Underfloor Heating How Does it Work

Warm water from the boiler is circulated through the floor in continuous lengths of pipe warming the entire floor area making this a large low temperature storage radiator. This room is controlled by an independent room thermostat.

Click to see how underfloor heating would work with your system.

Click to see how underfloor heating works differently to radiators.

Underfloor heating uses radiant heat ensuring that you feel comfortable even at a lower air temperature than that produced by a more conventional heating system. With underfloor heating all the floor is heated so no matter where you are in the room its all the same temperature. The heat rises and surrounds you and your furniture leaving you with warm feet and a cool head. A radiator rises to the ceiling and slowly works its way down leaving one side of the room where your radiator is hot and the opposite side cool, this also means you have a warm head and cold feet.

How a Multi Zoned Underfloor Heating System Works

Multi zoned system works almost the same way as a single zoned system only there is no need for a zone valve for your underfloor heating (you still need to zone radiators and hot water cylinders) instead you would have a wiring centre capable of providing independent control for your underfloor heating from your radiator and hot water systems.
Your main underfloor heating time control (time clock or programmable thermostat) would activate all the thermostats for the underfloor heating, Each room can be controlled by a programmable room thermostat allowing each room to have time and temperature control, when any one of these thermostats call for heat (turn on) they open an electronically operated valve (actuator) that is fitted to the top body of the manifold, this would then turn your pump on and fire up your boiler. Each loop on the manifold is capable of having its own control typically 1 loop per room (dependent on the size of the room).

How Single Zone Underfloor Heating Packs Work

Warm water is circulated from the boiler to an electrically operated
zone valve, which is one zone. You also have to zone your radiators if you are connecting it to a combination boiler. If you are connecting it to a boiler which also runs a hot water cylinder these will already be zoned (1 zone radiators and 1 zone hot water), here you just add the zone
valve making your system 3 zones altogether. See drawings underneath. When your programmable room thermostat calls for heat (turns on) water passes through the zone valve into the manifold where the water is circulated through continuous lengths of pipe embedded in the floor. The temperature of the water in the underfloor heating system will typically run at 50°c and your radiator system at 75°c.

Click to see how UFH works with radiators

Click Links below to see PDF Drawings

UFH Connected before a Y Plan System

How a Mixing Manifold Works

Hot water from the boiler flows through the zone valve and into the manifold past the thermostatic head. The water then runs through the top body of the manifold also pulling water from the underfloor heating pipe work. This is where the mixing of the hot water from the boiler and the cool water that has been in your floor heating pipe work mixes together. This mixed water then runs down through the pump and passes over the sensor of the thermostatic head. If the water passing over the sensor is warmer than the temperature set on the thermostatic head (anywhere between 20’-65’) the thermostatic head will shut off and not take any more water in to the floor heating.

To Heat a Full House or Larger areas SEE Multi zone system

How Does A UK Underfloor Heating Extension Pack Work

The extension packs are designed to provide underfloor heating to a single zone area (floor area controlled by one programmable thermostat) with a proposed concrete or sand and cement screeded floor. These packs are for 20sqm to 60sqm, others are available
SEE LARGER AREAS. The unique manifold arrangement provides excellent water temperature control, blending hot water at your heating system down to the ideal and safe temperatures used in true underfloor heating systems.
The packs include electrical controls and valves that enable your underfloor heating system to operate independently from your existing heating system in line with current building regulation part L. All this, along with our simple to follow installation instructions and diagrams will allow you to achieve the luxury and benefits of true underfloor heating the UK Underfloor Heating way.

Working System