Kitchen - Under Floor Heating??

[Sarnie]

Would love some input guys!

We are having plans drawn up for a new kitchen.

Mrs Sarnie wants under floor heating.

Is it actually worth it? A kitchen guy said this work that it's not worth it and to just install a lower plinth heater into the bottom of the units........

Electric or Water based piped system??

Any issue with having a wood flooring over it? Eg is the wood likely to warp etc? I assume if there are any leeks it's better to have wooden flooring rather than having to take up tiles?

Any ideas on likely costs or any specialist providers or websites?

Thanks!

[Sarnie]

Gingerbread Man said:

Electrics cheaper to install but more expensive to run. Low profile also. It'll be a easy install.

Wet is cheaper to run but more of an expensive install. You also need more depth to accommodate. You'll need to get feeds (2x22mm water and electrical) from the boiler to a manifold which you'll have to accommodate.

The wooden floor is an option as long as it is compatible. Typically that'll be an engineered floor over a solid wooden plank.

Thanks!

Digging out the floor for a wet system sounds like a pain!!

We are intending to move in a couple of years so the cheaper electric install may work out best for us?

[Sarnie]

Richie Slow said:

I'd have to agree with your kitchen fitter. UFH is very effective if it's built into the house when it was built and even better if it's being fed by a ground source system. As a retro-fit, either wet system or mats, I don't really see the advantage as our climate means that heating demands are generally focussed upon short periods of time (mornings and evenings perhaps) and the heating up time for underfloor systems (this includes the sub-floor and the flooring surface covering) isn't quick enough to meet the demand that a conventional system with radiators will.

The best two options are:

Electric plinth heater - probably less than £100 but a little pricey to run for any length of time.

Hydronic plinth heater - runs off CH pipework, switches automatically when the CH is running. Some types even have an internal 1000W heating element to boost the output. A good one will cost upwards of £300.

I'd spend the money on the tactile parts of the kitchen ( worktops, appliances etc.) rather than under the floor, but that's just me. Some people love their underfloor heating and I've seen how good it can be if left running for long periods, I'm never home for that long!

The plinth type heater seems the simplest way to go, I suppose the decision will be made clearer when the builder & plumbers give us some figures for installing the UFH!!

Mrs Sarnie really wants it, I like the idea of it, it just sounds like a lot of potential work and hassle for a house that we won't be in forever....

[Sarnie]

GT03ROB said:

This was the sort of area I was looking at. So 33/month extra would increase my leccie bill by around 50%. Think I'd notice that!

Indeed!

Thanks for the real world experiences, much appreciated.

I'm starting to think that because we won't be in this house any longer than 2-3 years, UFH might be a waste for us currently. If we were staying here for the next 10 years plus, it might be worth considering the extra outlay and the ongoing running costs.

Now to tell Mrs Sarnie