While "traditional" heating sources like radiators, wall units and other types of forced air are still very popular among residents in the United Kingdom, Underfloor heating is quickly gaining quite a following as well. Underfloor heating is a type of central heating that uses radiant heat as well as heat conduction mechanisms for the distribution of heat instead of a convection heating system like the forced air units that most are used to dealing with. With underfloor heating, the heat can be conducted throughout a home or building via cables, film heaters, mesh or even water!
Underfloor heating might seem like a recent invention but the truth is that it was developed by the Romans two thousand years ago. The Romans' version of underfloor heating was comprised of a furnace room. Typically the furnace had its own subterranean room. Someone would light the furnace and let the heat from the furnace fill the room. The heat would naturally circulate upward and warm up the rest of the rooms of the Roman house. If the furnace room was not subterranean but on the first floor of a house, a series of pipes connected to the furnace itself and transferred the furnace's heat throughout the rest of the home via the pipe system.
"Modern" underfloor heating came about in the 1960s when electric resistance cables were put into concrete and then heated via an electrical current during the night. This method did not work well because the temperature could not be controlled, but it did serve as the precursor to the methods for distributing underfloor heat that are used today.
One of the biggest benefits of having underfloor heating is the amount of money that can be saved on utility bills. Underfloor heating helps keep the temperature of a room constant, as opposed to the heat provided by forced air which dissipates quickly.
Underfloor heating is also contained so home owners do not have to worry about losing space to or accommodating wall heaters or radiator units. This method of heating is also better for those who have allergies as it does not stir up dust.
The installation of underfloor heating should be done by a professional. There are do-it-yourself kits that some underfloor heating companies put together, but if a home owner does not have experience with plumbing, insulation or working with a house's foundation, he/she should not attempt to install underfloor heating him/herself. Doing it without a professional's help could result in structural damage to the home. Professional installation is not expensive and can be done relatively quickly.
Underfloor heating might seem like a recent invention but the truth is that it was developed by the Romans two thousand years ago. The Romans' version of underfloor heating was comprised of a furnace room. Typically the furnace had its own subterranean room. Someone would light the furnace and let the heat from the furnace fill the room. The heat would naturally circulate upward and warm up the rest of the rooms of the Roman house. If the furnace room was not subterranean but on the first floor of a house, a series of pipes connected to the furnace itself and transferred the furnace's heat throughout the rest of the home via the pipe system.
"Modern" underfloor heating came about in the 1960s when electric resistance cables were put into concrete and then heated via an electrical current during the night. This method did not work well because the temperature could not be controlled, but it did serve as the precursor to the methods for distributing underfloor heat that are used today.
One of the biggest benefits of having underfloor heating is the amount of money that can be saved on utility bills. Underfloor heating helps keep the temperature of a room constant, as opposed to the heat provided by forced air which dissipates quickly.
Underfloor heating is also contained so home owners do not have to worry about losing space to or accommodating wall heaters or radiator units. This method of heating is also better for those who have allergies as it does not stir up dust.
The installation of underfloor heating should be done by a professional. There are do-it-yourself kits that some underfloor heating companies put together, but if a home owner does not have experience with plumbing, insulation or working with a house's foundation, he/she should not attempt to install underfloor heating him/herself. Doing it without a professional's help could result in structural damage to the home. Professional installation is not expensive and can be done relatively quickly.
About the Author:
Tal Potishman, editor of Heating Central, writes articles about combi boilers, central heating, South Norwood plumbers, underfloor heating and solar thermal. He specializes in helping save money by advising on efficient heating.
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