UNDERFLOOR HEATING IS A FORM OF CENTRAL HEATING WHICH

UTILIZES HEAT CONDUCTION AND RADIANT HEAT FOR INDOOR CLIMATE

CONTROL, RATHER THAN FORCED AIR HEATING WHICH RELIES ON
CONVECTION. HEAT CAN BE PROVIDED BY CIRCULATING HEATED WATER
OR BY ELECTRIC CABLE, MESH, OR FILM HEATERS.

ELECTRIC FLOOR HEATING INSTALLATION, CEMENT BEING APPLIED

HOT WATER SYSTEMS
IN A HOT-WATER SYSTEM, WARM WATER IS CIRCULATED THROUGH
PIPES OR TUBES THAT ARE LAID INTO THE FLOOR (USUALLY A SOLID-
SCREEDED FLOOR ).
ARCHITECTURAL/MECHANICAL INTERFACES FOR
RADIANT BASED HVAC SYSTEMS
ELECTRIC FLOOR HEATING SYSTEMS
ELECTRIC FLOOR HEATING SYSTEMS HAVE VERY LOW INSTALLATION
COST FOR SMALLER SPACES (1-5 ROOMS) BECAUSE THEY ARE EASY
TO INSTALL AND HAVE A VERY LOW START-UP COST
ANOTHER ADVANTAGE OF ELECTRIC UNDERFLOOR HEATING OVER A
WARM-WATER SYSTEM IS THE FLOOR BUILD UP/HEIGHT. FLOOR BUILD
UP CAN BE AS LITTLE AS 1 MM. THE ELECTRIC CABLES ARE USUALLY
INSTALLED ONTO AN INSULATION BOARD OR DIRECTLY ONTO THE
SUBFLOOR OR PADDING (UNDER CARPET OR LAMINATE); THEN THE
FLOOR COVERING IS PLACED DIRECTLY OVER THE HEATING SYSTEM
OR THINSET.
ONE TECHNIQUE IS TO LAY THE HEATING CABLE DIRECTLY ONTO AN
INSULATED CONCRETE FLOOR AND THEN APPLY TILE ON TOP OF IT.
ROMAN SYSTEM
UNDERFLOOR HEATING WAS FIRST USED BY THE ROMANS
THE ROMAN SYSTEM WAS BASED ON HYPOCAUSTS, COMPRISING
DUCTS THAT UNDERLAY THE FLOOR (ITSELF BUILT ON RAISED BRICK
PILES) AND FLUES THAT WERE BUILT INTO WALLS. HOT AIR OR STEAM
FROM FIRES CIRCULATED UP THROUGH THIS SYSTEM, WARMING THE
FLOOR AND WALLS, WITH HEAT PASSING INTO THE ROOMS.
THE FLOOR WAS LAID OUT AS SERIES OF CONCRETE SLABS
SUPPORTED BY COLUMNS OF LAYERED TILES, WITH A FURNACE AT THE
BOTTOM OF ONE EXTERIOR WALL. BY PLACING THE FIRE HERE, THE
DRAUGHT WOULD TAKE THE HEAT UNDER THE FLOOR, AND UP
THROUGH THE WALLS TO CHIMNEYS LOCATED IN THE CORNERS OF THE
ROOM. THE HEIGHT OF THE STACK OF TILES WAS ABOUT 2 FT (60 CM) AS
THIS WAS FOUND TO BE THE MOST EFFICIENT HEIGHT FOR THE AIR TO
TRAVEL THROUGH.
CALDARIUM FROM THE ROMAN BATHS AT BATH, ENGLAND
 HOUSE SCHEMATIC SHOWING SPACE HEAT SOURCES.

THERE ARE TWO MODES OF OPERATION OF THE RADIANT FLOOR

HEATING:
(A)SOLAR HEAT FROM ROOF COLLECTORS CIRCULATING HOT
GLYCOL THROUGH THE FLOOR COILS
(B) HEATED GLYCOL FROM THE HEAT PUMP CIRCULATED THROUGH
THE FLOOR COILS.