Underfloor Heating

The Beginner’s Guide to Underfloor Heating

Underfloor heating is a luxurious addition to any home, and it comes with some excellent advantages in terms of efficiency when compared to traditional heating methods. Complete Renewables is a leading supplier of underfloor heating in Essex and the surrounding area.

What is Underfloor Heating?

Underfloor heating is a highly efficient alternative to traditional heating methods, and it can be specially designed to work with renewable energy sources heat sources. It is likely that underfloor heating will result in less heat loss for your household than radiators, or warm air central heaters

Why is Underfloor Heating so Efficient?

Heat rises, so installing your heat source at the lowest possible point in the room is a great way to maximise heating efficiency. Researchers estimate that underfloor heating is 40% more efficient than using a radiator. Using energy efficiently is great news both for your wallet and for the environment. It means that you spend less and you get more bang for your buck.

Underfloor heating works well with almost every type of flooring, though it is a good idea to check with a professional beforehand. Floors of a certain thickness are best for achieving optimal heating efficiency. Underfloor heating works well with tiles, carpet, and most other materials you can think of. The feeling of a warm stone floor against bare feet is a wonderful winter treat! Underfloor heating also spreads warmth evenly across the room, and almost never requires maintenance.

What are the other Advantages of Underfloor Heating?

You can either use an underfloor heating system by itself or in conjunction with a radiator. If you choose to go without a radiator, then you can make the most of the free space and focus on your home’s design. It’s easy to create a beautiful minimalist look without a radiator using up wall space.

Underfloor Heating Installation

It is possible to fit underfloor heating retrospectively, though you would probably get best results from installing underfloor heating in a new-build. At Complete Renewables, we specialise in installing underfloor heating that uses either an air source heat pump or a ground source heat pump. The good news is that both of our heat pumps provide efficient renewable energy and qualify for a Government Renewable Heat Incentive which means that you’ll be paid for the renewable energy you produce over 7 years.

If you would like to learn more about the various government incentives in place that reward renewable energy home improvements, then you should either read our comprehensive guide on saving money with Renewable Energy, or give us a call on 01621 827015.

Ground Source Heat Pump

Introduction to Our Eco House – Part 1 – Ground Source Heat Pump

After several months designing and building our eco home, we’re starting to see some real progress.

We decided that an old poorly insulation bungalow in Purleigh near Maldon in Essex would be a great opportunity to demonstrate all the services/product we provide in one place. The original bungalow was demolished, leaving only the foundations. These foundations were extended to form the base of our new building.

Ground Source Heat Pump Trenches It was decided that a ground source heat pump installation would suit the house best. The reason for this is that the building will be well insulated, underfloor heating will be fitted and the garden is large. Firstly we dug trenches 1.2 metres deep in the garden and laid our pipework. We decided to opt for a horizontal array, but if you’re tight for space or don’t want to dig your garden, then a borehole may suit you better.

For more information on our ground source heat pump installations visit the ground source heat pump section of our site

The heat pump used is a Vaillant 6kW Geotherm, this is able to generate approximately 4kW to heat the house for every 1kW used.

We then constructed a small shed to house the heat pump itself and a buffer tank. These can be located within the house, but as we have a large garden we decided to save space in the house. The ground source heat pump is a great way of using the natural warmth of the ground (which doesn’t fall below 5⁰C even during winter) to heat your home. The set-up will also provide a large part of the hot water requirements. The heat pump can provide 100% of the required hot water, but we’re also installing solar thermal.

Ground Source Heat PumpThe ground source heat pump is eligible for the Renewable Heat Premium Payment, which provided a £1,250 payment from the government after installation. Also, starting next spring we’ll be able to claim for the Renewable Heating Incentive, which will pay out for each unit of heat generated.

To heat the house itself the underfloor heating system draws heat from the buffer tank and pumps this around its network. Unlike traditional heating systems the ground source heat pump is most efficient when operated at a fixed temperature, i.e. the house’s temperature is maintained throughout day and night. This creates a very comfortable environment within the house, which is no longer subject to fluctuating temperatures.

Underfloor HeatingThe heat pump was installed several months ago and was able to comfortably warm the house despite the exceptionally cold and prolonged winter. We’ve also notice a very significant saving when compared with the old oil based heating system used previously.