Underfloor Heating – Everything You Need To Know!

Underfloor heating is a form of central heating for the home to provide warmth to rooms. Thermal comfort and climate control are achieved through either electrician or hydronic heating elements that are installed under the floor. Hydronic and electric floor heating will ensure that warm floors occur and the warmth travels up evenly around the room.

What is Hydronic Underfloor Heating?

Hydronic underfloor heating involves a network of pipes that run under the floor. A boiler will heat up water when it flows through it and this heated water will run under the floor and heat the room. Most of these systems are installed under the concrete slab, but due to this, it takes longer to heat the room. 

What is Electric Underfloor Heating?

Dielectric heating cables are installed directly under the floor with electric underfloor heating. Electricity passes through the cables, heating them up then this heat warms up the room. These systems are faster to heat up a room but will cost a bit more to run compared to hydronic systems.

There are three main ways that underfloor heating will be installed:

• In-slab heating – the heating system is installed in a concrete slab when the concrete is being poured. This system is slow to heat the room as the concrete needs to become warm first before the floor or tiles can become warm. 
• In-screed heating – a screed is when a thin layer of concrete is poured on top of an existing slab. These systems’ heating coils are within the screed and will heat quicker than in-slab as there is less concrete to heat.
• Under-tile or under-carpet – these are the easiest to install as they are heating mats with small coils within them. These can be laid under rugs and plugged into walls for smaller systems. For larger floor coverings then a professional installation will be needed.

There are many different aspects of the installation that will influence the cost to install the underfloor heating. A general guide on the cost to install underfloor heating systems is:

• $70 per square metre to install an in-slab hydronic heating system
• $100 per square metre to install an in-screed hydronic heating system
• $35 per square metre for an in-slab electric heater
• $115 per square metre for an in-screed electric heating system

There are many components involved in installing heating systems that are positioned underground leading to different tradespeople needed. Since there are electrical components involved this will mean that a licensed electrician will need to install these sections. The main parts electricians will work on are connecting power to the underfloor heating system and also installing the thermostat and timer. 

At times the switchboard will have to be upgraded due to it being old and there being too many large appliances in the home for it to safely handle. A Level 2 Electrician will work on the switchboard upgrade and ensure the underfloor heating will be supported by a modern switchboard. Upgrading the switchboard ensures that it can handle multiple larger appliances needing power, including underfloor heating, EV chargers and hot water systems.

There are many good reasons to install underfloor heating, while some areas of the system may be negative to some. The positives of installing underfloor heating systems are:

• Energy efficient – these systems require much less energy to effectively heat up the room compared to other methods of heating. This means more money is saved in the long term for heating.
• Low maintenance – once the system has been installed there is often no or little to no maintenance needed. Electric systems do not need regular service but hydronic systems might need occasional checks. 
• Adaptable – since they are installed under the floor it means more areas of the home can receive warmth. This also means that no visible heating elements are seen in the room and choosing zone-controlled systems means that certain rooms can be heated while others are not. 
• Ease and safety of installation – installing and using underfloor heating is much easier compared to other methods of heating the home. 

Some drawbacks with underfloor heating are:

• Installation costs – to install the heating system it can often be more expensive than other heating systems. This is due to the labour, location and time needed to install the heating unit. 
• Floor height issues – sometimes the floor height might prevent the chance to install the heating system.