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When fitting underfloor heating the floor surface temperature will vary. In this article to go over some statistics for your benefit.

1. If you have a fault once the system is up and running, the first thing to check is the flow rate in the flow meters. Make sure they are set between 1.5L/min and 2L/min for boiler use and 1L/min for heat pump use. If there is no reading (the red indicator is at the top) nothing is flowing around the loop.2. Then take off your actuator heads, if you then get a flow or your system then works you know it is an electrical problem. If after taking all the actuators off you still have problems then it will be a flow fault

We answer your questions about laying underfloor heating onto existing floors.

There are two types of underfloor heating: gas-powered (wet) underfloor heating and electric underfloor heating.  In wet underfloor heating systems, heat is distributed around the house via thin pipes laid under the floor. These pipes carry hot water around the home so that it can release its heat through the floor and therefore warm the rooms where the underfloor heating system is installed. The water is heated in the main boiler of the home. In cases where the boiler supplying hot water for the household is gas powered (as is the case in most UK households) this type of heating system is known as wet underfloor heating. An electric underfloor heating system, on the other hand, uses electric wires fitted beneath the floor to provide heat. When an electric current is passed through the wires, they become hot and that heat is transferred through the floor to the room above.

1. Price At UFH1 we don’t have expensive glossy brochures, large flashy show displays, several sales managers, high spec offices or National Merchant rebate schemes (which are ultimately paid for by customers) – So we can keep prices low!

The use of aluminium ‘spreader plates’ is common in installing water underfloor heating to joisted floors.There are pros and cons of the use of spreader plates that should be considered for water underfloor heating:Pros1.    Easy to install for the novice installer as they set the pipe spacing2.    Lightweight – where biscuit mix can’t be used3.    Clean installation – less mess than biscuit mix4.    Quicker – generally faster to install than biscuit mix5.    Spread the heat evenly when used with insulation alone

A test is performed at a pressure of 5 bar before flooring, screed or biscuit mix is laid to check for leaks and ensure the pipes are at their most expanded. This pressure is to be maintained until screed application is completed in order to ensure that any leaks are identified immediately and prevent the screed cracking later. 6 bar is a lot higher than a system would normally run.This action can be pressurised for testing purposes with mains water in most cases. REMEMBER: You must be extremely careful to avoid frost unless anti freeze has been added to the water. The flow from the mains tap to the filling point on the flow rail (red) of the manifold and the return/waste hose connected from the drain point of the return manifold (blue) to somewhere the return water can drain to.

All of our kits, with the exception of the single room thermostatic valve kit would require a separate room thermostat. The thermostatic valve kit measures the return water temperatures to open and close the mechanical valve.

Underfloor heating is fast becoming the preferred option to heat any home or workspace. More and more people are choosing to heat their homes with Underfloor heating as it is very low to run but remains high in comfort with huge environmental benefits.Underfloor heating radiates upwards from the floor space, heating other surfaces in the room which in turn then radiate secondary heat.  Floor draughts are eliminated and the heat in the room remains even. More traditional methods such as wall mounted radiators are known as convected heating which uses the air in a room as the mechanism to disperse heat into the whole room.  Using this type of conventional heating means that naturally the warmest part of a room is the ceiling and the coolest is the floor.  This is the opposite of Underfloor heating which is warmer underfoot and loss of heat is minimised.

1. Check that all flow meters are open. Turn them anti-clockwise a couple of turns from closed2. Switch the programmer for zone 1 so that it is calling for heat, you should see a flame signal.3. There should be no actuators fitted on the manifold, the manifold pump should run and the zone valve should open (if one  is fitted).4. The boiler should fire up at this stage and the system should circulate water. Turn the flow meter on all circuits until the plastic indicator is around 1.5 (if using a boiler) or 1 for heat pump systems. The flow meter scale works down, so allowing more flow (like opening a tap) moves the red indictor down. As each are adjusted, some  you may have already set may alter slightly. We find that it’s best to alter in small increments.5. Turn the zone 1 room stat up to it’s highest temperature.