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Specialists in underfloor heating design & installation

Bumfords are specialists in the installation of underfloor heating systems including any boiler or renewable heating system to be used in conjunction with the underfloor heating system. We also offer an underfloor heating repair and maintenance service for existing underfloor heating systems.

There are two main types of underfloor heating systems a hydronic system, or wet system, which circulates heated water from the boiler or a renewable heating systems, such as solar panels or a ground source heat pump. The second type of underfloor heating system is an electric system that runs off of the mains electricity supply to provide heating.

Without a doubt there are a multitude of reasons to choose underfloor heating as an option to heat your home:

Hydronic Underfloor Heating Systems

Hydronic systems use a mixture of water and anti-freeze as the heat transfer fluid in a closed-loop system that circulates between the floor and the boiler. Each room has its own pipe circuit that is connected to a manifold with regulating valves enabling each room circuit to be controlled individually with a thermostat. 

When a room reaches the pre-set temperature a signal is sent to the manifold from the room thermostat to turn off that room’s circuit. The manifold feeds each room circuit with hot water from your boiler at between 35-60°C which heats the floor to between 18-29°C.

Electric Underfloor Heating Systems

Electric systems use non-corrosive, flexible heating elements and use fewer components than hydronic systems and are simpler to install. Typically electric systems are used as carpet heaters, portable under rug heaters, under laminate/tile/wood floor heating and floor warming systems e.g. under shower floors.

Both the hydronic and electric under floor heating systems can either be cast into a concrete floor slab, placed under a floor covering or attached to a wood sub floor.

Underfloor Heating Insulation

Provided that your home is properly insulated, underfloor heating systems require a properly insulated floor and for permanent solid floor systems the insulated floor must conform to building regulations. This style of heating system is only worthwhile if your floor is insulated properly as floors that are not insulated will allow heat to be lost through them and result in high heating bills.

Underfloor heating takes time to heat up and cool down about 24 hours, so is not an ideal choice for properties where the heating is occasionally used. Because it takes so long to come to temperature underfloor heating does not respond quickly to temperature changes and so homes that are not adequately insulated will take time to reach their optimum desired temperature. Provided that you have fully insulated floors, underfloor heating systems will have an easier job and may not have to come on often helping to keep heating bills and carbon emissions down.

Types of Installations

Underfloor heating systems require a properly insulated floor and for permanent solid floor systems, the insulated floor must conform to building regulations. Furthermore, this style of heating is only worthwhile if your floor is insulated properly as floors that are not insulated will allow heat to be lost through them and result in high heating bills.

At the same time, it takes time to heat up and cool down, taking around 24 hours depending on the size of the room. So is not an ideal choice for properties where the heating is occasionally used. Because it takes so long to come to temperature underfloor heating does not respond quickly to temperature changes and so homes that are not adequately insulated will take time to reach their optimum desired temperature. With fully insulated floors underfloor heating systems will have an easier job and may not have to come on often helping to keep heating bills and carbon emissions down.

There are 3 main types of underfloor heating installations either solid floor, suspended floor or floating floor installation which can all be used for either hydronic or electric systems.

Solid floor: This is where the underfloor heating system is permanently embedded into the building’s concrete or screeded floor. This method is usually employed in new builds or extensions as fitting underfloor heating in this way into an existing building can be time-consuming, costly and disruptive. This is due to the building’s concrete foundations needing to be properly insulated, according to building regulations, and so the floor will need to be completely rebuilt.
Suspended floor: The underfloor heating in this case is inserted between the joists of a floor either from below or above. Timber however is a very good insulator of heat and so this will need to be taken into consideration when fitting an underfloor heating system in this way. There are methods to improve the transfer of heat through timber such as aluminium plates under the floorboards, however, this is an expensive option. Also, a mortar filler between the pipe/cable and floorboards can be used, although this can be weighty so the strength of the joists needs to be taken into consideration. Clipping the pipe/cable directly under the floorboards can also help but this is not as effective as the other options.
Floating floor: The underfloor heating can be installed within a floating floor which lies on top of the existing floor. For hydronic systems, the piping is laid into grooves within the insulation of preformed heat emitter plates and topped with wood boarding before the flooring is laid on top.
Underfloor Heating Repairs

Like any other appliance, we understand that things break down or don’t work as efficiently as they used to. Alongside installations, our team of expert engineers are able to repair and maintain underfloor heating systems to keep your system in tip-top shape! With years of combined experience, our engineers can apply themselves to resolve any issues you may have.

Underfloor Heating Showroom

Our heating showroom in Barnsley is well worth a visit. We have a working underfloor heating system on display along with boilers and controls. You can see how the system works and feel the warmth on the floor. Come and talk to our experts and let us design a bespoke system. You can read more about our showroom here.

Our highly skilled and qualified engineers can assist with the design through to the installation of any underfloor heating system including any boiler or renewable heating system. Contact us now to arrange a free, no obligation, quotation or call or email us.