For many who’re questioning why your underfloor heating should not be working you’re most likely missing the toasty warmth of heat beneath your toes. When put in appropriately, underfloor heating is a low-maintenance, energy-efficient reply to the winter woes. As a consequence of this, it could be irritating when it the entire sudden stops working.
Underfloor heating is probably going one of many hottest forms of heating methods, and it is often used alongside a standard boiler. It actually works on the elemental principle that heat rises, allowing the heat from beneath your toes to radiate into the rest of your room. Nevertheless whereas it’s an ordinary addition to UK homes, underfloor heating does embody its points.
For many who’re experiencing chilly spots or an absence of warmth altogether, the underside line is to understand why your underfloor heating isn’t working throughout the first place. That’s why we’ve spoken to heating consultants that may assist you understand the frequent points with underfloor heating and the appropriate technique to restore them.
1. Poor design and arrange
(Image credit score rating: Future PLC/ Colin Poole)
Sadly, placing in underfloor heating could possibly be powerful, significantly if you decide to do it your self. Matt Densham, product sales director at Robbens Strategies, explains, ‘The overwhelming majority of issues with underfloor heating not working are proper right down to poor arrange or shoddy commissioning.’
The heat output your system should ship relies upon upon a variety of parts, along with the age of the property and how correctly insulated it is. So, your heating engineer must carry out a residence heat loss survey sooner than specifying the system to verify all these variables are accounted for.
That’s one factor that is usually missed all through DIY arrange, which is why Matt advises using educated the place doable.’It’s important that UFH methods are completely designed and put in by expert corporations,’ he says.
When the system is put in, the good and comfy water pipes or cables have to be laid at neat, widespread intervals. It can make sure that the heat is distributed evenly all through the bottom flooring, moderately than a patchy heat with scorching or chilly spots. If the workmanship appears to be messy or uneven on the pipe/cable laying stage, it’s a purple flag, and the job may need to be re-done.
2. Not enough insulation
There are a whole lot of points consultants want you to know sooner than placing in underfloor heating, and one amongst them revolves spherical insulation.
In precise reality, to get most effectivity out of your underfloor heating, placing in the appropriate stage of insulation in your flooring is a ought to. In another case, a proportion of the warmth your system generates will journey downwards by way of the sub floor and be misplaced. This case can occur with every moist and dry underfloor heating methods and in the long run make it seem as in case your underfloor heating isn’t working.
‘Poor insulation requires elevated heating temperatures, which isn’t going to current a comfy dwelling environment,’ says Tom Edmunds, widespread supervisor at Wunda. ‘In a property with good insulation ranges, low temperature and energy atmosphere pleasant underfloor methods will perform fully, giving most monetary financial savings.’
For many who’re placing in UFH as half of an even bigger refurb or renovation, you presumably can moreover take a look at upgrading the insulation in several areas (eg loft, partitions and so forth) along with switching out draughty earlier dwelling home windows for thermally-efficient replacements.
3. Incorrect floor finish
(Image credit score rating: Future plc/Dan Duchars)
One different frequent motive why your underfloor heating will not work is because of it may be laid beneath an unsuitable floor finish. After all, underfloor heating have to be tailored to the flooring kind – and the temperature it is important set underfloor heating at will vary relying in your various.
‘Whereas most provides are applicable for UFH, care must be taken to choose the appropriate type of underlay for carpets,’ says Matt from Robbens. ‘Heat outputs can endure drastically if an insulating type of carpet underlay is used.’
Laying thick rugs all through huge areas of your room may negatively affect the final effectivity of the system, and laying underfloor heating beneath carpet might have an effect on the heat output.
Clear, laborious surfaces akin to ceramic, porcelain, or slate tiles often current the simplest thermal conductivity.
So, it may be that it is essential to vary your floor to get basically essentially the most out of your underfloor heating – or maybe underfloor heating wasn’t the suitable chance throughout the first place.
