Underfloor heating; recommend or comments? Warranty ??

[chaletstyle]

I'm amazed at the large number of wet underfloor heating brands there are now.

Looking at using this in a conversion into dwelling. I have lived with UFH and I like it. We will be having an air source heat pump.

I noticed online that Nu-heats warranty is as follows

Fastflo™ underfloor heating tube (all sizes) 50 year product warranty
First 10 years insurance backed, covering complete cost of the remedial works and reinstatement

EnergyPro and EnergyMaster HP cylinders*Ɨ 25 years*

Underfloor heating manifold 10 years

I see some other brands guarantee their tubing but not sure about reinstatement if things go horribly wrong. It doesn't seem they want to be upfront about what is covered by guarantee It's not the cost of the tubing but the mess caused. but then again, home insurance might cover some of that. It's all a bit confusing.

I was thinking of approaching some local firms who install UFH and see what they recommend as being a good system.

What sort of guarantee should I expect from them if they supply and fit ??

Can anyone recommend a particular system over another ? Please give reasons. Thanks

 

[Dan Robinson]

We use these guys. Best design work we've come across (detail wise). Good range of construction types. Nice people to deal with too. Price is average, but then cheapest is seldom best.

https://ambienteufh.co.uk

 

[Dan Robinson]

Warranty will depend on many factors. But if installed correctly, you need to look at the manufacturer's warranty not the installers.


Construction type is entirely dependent on the situation of which you've deemed it unnecessary to tell us about.

 

[chaletstyle]

It's the old head height conundrum. Concrete ground floor without insulation which don't want to dig out so must go ontop. Not sure how much insulation we are going to have to use yet. There are steels that will drop into ceiling height in the middle ( open plan) so trying to minimise build up as much as practical
Then chipboard first floor with beds in roof. The trusses cannot be cut into and head height is a big issue with sloping ceilings.


Do you not think installer should be accountable ?

 

[Dan Robinson]

Do you not think installer should be accountable ?

Once the pipe is laid correctly and tested, it's down to the manufacturer and the floor finishers. The installer is actually a small cog in the works.

I gave up with Nuheat after many manifold leaks.. Moved to Ambiente.... But also to be fair lots of my installations subsequently have centralised manifold /pump stations. Pipe and base materials are all made by a core of factories and resold to the companies you're looking at.

 

[chaletstyle]

Quite so, but how do the uninitiated ( me) know the difference between a good or bad installation. A bad installer might fudge the test. Will the building control inspector want to see the test being done ?

 

[Dan Robinson]

Building control are up there with chocolate teapots with anything more than basic shoelaces and boiling a kettle.

The installer is tested by experience and reputation. In this respect I feel sorry for you as a homeowner. I can vouch for those who install for me, and the jobs I do personally;but for you, the best starting point will be neighbours who have had similar projects completed 5 years ago (for example). Or the chosen suppliers own local recommendations.

But, there are many pitfalls there too I'm afraid. Underfloor heating is not complicated, but it is backbreaking, so prone to people taking short cuts.

Recently I had to put right another plumbers installation, which, as he hadn't labelled the pipes in the manifolds, meant a thermal imaging survey, which took me most of the day. In the screed constructions, it looked like he had chucked a coil of pipe into the middle of the room and left it a few minutes to unravel a bit, then hooked the two ends up to the manifold. The original contractor is going to be paying big for the remedial work there. Said installer was on the Polypipe list, but, after conversing with him about the final control strategy, it was a but worrying... Even Polypipe were contradicting him.

 

[dilalio]

If you appoint a cheap firm who don’t speak much English, and see them laying radiators down on the floor... be very worried

 

[dilalio]

Building control are up there with chocolate teapots with anything more than basic shoelaces and boiling a kettle.

The installer is tested by experience and reputation. In this respect I feel sorry for you as a homeowner. I can vouch for those who install for me, and the jobs I do personally;but for you, the best starting point will be neighbours who have had similar projects completed 5 years ago (for example). Or the chosen suppliers own local recommendations.

But, there are many pitfalls there too I'm afraid. Underfloor heating is not complicated, but it is backbreaking, so prone to people taking short cuts.

Recently I had to put right another plumbers installation, which, as he hadn't labelled the pipes in the manifolds, meant a thermal imaging survey, which took me most of the day. In the screed constructions, it looked like he had chucked a coil of pipe into the middle of the room and left it a few minutes to unravel a bit, then hooked the two ends up to the manifold. The original contractor is going to be paying big for the remedial work there. Said installer was on the Polypipe list, but, after conversing with him about the final control strategy, it was a but worrying... Even Polypipe were contradicting him.

Did you type the above with a big bandaged thumb? Must have had some liquid painkillers then! Hope you got home at a reasonable hour

 

[Dan Robinson]

8 o'clock.....

 

[dilalio]

8 o'clock.....