Sorry if this is a bit long but it needs some describing. I recently had a simple extension and kitchen built across the back of my house and chose underfloor heating at the suggestion of the heating engineer. However, it is quite 'problematic' at times and I'd like to know if it can be sorted.
Basically, we had a new boiler fitted to our existing standard gas fired central heating system (radiators and water heating). The underfloor system was then connected into the existing radiator system with it's own pump and thermostat in the extension. This thermostat only controls the switching on/off of the pump while the existing thermostat in the lounge controls the switching on/off of the boiler.
What happens quite often is that the temperature of water in the pipes leading to the underfloor pump gets so hot (>50 degrees C) that the pump will not switch on anyway. It has it's own 'regulator' built in to stop the underfloor pipese getting too hot. This happens particularly when the water heating has been on too. To get the extension system pumping I have to turn off the boiler via the lounge thermostat (and turn water heating completely off) until the pipes leading to the underfloor pump have cooled down enough for the pump to switch on. I then turn up the lounge thermostat so that the boiler comes back on. It'll then run until the underfloor pipes get too hot again and I have to turn it off via the lounge thermo again.
I'm going to try changing the heating on/off times so that the heating comes on before the water heating does. I'm hoping the underfloor system will have a chance to start circulating before the water temperature gets too hot. Alteratively, do I need a separate boiler for the underfloor system ?
Basically, we had a new boiler fitted to our existing standard gas fired central heating system (radiators and water heating). The underfloor system was then connected into the existing radiator system with it's own pump and thermostat in the extension. This thermostat only controls the switching on/off of the pump while the existing thermostat in the lounge controls the switching on/off of the boiler.
What happens quite often is that the temperature of water in the pipes leading to the underfloor pump gets so hot (>50 degrees C) that the pump will not switch on anyway. It has it's own 'regulator' built in to stop the underfloor pipese getting too hot. This happens particularly when the water heating has been on too. To get the extension system pumping I have to turn off the boiler via the lounge thermostat (and turn water heating completely off) until the pipes leading to the underfloor pump have cooled down enough for the pump to switch on. I then turn up the lounge thermostat so that the boiler comes back on. It'll then run until the underfloor pipes get too hot again and I have to turn it off via the lounge thermo again.
I'm going to try changing the heating on/off times so that the heating comes on before the water heating does. I'm hoping the underfloor system will have a chance to start circulating before the water temperature gets too hot. Alteratively, do I need a separate boiler for the underfloor system ?