The first electric underfloor heating systems were crude with a single heating cable that needed to be stuck to the floor with sticky tape. The new mat system is a heating cable attached to a fully adhesive backed fibre glass matting. The new mat has taken underfloor heating to the next phase and is probably the best under tile heating mat system on the market. Electric underfloor heating is used primarily as direct heating in areas like bathrooms, kitchens and conservatories. It is easy to install, adds only a few millimetres to the depth of the floor and, with the use of a programmable thermostat, is very easy to control.
Electric UFH will provide either background heat, or in the right circumstances, a primary source of heating, negating the need for ugly, space-intruding radiators. To ascertain whether the heating can be used as the sole source in a room, there needs to be adequate insulation under the floor, double glazing and a high percentage of floor area free to install the heating. Setting the standards in underfloor heating The new fibre glass electric underfloor heating mat makes a warm floor underfoot an affordable luxury, making any floor surface in any room a joy to walk on. • New improved self adhesive fabric backing • Powerful 160 watts/m2 to heat any tile • Only one connection cable for easy installation • Adds only 3mm to the floor depth • Surpasses international safety standards • No electro magnetic field • Full adhesive fibre glass backing • All our systems come with a LIFETIME GUARANTEE. Couple this guarantee with our experience and make a quality decision. Fibre mat technical data: Operating voltage 230/240V Output 160watts/m2 Width 500mm Size 1 - 10m2 All our systems come with a LIFETIME GUARANTEE. Although this system has many technical benefits over competitor systems the main benefit is the price.
What are the Running Costs? Basically, a kilowatt of electricity (1000 watts) costs about 7p per hour at peak rate (consult your electricity board for exact prices). Our underfloor heating mats are rated between 120 watts and 200 watts per square metre. Detailed below are calculations based on installation on an un-insulated concrete sub-floor (with insulation or tile backer boards running costs can be cut by as much as 30%).
1m² of 130 watt costs approx. 0.95 of a penny per hour.1m² of 160 watt costs approx. 1.20 pence per hour.1m² of 200 watt costs approx. 1.50 pence per hour.
A kitchen using a 5m² UFHD 160 watt on a floor without insulation would cost approximately £6.75 per month to run.
Will it help to have insulation below the underfloor heating mat? If the system is to be used as the sole source of heating it is essential that there is insulation beneath the heating. Insulation will make the property more thermally efficient and the heating more effective. Tile Town supply tile backer insulation boards from PCS, available in thicknesses of as little as 10mm, which are ideal for floor insulation in renovation. Likewise the underfloor heating will be more efficient as a sole source of heating if the windows are double-glazed and there is insulation in the walls/ceiling (as with any other form of heating).
How long will it take before the floor is up to temperature? Depending on the thickness of the tiles, the warm up time is usually between 40 to 60 minutes. However, when using PCS board in conjunction with underfloor heating, a warm floor can be achieved in as little time as 20 minutes
A 13amp spur is, in most cases, sufficient. But to calculate the exact loading in amps, there is a simple calculation. Take the total area in m 2 of the heating mat and multiply it by the power rating of the mat, this gives the heating output in watts. To work out the loading, simply divide this amount by the volts. For example, for an 8m 2 UFHD 160 watts/m 2 mat. 8(m 2 ) x 160 watts = 1280(watts) divide by 230(volts) = 5.57 amps.
Where do the R.C.D./Timer/Thermostat go on the circuit? The mat is laid and the cold leads are fed into a junction box. It doesn't matter where you physically fix these items, though you may want them to be hidden in a cupboard. If you have a thermostat that reads air temperature, this will need to be in the appropriate room. However, if it is fitted with a floor sensor then this isn't necessary.
What happens if the system goes wrong? Once the heating is installed and the floor is laid on top, the heating mat cannot malfunction and is covered by our 10 year guarantee. If the fault is diagnosed once the floor is down, it can be traced down to beneath 1 or 2 tiles. We have never had to take up a complete floor.
For technical advice call 0800 328 4980 Weber, our adhesive supplier have released a training DVD for the professional tile fixer, one of the topics is tiling onto underfloor heating. Click on the links below to view the individual films