electric underfloor heating.... questions

[rachaelinnc]

hi all....... i have a tiler coming next week to install underfloor heating and lay tiles in my hallway...... i have a few questions though.....

1. i have told the tiler i will buy mat and not cable does anyone have any reccomendations?

2.there is no radiator and it gets really cold in there.. also the floor is cement.. do i need insulation and if so what type?

3.the tiler said i will need an electrician to connect it... do i need the electrician there at the same time as the tiler is there...also is it a big job for the electrician (ie will it cost a lot)

4.what is a rcd.. i keep reading it on the forums but dont know what it is ..but it seems like i need it for ufh

5.what is the minimum power of ufh you would reccomend since it is the only heat source



i know thats a lot of questions so i thank you in advance.... thanks!

 

[Steve]

1. See what the tile shop has. You want it thermostatically controlled, with a wall-mounted adjustable thermostat.

2. read the instructions that come with the mat. I do hope the floor isn't cement - concrete would be much wiser With "proper" UFH, you design the floor with it in mind - you'd have the subfloor, a thick layer (6-8-12 inches) of dense insulation, the UFH and then a layer of screed. However, there wont be much scope for insulating your floor, unless you want a big step up into the hallway, or want to do some digging . . .

3. AFAIK, the tiler can lay the mat in his adhesive (depends on maunfacturer of mat), so the electrician can come afterwards to connect it up. However, most systems have a thermostat wire which needs careful placing, and the wire resistance needs testing. Might be good to ask a local spark his advice.

4. RCD monitors live and neutral current. Any variance above its detection rate (usually 30mA) will cut the power. Look on the "fusebox". Is there a button anywhere which says "test" on it? Post a picture of the fusebox if you can.

5. depends on size of room really.