FloRad. Underfloor heating specialists

Does underfloor heating dry out the room?

In convective systems the air around the radiator is heated up and expanded. This hot expanded air is dry air and is hungry for moisture to recover its natural humidity balance. The moisture is extracted from breath and face membranes, drying lips, eyes, and nose membranes of those in the room, as weel as from drinks and plants. This excess moisture then condenses out on windows, outer walls and other cold areas when heating is switched off, often leading to dampness, streaking and growth of moulds, requiring frequent cleaning. Florad’s underfloor heating systems have a low controlled surface temperature averaging only 2oC above the temprature required for the room.

What type of boiler is required?

The system can be coupled to any fuel boiler. Gas fuelled boilers can either be of traditional design or of the condensing type with their lower flow temperature.

What kind of ongoing cost savings will the system achieve?

Due to the very low water content within the system, very little heating is required to generate the desired effect, this means domestic fuel costs are reduced by 35-45% compared to radiator heating. These percentage savings are increased for buildings with high ceilings extending to 60-80% for sports halls and churches.

How does this type of heating differ from central heating?

Most central heating systems work on the principle of hot spot heating - heating strategically placed radiators (the hot spot) to a relatively high temperature and thereafter heating the air surrounding them. This type of heating is marked by two main characteristics. First, the closer to the hot spot the greater the heat and vice versa. Second, because high temperature hot spots heating works on the convection principle the greater warmth is concentrated at ceiling level and the minimum at floor level. As a consequence comfort levels inevitably vary at different positions in the room and at different heights. The underfloor radiant heating system however works on quite a different basis. Instead of heating hot spots to relatively very high temperatures, it heats the largest single area available - the floor - to a relatively low temperature that does not cause convection.

Will the systems cause condensation?

An underfloor low energy radiant effect heating system brings in its wake a number of quite specific advantages for example, quite apart from its economic and comfort benefits, it does not cause condensation as with traditional systems.