Underfloor Heating South-West London | Electric vs Water

Published by Hannah King

Posted on 30 January 2020

At Kluk Construction, we’re proud installers of both types of underfloor heating. After all, nothing says luxury like being barefoot on warm tiles in the middle of winter. If this sounds appealing we’ve written this guide to help you make the right choice for your home. Read on this week to compare the two types, here’s more on electric systems vs water.

What is Underfloor Heating?

Essentially central heating for the floor, underfloor heating uses climate control for thermal comfort. It uses the basic principle of how heat rises and can be installed either through water pipes or electric coils. The concept is also much older than you think with underfloor heating dating back to ancient times. These days it’s still an extremely desirable feature for most home buyers whether a wet or dry system.

How Electric Underfloor Heating Works

Electric underfloor heating relies on a system of wires under the floor that heat up. Alternatively, heating mats are also practical as they’re great for covering a larger area. The wires themselves are relatively thin, making them cheaper and more simple to install. Electric systems, however, are more pricey to run so are best suited to smaller areas.

How Water Underfloor Heating Works

In contrast, water underfloor heating uses a network of pipes which are linked to your boiler. Hot water is then dispersed around the room, warming it up more evenly than radiators. In fact, this also ensures more efficient heating as the system uses water at a lower temperature than a radiator. They are, however, more tricky to install as obviously pipes are much thicker than wires.

Is Your Project Suited to Electric or Water?

If you’d love underfloor heating for your home, let’s first look at your type of project. Are you renovating an existing home or buying a new build? You’ll be surprised to know that it matters a lot. If you’re planning a refurbishment of your current home, an electric system may be more suitable. It won’t reduce the floor height as much as a water system would and is ideal for just one or two rooms. Electric underfloor heating is also perfect to use as the main heat source for smaller rooms. If you’re looking to heat a large area, however, then water is the more cost-effective solution.

Water underfloor heating is recommended for projects where it will be the homes primary source of heat. A wet system also requires a thick layer of screed which means it’s installed deeper than electric. By nature, therefore, it’s more costly and disruptive to install this type of system upfront but long-term you’ll benefit from reduced heating costs and this option is also considered to be maintenance-free.

Underfloor Heating Installation Times

Choose a fully-qualified installer then you can expect a quick and easy installation. Underfloor heating is pretty straightforward especially if it’s all your installer does. Electric installations offer very swift times with some products promising even quicker timescales than others. Water underfloor heating, however, takes longer with the time needed to test the system.

Learn More About Underfloor Heating For Your Home

Thank you for reading this week’s post to learn all about underfloor heating. Whether you have your eye on a new build or are planning a refurb, hopefully, this article has been a great help. For more help and advice on underfloor heating, please get in touch to discuss a project. A functional and comfortable home is where the heart is and our team can help you achieve just that. Thank you for reading.

Photo credit: urfinguss, iStock

Categories: Blog