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At the
design stage there are a number of points that need to be
considered:
How your
floor
covering will affect the performance of your underfloor
heating system
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You will need to choose your floor
coverings carefully. A thick carpet for example my have the
effect of insulating your room from the very thing that's
trying to heat it. Check with suppliers that your choice of
floor covering is compatible with underfloor heating. You
should also be warned that some carpet shop assistants will
look at you a bit strangely when you refer to TOG ratings
and insulating effects. Do not accept simplistic answers
(otherwise known as flannel). If the assistant can't answer
you, but owns up to the fact, that's one thing, but attempt
to waffle should ring alarm bells. Go somewhere else!
Carpeting a floor that contains UFH is a bit like putting a
duvet cover on a radiator. It will have an affect. As a rule
of thumb, the thicker (or heavier) the combination of
underlay and carpet - the greater the insulating effect.
Heat will of course percolate through but it will take time.
How your UFH system will affect your floor
coverings
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Should you choose to have a wooden floor, will the heat
from your system crack or distort the wood, the varnish, or cause
discolouration? Wood should be regarded as a living medium. It contains
moisture. UFH will dry said moisture which can result is cracking, shrinking
and/or warping. It is generally accepted that solid wood will suffer most
from these problems. Engineered flooring (a laminate based on plywood
contruction) is considered the better option.
Where do you plan to put your UFH
manifold/s in a WET system?
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Each underfloor heating zone will need to terminate back
at the manifold. You need to consider where you intend to site the manifold,
considering you probably don't want it to be generally visible you will need
to place it in a convenient hiding place. Remember, depending on the number
of zones, it could take up a significant amount of space and have many pipe
connections (at least two pipes per zone), together with a wiring centre to
control zone actuators and receive room stat signals. You will also need the
appropriate electrical supply. Manifolds are quite neat when the installation
is complete but remember they are a necessary part of the system.
How many UFH zones will you create
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The more zones you create, the more control you have
over different areas - either sectors within a large single area or from room
to room. There may be practical advantages or disadvantages to creating many
zones. Consider a zone as the area controlled by a single room stat. In a wet
system, a single stat can control one or more loops from the manifold by
simultaneously activating more than one actuator.
Boiler/pump position and size on WET
systems
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Be sure to have your boiler size calculated for you so
that it will cope with the demands placed upon it. Your property will have a
'heat loss' value. A 'Gas Safe' installer or competent plumber will be able to do
this for you.
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Check with the manufacturer whether your chosen system
has it's own UFH circulating pump and/or whether you need to install a pump
anywhere else in the system.
Consider your pipework layout on WET
systems
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There are many way to plan your pipework layout. In short,
the water flowing away from the manifold is going to be warmer than that
returning. So when looking at your room, you might for example have an area
that is likely to be colder than another (under a window, by an external
wall, or by patio doors etc). It might therefore be considered logical
to direct the earlier section of your pipe run straight towards such areas -
hence getting the benefit of the warmer 'flow' water. You might even wish to
focus the earlier part of your layout on these areas by increasing the number
of 'early or warmer' loops in areas that are prone to be cold - then working
away and back to the manifold.
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There are many methods and ideas when it comes to pipe
layout - nothing is 'set in stone'. The good news is, that whatever your
chosen layout plan it will not affect the control requirements
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