Why underfloor heating is great in the winter

Most homes in the UK have traditional heating systems, those being hot air heating or radiators and whilst these generally do the job you may find an alternative system may better suit your needs. One of the most sought-after alternatives is underfloor heating with its efficiency and affordability it is becoming an increasingly popular option.

What is underfloor heating?

There are two types of system when it comes to underfloor heating, the wet and the dry. With the wet system, you will find warm water pumped through pipes underneath the floor. Alternatively, with the dry system you will have a series of electrical coils conducting heat underneath the floor. With either system, the general result is that heat rises.

What are the advantages of underfloor heating?

Starting with the advantages, underfloor heating is one of the more luxurious ways to heart your home. Being able to immediately feel heat from the floor in a home not only feels welcoming especially in the winter but is much more aesthetically pleasing. Radiators tend to clutter a room without you realising, sitting there just collecting dust.

Having the system beneath the floor also helps to evenly distribute heat in your home. Whilst traditional heating systems work by heating the air immediately surrounding them you will find that the heat is quickly lost throughout the space. Underfloor heating on the other hand is a much better system as it can consistently heat a larger surface area.

Underfloor heating also doesn’t have to work as hard as other heating systems. To feel the effects of a radiator it must use a lot of water and energy, working at a high temperature. However, underfloor heating works at a much lower temperature whilst saving you on your energy bills.

What are the disadvantages of Underfloor Heating?

Conversely, there are some drawbacks to having ambient UFH that should be considered before being installed. Arguably one of the biggest disadvantages to underfloor heating is the cost of the installation. Whilst the system itself is relatively affordable, the installation usually requires a lot of work, especially with pre-renovated properties.

Another issue you may find is that because the system works at much lower temperatures than other systems it will take a lot longer to heat the room. This may mean you want to invest in a timer as well to ensure that your floor and room is the desired temperature at the right time.

There can also be some issues with what you can place on the floor as well depending on the type of system. It can be dangerous to have certain fittings or pieces of furniture on the floor due to the heat as well as the weight of the object.

Finally, if the system is not properly installed it can cause a lot of problems later on for the homeowner. Unlike other heating systems you will find that there isn’t easy access if anything goes wrong. Having to remove your flooring just to fix your heating system can work out much costlier than you would have first thought.