Reply to: Underfloor heating

[ChimpMaster]

My underfloor water heating in a well insulated modern place turned out to be a lot cheaper than the old draughty gas centrally heated house I'd had before.

Yep that I would agree on, i.e. underfloor heating is cheaper to run than conventional central heating. What I was referring to though is the difference between electric underfloor heating and water underfloor heating.

It would be a concern if one was a lot more expensive to run than the other, but I don't think that's the case.

[Sysman]

I've read that the actual running cost difference between the 2 is very little.

My underfloor water heating in a well insulated modern place turned out to be a lot cheaper than the old draughty gas centrally heated house I'd had before.

[DS23]

we have electric under our tiles in the kitchen and dining room. can't remember how much it cost nor indeed do i know how much it costs to run or how it compares to others. sorry. but it gets warm quick and is great on winter mornings. i'd do it again.

[ChimpMaster]

Yes.

Underfloor electric heating would have been cheaper also than the previous, since that would be at a lower temperature.

It does take a day or two with the water ones to heat up, but our house is very well insulated, so it isn't really a problem.

This is why I am tending towards electric rather than water based. We're more the type to turn on the heating for an hour and then turn it off , i.e. get a quick warm up of the house and then settle in. I could not fathom having to wait hours for the water based underfloor heating to come on! I've read that the actual running cost difference between the 2 is very little.

[NotAllThere]

...
From your comment I presume you mean non-underfloor electric heating!

Yes.

Underfloor electric heating would have been cheaper also than the previous, since that would be at a lower temperature.

It does take a day or two with the water ones to heat up, but our house is very well insulated, so it isn't really a problem.

[Archangel]

I have electric underfloor heating in my kitchen diner (quite a large area). Its flippin brilliant, but when it's on you can dance round the meter and the leccy bill shoots up in winter. it's like burning fivers.

If I had the job to do again I'd use water.

[Mich the Tester]

We had underfloor heating fitted to a house extension (completed 2007).
Heating is water based in concrete screed. Have some of the floor tiled (utility and bathroom) part wooden floor (new living room). It is excellent, but don't expect instant heating.

Its best left 'on' all the time but controlled through a thermostat which can be just turned down in summer. This will stop the concrete pad getting cold.

whs, but even better if you can switch it on regardless of the thermostat; mine's water based and it's fantastic for warming your feet after a cold winter walk, but also for lying down on the warm tiles if you ever suffer back pain.

[moorfield]

We've put a water system in our extension - had to have the floors ripped up and relevelled anyway.

Went for a triple tube system (Kee Heating I think) + room zones.

Not instant heat so you need to time it to come on before you need it, but your boiler will only need to operate at 60 degs max
on a traditional CH system it would usually go to 72-80 degs, so certainly will be cheaper.

Very happy with it but in fact hardly ever use it out of winter because the extension is packed full of celotex anyway.

[ChimpMaster]

I have water based underfloor heating. The water is heated by gas. Our utility bills are much lower than when we had electric heating. <snip>

I must admit I'm getting tempted by the electric underfloor heating because it is cheaper/easier to install and apparently heats up a lot quicker. I didn't think this would be much more expensive to run than the water based system, but really that depends on gas prices against electricity prices.

From your comment I presume you mean non-underfloor electric heating!

[sasguru]

Money was tight - I was the youngest of five.

I never had a cot. As a baby I slept in the bottom drawer of the bedside table.

My Mum sewed my mittens into my sleeves. I thought it was because she loved me. She said "You know what a dozy git you are and I can't afford to replace them." They were her mittens.

I once got an empty box for Christmas. My Dad said it was an Action Man deserter.

We had a dog. We fed it on the leftovers scraped off our plates. I didn't know actual dog food existed until I was a teenager.

There was a white elephant stall at a church event with a boxed 2nd hand Hornby train set going dirt cheap. It was tatty but my eyes lit up when I saw it but got the usual "Don't get ideas". At Xmas I got that train set (wrapped in newspaper) as my prezzy. I loved that train set. I used to push the wagons round and round the track. My parents must have been ever so glad I never asked why there was no engine in the box. I wasn't stupid.

Now you come to mention it... I don't remember washing in hot water either and I used to have my bath after Mum had hers - in the same water.

Happy days, eh? No, not really.

Yooof of today! Don't know they're born.
When I were a nipper, we used the frozen icicles on the inside of the winder for drinking water.

[Sysman]

I have water based underfloor heating. The water is heated by gas. Our utility bills are much lower than when we had electric heating.

I can only assume that RichardCranium's heating was never, in fact, switched on. Underfloor heating is much better at keeping you warm than radiators etc.

WHS, but if you get a sudden cold snap in summer it can take a day or more to heat up.

But that feeling you get from warm floors when you get out of bed in winter is simply wonderful.

[RichardCranium]

I can only assume that RichardCranium's heating was never, in fact, switched on.

Money was tight - I was the youngest of five.

I never had a cot. As a baby I slept in the bottom drawer of the bedside table.

My Mum sewed my mittens into my sleeves. I thought it was because she loved me. She said "You know what a dozy git you are and I can't afford to replace them." They were her mittens.

I once got an empty box for Christmas. My Dad said it was an Action Man deserter.

We had a dog. We fed it on the leftovers scraped off our plates. I didn't know actual dog food existed until I was a teenager.

There was a white elephant stall at a church event with a boxed 2nd hand Hornby train set going dirt cheap. It was tatty but my eyes lit up when I saw it but got the usual "Don't get ideas". At Xmas I got that train set (wrapped in newspaper) as my prezzy. I loved that train set. I used to push the wagons round and round the track. My parents must have been ever so glad I never asked why there was no engine in the box. I wasn't stupid.

I can only assume that RichardCranium's heating was never, in fact, switched on.

Now you come to mention it... I don't remember washing in hot water either and I used to have my bath after Mum had hers - in the same water.

Happy days, eh? No, not really.

[NotAllThere]

I have water based underfloor heating. The water is heated by gas. Our utility bills are much lower than when we had electric heating.

I can only assume that RichardCranium's heating was never, in fact, switched on. Underfloor heating is much better at keeping you warm than radiators etc.

[Coalman]

We had underfloor heating fitted to a house extension (completed 2007).
Heating is water based in concrete screed. Have some of the floor tiled (utility and bathroom) part wooden floor (new living room). It is excellent, but don't expect instant heating.

Its best left 'on' all the time but controlled through a thermostat which can be just turned down in summer. This will stop the concrete pad getting cold.

It is worth fitting different 'circuits' in each area (we have three thermostats for each area listed above).

We have had a problem with the pump, but not the pipes under the floor.

I have no experience of electric under floor heating but would guess that it will break easier which could mean pulling up the floor more often. Also, over time I suspect the electric would have higher running costs.

[RichardCranium]

The house we lived in when I was in Junior School had underfloor heating.

For the four years we lived there I was cold all the time. It is the most enduring memory I have of that house: being cold.