Electric underfloor heating

[B91]

Recently had the bathroom done and had underfloor heating installed. Wife is complaining tiles don't really feel warm, which they don't, they just don't strike cold as they do in our other tiled rooms. It's an automatic system from Porcelanosa that just keeps the tiles at a preset 23C though you can override that of course, which I have done. The readout is currently 26C which I presume is the floor temperature rather than the room temperature.

Seems to me that everything is OK so how do I convince her they shouldn't feel toasty?

 

[securespark]

You say the floor does not feel warm, yet you then say the stat is set to 26 and it's OK. That does not make sense

 

[JohnW2]

Wife is complaining tiles don't really feel warm, which they don't, they just don't strike cold as they do in our other tiled rooms. ... The readout is currently 26C which I presume is the floor temperature rather than the room temperature. Seems to me that everything is OK so how do I convince her they shouldn't feel toasty?

Just tell her some facts of life/physics/physiology ... 26°C is more than 10°C below body temperature, so there's no way that they can be expected to feel particularly warm - for that, they'd probably have to be at least 35°C, probably more (depending on what she would regard as 'warm'). As you say, at 26°C one would expect them simply to "not feel as cold" as they would without the UFH.

Kind Regards, John

 

[B91]

Thank you John. Would you mind explaining the physics to her? Doesn't seem to make much impression when I do

 

[JohnW2]

Thank you John. Would you mind explaining the physics to her? Doesn't seem to make much impression when I do

You're welcome. Try getting a bowl of water at 26°C and ask her to put her hand in it and tell you whether it feels cool, warm or what

Kind Regards, John

 

[Taylortwocities]

Read the manual, you can set the floor temperature to whatever level you would like, but you need to programme it!

Probably the 23° C is the default temperature that is set by the makers. With most you can press the temperature button and that will give you a one time warmer temperature that will revert to the programmed settings when the auto clock gets to the next programmed time slot.

 

[B91]

Read the manual

Read my post, it covered all of that.

 

[JohnW2]

Read the manual, you can set the floor temperature to whatever level you would like, but you need to programme it! Probably the 23° C is the default temperature that is set by the makers....

It sounds as if the OP has already over-ridden the default....

...It's an automatic system from Porcelanosa that just keeps the tiles at a preset 23C though you can override that of course, which I have done. The readout is currently 26C ...

Whether the 26°C is the highest it will go, I don't know, but it sounds as if it it is not enough for his wife!

Kind Regards, John

 

[B91]

Whether the 26°C is the highest it will go, I don't know, but it sounds as if it it is not enough for his wife!

Kind Regards, John

The control allows higher temperatures than 26C but I'm a bit cautious about pushing it too high - maybe there's still some moisture under there - don't want steam pressure lifting our new tiles!

 

[JohnW2]

The control allows higher temperatures than 26C but I'm a bit cautious about pushing it too high - maybe there's still some moisture under there - don't want steam pressure lifting our new tiles!

It sounds as if she may have to be a little patient, then! Do you know how high it will go?

Kind Regards, John

 

[B91]

It sounds as if she may have to be a little patient, then! Do you know how high it will go?

Kind Regards, John

Just tweaked it up and the limit is 40C, but then set it back to 23 - my leccy bill is quite high enough already! Hopefully she will switch her focus on to something else that isn't up to her expectations I can already sense she isn't wildly impressed by all this designer stuff that's been put in, beautiful to look at, but not that practical.

 

[Taylortwocities]

 

[big-all]

please just be aware electric costs 3 times that off mains gas per kw
so if underfloor is not your primary heating and you have gas central heating then please use the gas as much as possible to provide the room heat

 

[B91]

please just be aware electric costs 3 times that off mains gas per kw
so if underfloor is not your primary heating and you have gas central heating then please use the gas as much as possible to provide the room heat

Yep, very aware of that but it is only a floor warmer, not intended to provide room heat. The system does have a built-in power consumption monitor and I'll be keeping a close eye on that. Short term I've been using one of these readouts that show power being used for the entire house. That's indicating 0.5Kw when it cuts in but that doesn't help much as you don't know how long it stays on for. ATM I'm agreeing with the poster above - turn it off and put some warm socks on. Seems a high price to pay just to avoid a few minutes of feeling cold tiles on your tootsies.

 

[efficiencyman]

please just be aware electric costs 3 times that off mains gas per kw
so if underfloor is not your primary heating and you have gas central heating then please use the gas as much as possible to provide the room heat

I have been checking my energy monitors for a few years now. Since fitting a heat pump over a year ago my overall Gas & Leccy consumption has gone down. From Gas you only get 0.8 Kw from every 1 Kw consumed even with an `A`rated condensing boiler. Allowing for Gas being cheaper than Leccy per Kw, Electric UHF is only 1 Kw in = 1 Kw out. My heat pump is putting out 3, 4, or 5 Kw from every 1 Kw consumed and keeps my UFH and rads hot enough for my main heating, although I am Hybrid with Gas (about 15%) depending on weather. Whole house H/P only cost £1,500 should pay back in about 4 years, Plus my wife is well happy with COSY toes !