Underfloor heating for bathroom - advice needed please

[KnightWhoSaysNi]

I have central heating with a condensing combi boiler and I'm thinking of installing underfloor heating in the bathroom just to make it a bit more comfortable and cleaner.

The bathroom has a suspended timber floor. The floor area to be covered would be very small, roughly a square metre. (The total area is larger but it's taken by the bathtub, toilet and washbasin.)

That's about the same as the area of the current radiator, so I reckon the UFH could run at the same temp (and on the same circuit) as the rest of the central heating.

Would it be worthwhile installing wet UFH (and removing the radiator) or should I keep things unchanged, or install electric UFH to supplement the centrally-heated radiator (that way I would benefit from the separation of the 2 forms of heating - the ease of thermostatic control, latency being less of an issue, etc.)? What would you suggest?

 

[Dan Robinson]

I wouldn't bother with wet ufh. Spend the money on a GOOD quality electric system.

 

[flameport]

That's about the same as the area of the current radiator, so I reckon the UFH could run at the same temp (and on the same circuit) as the rest of the central heating.

You cannot run UFH at the same temperature as a radiator. Imagine walking on one of your radiators with bare feet.

UFH runs at a much lower temperature, so therefore requires a much larger surface are to heat the room - hence why it's usually installed over the entire floor area.

If you must have UFH, get an electric type. However for just 1 square metre, it is really not worthwhile at all.

 

[KnightWhoSaysNi]

Cheers, so wet UFH is pointless... I'm still not sure about whether to go for electric or none at all. I don't suppose electric UFH would be costly to fit or run, and it would make it more comfortable as you could walk on it barefoot year round. But then, putting down a bathroom mat or two (one next to the bathtub and the other in front of the toilet) could achieve the same...

 

[mikehandy1]

Well even with the underfloor heating you'd need bathmats just to stop water getting everywhere...I like underfloor heating but if it's a really small space does the radiator heat up the room fast anyway?

 

[longdogs]

Electric is much better for a small area and easier to install too.

 

[KnightWhoSaysNi]

Well even with the underfloor heating you'd need bathmats just to stop water getting everywhere...I like underfloor heating but if it's a really small space does the radiator heat up the room fast anyway?

Yes, it does. And the UFH wouldn't improve the heat-up times. The point is to have a warm floor and independent controls for it.

I thought the floor tiles would make the floor reasonably waterproof?
The bath mats would defeat the point of the UFH.

Now I'm leaning to dropping the idea of bathroom UFH altogether.

 

[Nozzle]

I fitted a small electric area in my bathroom - it's no good as the only heat source that much is true (also have a towel radiator). What is does do nicely though is take the chill off the tiles so you don't get cold feet - the perception alone makes the room feel warmer even if the air temperature is cooler.

Nozzle

 

[Agile]

You can buy cheap bedroom slippers for about £3-£4.

They have insulating properties so you can comfortably walk on cold tiles.

They also have no running costs or annual servicing costs!

UFH gives out about 100 watts per m² so not much use to heat up a room unless you have a lot of area.

Tony

 

[DP]

Tony perhaps you have not had experience of installing UF heating, one I fitted for my son does NOT have vast areas, yet maintains required warmth. You are forgetting radiators start heating room ceiling downwards, while UF puts heat where the (cold) feet are😎