4. Incorrect UFH controls
Although an error in setting controls gained’t damage your system or set off your underfloor heating to stop working absolutely, it might cease your underfloor heating from delivering warmth efficiently.
Matt says, ‘Making an attempt to handle the system like an old style radiator central heating system (the place the heating comes on for just a few hours throughout the morning and some hours throughout the night time) will end up with a patchy setup that doesn’t seem to work very correctly.’
In precise reality, that’s one in every of many the reason why consultants counsel sustaining your underfloor heating on at all times, as working the system repeatedly will finish in greater effectivity.
The temperature in each of the zones the place UFH is put in additionally must be regulated by its private specific particular person thermostat. As quickly as the bottom flooring is as a lot as the appropriate temperature, its radiant heat will proceed to warmth the home all by the day with out persevering with to run the boiler. ‘By solely working the UFH for a few hours a day, it gained’t have time to warmth the bottom as a lot as enable the rooms to be heated,’ offers Matt.
5. Points with the screed
(Image credit score rating: Future PLC/Colin Poole)
When it comes proper right down to it, electrical underfloor heating encounters fewer points. Nevertheless water-based underfloor heating is often regarded as the additional atmosphere pleasant chance – as long as you get the screeding correct. For many who don’t, your underfloor heating will not work accurately.
The worst-case scenario is that the screed may be obstructing the pipework. This means the good and comfy water flowing by way of the pipes to heat the bottom above will battle to flow into by way of. All through the arrange part, make certain the screed is left to therapy and dry accurately with out the system being turned on. Cool water have to be working by way of the pipes when this happens.
Factors with screed could possibly be troublesome to rectify as quickly as this layer and the bottom finish above go down. For many who engaged the suppliers of educated heating engineer for the arrange, it is best to request that they arrive once more to resolve the issue, which might indicate that the screed have to be re-laid absolutely.
6. Trapped air
(Image credit score rating: Future PLC)
Similar to the above, this underfloor heating draw back solely occurs with water-based underfloor heating. Nevertheless if you don’t catch it early, it’ll depart you questioning why your underfloor heating isn’t working.
Certain, if air will get caught in one in every of many underfloor conduits and can get caught, it’ll have a knock-on impression on the rest of the system. Taking the appropriate steps all through the arrange part would possibly assist to beat the potential for this case to occur.
Do not fill the pipes with water from the boiler filling loop, as it’s going to push the flow into of water by way of your pipes too shortly and entice air. When your system is crammed, water have to be flushed correct by way of the neighborhood of pipes so you’ll see it flowing in by way of one end and out on the totally different.
As quickly because the system is put in and your floor finish has been laid, bleeding the system to launch among the many air and water that’s trapped would possibly assist to alleviate this case. Your supplier can current an in depth data as to how that’s carried out collectively along with your distinctive system.
FAQs
How do I uncover my underfloor heating fault?
For many who think about you’ve got gotten an underfloor heating fault, it is best to first study your floor for any leaks or damage to any above-ground pipework. You additionally must confirm the stress of your underfloor heating system.
However, often, you’ll should enlist the help of educated to look out your underfloor heating fault. They’ll usually use thermal imaging to judge heat loss and uncover the provision of the problem.
They’ll even have the flexibleness to get a greater take a look on the under-floor pipework to seek out out the place the fault is coming from and decide on the simplest plan of motion from there. Merely be warned that this usually is a messy – and expensive – enterprise.
Will an airlock clear itself?
For many who hear gurgling or effervescent popping out of your underfloor heating system, you potential have an airlock. You may also uncover that you have chilly and heat spots in your floor. If it’s small, there’s a possibility that the airlock will clear itself, and in addition you gained’t should intervene.
However, higher airlocks will worsen with out human intervention. On this case, you’ll each should bleed your underfloor heating system your self or identify educated who will restore the problem for you.
Hopefully, you’ll now have a higher idea of why your underfloor heating isn’t working and what you’ll be able to do to restore it.