefit is felt. If you switch it on and off as you would a radiator system then you would be constantly warming up a cold floor. An electric system would cost the most to run and a circulated hot water system, gas fired would be the cheapest to run. If I could choose and could afford the running cost then I would have the underfloor every time. Best of luck with your choices as in the end it comes down to a very composite decision.

Answer 3

I have it and love it. My system is underfloor hot water and 20 years old with never a leak so far. Advantages include that thanks to manifolds and valves I can vary temperature in every room, I have beautiful ceramic floors everywhere which are easy to keep clean, and on the coldest days of winter can wander about barefoot and comfortable. The other thing is that my neighbor has exactly the same floor plan, but forced air heat and annually spends 6 times as much as I do on heating. The homes were built the same year by the same builder, are insulated the same in both walls and ceilings, even use the same windows and doors so the difference in cost really is the underfloor hot water radiant heat. I'll never contemplate anything else. Also my home has noticeably less dust except in spring and fall when all the windows are open, then it seems to get dusty here but what do I expect?

Answer 4

Yes, I would definitely choose it again. Most of my house has traditional radiators, but I have an office space about 18x12 feet that has underfloor heating. There is wooden flooring, which feels warm to bare feet, and I really like this. The heating is just as efficient as the other heating, but there are no radiators. This is a plus as unless you go for an expensive retro look radiator, they are not a design feature, especially in the summer when they are not in use.

So yes, I would say, underfloor heating is a good choice.

Answer 5

I have electric underfloor heating in the bathrooms in addition to radiators or towel rails heated from the CH system. The electric heating is inadequate on its own but can usefully be left on all night in the winter to take the chill off of the bathrooms.
I would be reluctant to install a hot water underfloor heating system in the main house because of the potential problems should a leak occur. This can be successful in a conservatory where there is often restricted wall space for radiators and there is less potential for serious water damage from a leak.

Answer 6

My husband and I have an hotel, we built 10 chalets in the grounds, each one has underfloor heating, the guests love it because it warms the room quickly and the bathroom floor is lovely and warm for barefeet in the morning. The other obvious benfit is that there are no ugly rads in the rooms, I wish I had it in my house too.

Answer 7

I don`t have it ,but it sure sounds nice.Have you tried doityourself.com?I watched it on TV once and thought that it was a smart idea,since heat rises and with underfloor heating the heat would be evenley distributed.

Answer 8

In-floor-heating is a huge thing in Europe. I highly recommend it. There is nothing like climbing out of bed on a frigid winter morning and walking around barefoot on the hardwood floors.

Having said that, if you are in an area with central heat and air conditioning, go for that and use carpets :-)

Answer 9

Not keen on this form of heating as it makes my feet and ankles swell something awful. In addition to this it is harder to maintain.

Answer 10

yes i would get it again i can keep the temp down and still be warm heat rises i got on the first floor and in my garage