Rather than using convection air like older central heating systems or radiators, floor heating provides real warmth to your home using a network of durable and flexible tubes or cables embedded into the floors of your home.

The two main types of underfloor heating systems are warm water heating and electric underfloor heating.

Which type is better for your home depends on a number of factors varying from how the system will be powered, the heating system your currently using, and the type of project you’re working on.

Get in touch with us to talk through your options.

So, how do these systems turn your normal floors into heated floors?

The flooring in your home is transformed into a massive underground, efficient heat emitter designed to provide warmth evenly across a very large surface area.

And it’s that very large surface area which is key to how underfloor heating is so energy efficient. The heat contained in the cable or the water in the pipes does not need to be as high as it does with a radiator to achieve exactly the same effect.

You’ll notice that almost immediately on your heating bills. And if you use a heat pump, your new underfloor heating system is better able to use the energy generated by the pump to create a cosy living space free from the cold spots you associate with radiators.

The cost of underfloor heating installations vary depending on the type of project and the surface area which needs to be covered. Retrofitting underfloor heating is the most expensive option because the floor needs levelling after the work is completed.

Running costs depend on the system you choose.

Warm water underfloor heating is about up to 25% more efficient than using a standard radiator system. Electric underfloor heating systems cost three or four times what a wet system costs to run making them a better choice for smaller spaces.

Buried warm water systems are best for new builds and extensions. Pipes can be housed in the concrete floor slab if required.

For existing spaces and renovation projects, we would recommend a surface-mounted warm water system. You don’t have to dig up your floor when installing UFH.

For smaller rooms, electric underfloor heating is the best option.

If you’re not connected to the gas grid, you can use air source heat pumps or ground source heat pumps to power your floor heating system.

If you use a different heat source like LPG and oil, we can connect your underfloor heating to that.

Most floor coverings including laminate flooring, vinyl flooring, engineered wood, tiles, and carpet can be used with modern underfloor heating systems.

If in doubt, please contact your floor covering provider or ask a PlumbProud heating engineer.

Your PlumbProud warm-water underfloor heating system will be installed by a time-served and qualified plumber. For electric heating systems, this will be carried out by a qualified electrician.

You can use both underfloor heating systems and radiators within your home but, if you’re considering investing in underfloor heating, you may wish to get rid of your radiator system altogether as warm water underflooring heating systems actually use 25% less energy.

An underfloor heating system connected to a ground source heat pump or heat source heat pump means maximum efficiency as it can produce the same or better results as a radiator system with water at a lower temperature water.

PlumbProud can install a heat pump at the same time as your underfloor heating. Please contact us to find out more.

The cold spots in your room are a temperature difference caused by the heat from your radiators not being able to fully circulate around your property and the rooms in it.

Underfloor heating is different because the heat it provides comes from the ground up with pipes or cables laid across the entire surface area of rooms.

When you install underfloor heating in a property, most systems in rooms with a floor space area greater than 15m2 will require a manifold.

Manifolds are like the control room of your underfloor heating system. They connect the heat source to your UFH system and distribute water at the correct temperature through the system’s piping.

Underfloor heating kits are provided by manufacturers to plumbing and central heating companies like Plumbproud to install in clients’ homes and properties.