Once up to temperature, underfloor heating (UFH) is fabulous but it can lack the “instant heat” of radiators. How quickly depends on the system type, floor build-up and how well insulated your house is.
Typical warm-up times (UK homes)
As a rough guide:
Electric Underfloor Heating Gloucestershire (mats or loose cable): typically takes 30-60 minutes before you begin to feel the warmth of your floor.
Water (wet/hydronic) Underfloor Heating: 1-3 hours to feel warm and upwards even of 4 hours in thicker screed floors.
If your UFH and screed are thick (common on new builds or extensions), it will act a bit like the storage heater of old – slow to store up heat but then able to stay warm for ages.
What affects warm-up speed?
Electric: quick heat source, wet systems (baseboard/beamed for whole-house heating) means slower warming but works well with an efficient system.
Floor construction: Using screed takes longer than the low-profile retrofit boards. This, in turn, means that poor insulation below the system causes heat loss downward.
Warm Materials: Tiles and stone make the ultimate underfoot materials to warm up however a thick carpet will take longer to do so.
Draughts, single glazing, uninsulated walls will make any heat generated take forever to feel warm.
Thermostat settings: the setting being incorrect or having a limit on how low to turn down floor temperature will impact warm up time as well as the thermal resistance of screed. For information on Underfloor Heating Gloucestershire, visit Parsons Flooring.
Improving the speed of underfloor heating
Floor sensors and their limits.
Most thermostats have an option to set the maximum floor temperature. The floor may never feel warm if it is set too low.
Improve insulation where you can.
Insulation boards and good subfloor insulation can make a real and measurable difference.
Choose UFH-friendly flooring
When renovating, choose materials with high heat transfer. Use a suitable tog rating for UFH if you want carpet.
Avoid heating under fixed units. Heating under cabinets in kitchens and bathrooms burns extra energy.
Why a slow start is cause for concern
Troubleshooting: If your UFH takes much longer than it should to heat up, heats unevenly or doesn’t get hot at all there could be a problem with the thermostat, sensor failure (surface), air being trapped in amongst the old hydrogels and inserts for water pockets within wet systems.
A local UFH installer can test the system for you if further in doubt and then guide you to faster, more efficient heat.
