hot water underfloor heating

[JBaill]

Does anyone know of an instrument to detect where the plastic underfloor heating pipes are in my suspended flooring? I want to put some more nails / screws in the floor but understand the pipes run just under the chipboard floor. I know there are detectors for joist / pipes etc but is there one that can actually detect a pipe with water as I want to screw into a joist obviously.

 

[Bahco]

Can you not follow the existing nails / screws as they will be fixed to joists and you should be able to work out the joist centres.

 

[bengasman]

Tricky job, as you will really be in some sort of smelly brown stuff if the theory of pipe finding does not match the reality. My best guess would be to run the underfloor heating for a while and then trace the temperature difference with a non contact thermometer. I have an infrared one that is fairly accurate but would still have the customer confirm in writing that I am not liable for damage.

 

[JBaill]

My problem is that the pipes are bedded in sand for good thermal spread. Also, its a second floor on top of the joists so, although I can see the nail lines, there are places where the pipes cross.

 

[Bahco]

Oh dear.

 

[gas4you]

I think a pair of wellies and water proofs will be needed before work commences