About underfloor heating

Before delving into the technical side of things you may want to have a wander round this section and find out about the basic principles of underfloor heating.  The full list of links are given below.

Is Underfloor Heating Suitable for Me?

It is now certain that underfloor heating is here to stay, previous attempts at using the floor to heat badly insulated buildings have been well documented and thankfully we can now draw a line under those problems and move forward.

A modern well-insulated building, either domestic or commercial will readily accept a floor heating system and provide excellent comfort levels for the occupants.  The simplicity of the system, and the fact that it is essentially the same equipment providing the same excellent results in either a conservatory or an aircraft hangar is an enormous advantage over convective methods of heating.

The basis of any well-designed heating system is to provide a comfortable environment for the occupants, so it is worth thinking more along the lines of heating the occupants - not the building.  Providing a comfort zone from the floor up to approximately 2.5 metres is an economical and sensible way to approach this, and is easily achieved by utilising the floor structure as the heat source.

The Begetube underfloor heating system is suitable for a wide range of applications.  However, the operation of floor heating is not suitable for buildings that are used intermittently or infrequently.  Domestic housing, offices, schools, nursing homes and hospitals are but a few examples that would greatly benefit from underfloor heating.  In fact virtually everything from a conservatory to an aircraft hangar has benefited from floor heating.  Floor heating is very effective when used in areas with high ceilings, the heat profile generated from a warmed floor provides a comfort level for the occupants without having to waste energy heating the total volume of the area.

Benefits Of Underfloor Heating

Having a warm home is something we all take for granted. For a long time the use of radiators (high temperature convectors) in the UK has been the accepted way of providing that warmth.  Advancements in technology have increased all our expectations and ability to provide a more economical and natural warmth.  Underfloor heating in the UK is going through a rapid surge of growth for one simple reason: It is a far superior way to heat your home.

• COMPLETE COMFORT, a gentle even warmth throughout.
• COMPLETE FREEDOM, no more compromising in your interior design.
• COMPLETE SPACE, maximizes your entire floor space.
• COMPLETE EFFICIENCY, fuel costs reduced, kinder on the environment and your pocket.
• COMPLETE HEALTH, dust laden convection currents are virtually eliminated.
• COMPLETE PEACE OF MIND, no sharp edged radiators, no high temperature surfaces.

A complete system which delivers a near perfect living environment.

History of Underfloor Heating

As a matter of course nearly everyone can quote the fact that the Romans 'invented' underfloor heating.  The system was based on hypocausts - "heat from below" and was based on ducts circulating through the floor.  The structure was basically a raised floor on pillars of about 2 ft in height that the flue gases from a large fire would pass through before going up the chimney.  The running of such a system was very labour intensive and was available to only the wealthy.  The collapse of the Roman empire meant that the technology as far as the western world was concerned disappeared.

The system was still in favour in the Islamic world and by the 12th century the hot air was flowing through pipes.

At the time the Romans were building their systems a similar technology was being born in Korea.  Known as ondol – 'warm stone' the origins can be dated to the Koguryo period (37BC – 668AD).  The excess heat from the stoves was channeled through flues in the floor in a similar way to the Roman method.  The Korean system has remained in use over the past 2000 years.

In the early 1900's whilst working on the Imperial hotel in Japan Frank Lloyd Wright encountered the Korean system at the home of a Japanese businessman.  He decided that from then on all his buildings would be heated in such a fashion.  Using warm water in pipes Wright invented radiant floor heating and a whole new industry was born.