DESIGNER RADIATOR

Alternatives to radiators – Under floor heating

In most countries in the temperate regions of northern and central Europe a central heating system powered from a boiler or convection boiler is the most popular form of building heating system.

These central heating systems can be based around any number of different fuels from oil and gas to coal and wood burners. What nearly all have in common is a system that continually circulates reheated water that warms the building through a series of strategically placed radiators. This heating approach is tried and tested, reliable and capable of heating a property quickly and comparatively efficiently.

The central heating approach is not however the only way of raising and controlling the temperature in a building and other alternatives are becoming increasingly popular, efficient and price comparable.

Under floor heating

With the fluctuating prices of all fossil fuels from coal to gas, electricity is now once again being considered as a viable energy source when it comes to heating a home or office.

In a number of countries there are off peak electricity tariffs that make this form of energy no more expensive than the alternatives, and the ways in which it can be used to heat a building are often more efficient than radiators.

Under floor heating uses a network of wires that are installed in a mat like form under the floor. Combined with special insulation boards under floor heating is efficient because it distributes the heat throughout the room (no cold spots) and, because it is at floor level, all of the heat rises providing balanced warmth to a room.

Under floor heating is also installed in zones, with one or more zones to a room, and each zone has its own thermostatic controls enabling precise and energy efficient heating of all parts of a property.

Under floor heating works by evenly distributing heat across a large area. The resulting heat need only travel upwards. By contrast, the radiator sends heat out from fixed points around a room and the heat needs to travel horizontally as well as vertically.

With developments in the field of solar heating, and particularly the solar matting that can be placed on a roof, under floor heating is becoming increasingly popular in countries like Britain. Those who have solar matting or solar panels will also find that they can off-set their under floor heating costs against the energy generation of their solar installation. This makes the under floor heating option even more appealing.

With so many good things about under floor heating it is important to remember that it does have some major drawback, both in terms of functionality and energy costs.

Firstly, electricity tariffs have varied considerably over time and, although they may be comparable with some fossil fuels at the moment, there is no evidence to suggest that this will remain so. Historically electricity has always cost more than coal and gas (in the UK).

Secondly, a problem with a central heating system can nearly always be solved fairly quickly by replacing or repairing a pipe, boiler, radiator etc. With under floor heating problems can often be more serious and whilst many installations have 10 year guarantees, most of us expect our heating system to run, albeit with some maintenance, for several decades.

Finally, under floor heating is still, in the UK at least, a fairly untried and tested heating system. It is also a system that heats a building, but which does not provide hot water like a central heating combi boiler. For these reasons under floor heating still has some way to go before it becomes the heating system of choice.