Underfloor Heating Questions and Answers

Underfloor Heating throughout the home

In nearly all cases, yes you can. There are a few things to consider when installing underfloor heating in an existing home such as:

  • The current floor construction
  • Whether you want to excavate or build on top of your current floor
  • The finished height of the floor and headroom after installation
  • The type of underfloor heating you wish to install.

Nowadays it is easier than ever to have Underfloor Heating installed in your home. For extensions and conservatories a traditional underfloor heating system is ideal. For a quick fit or existing rooms where your don’t want to touch the original floor, Retro Fit kits are a great option as they sit directly on top of your original floor meaning no messy excavating.


For those wanting a heavy duty, well insulated screed system, these can often be fitted in a day (plus drying time) and then they are ready to be tiled.

For homes where headroom is limited, there are now low profile underfloor heating systems available that only raise the floor height by 15mm.

To make sure you are buying the right system for your home we always suggest that homeowners measure their floor area and then get a quote. This way you will end up with a system perfectly tailored for your situation.

Click here for a free, no obligation underfloor heating quote. We can suggest the best options for you and even if you are not looking at buying right now, we are happy to offer advice as it is always sensible to have all the facts so you can make a sensible, informed decision.

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Underfloor heating systems can vary greatly in price based on the size of the area to cover. There are numerous cheap UFH kits available online but many of these often contain sub-standard parts and non-branded equipment. This sounds like a great way to save money but you can run into a lot of trouble if anything goes wrong, and it can sometimes be impossible to find replacement parts especially for non-branded manifolds and bigger pieces of equipment. We always suggest looking around so you are confident in what you are buying.

An average price for a good quality, guaranteed underfloor heating system is anything from £395.00 + vat for 20sqm.

Click here if you would like a free same day quote for underfloor heating in your home.

Yes Underfloor heating can connect to any heat source. You can connect underfloor heating to you electric/gas/oil boiler, solar panels or even a ground source heat pump.

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Yes. Underfloor heating can easily be laid in a timber floor. There are a couple of options for installing UFH in timber floors, either between the joists with a floor laid on top, or you can fit the underfloor heating system to your existing floor and then cover with a new floor.

For more information see diagrams and instructions for installing underfloor heating in different Floor Constructions.

Buy Timber Floor Underfloor Heating Kits here

Yes Underfloor heating can be laid on a concrete floor. If the floor already has insulation under the concrete then underfloor heating can be laid straight away. If not then insulation would have to be laid on top of the existing concrete before the system can be installed on top.

For more information see diagrams and instructions for installing underfloor heating in different Floor Constructions

Damaging an underfloor heating pipe is rare as they are very heavy duty and you do not need to drill through the floor once it has been laid. In the even that you accidentally damage a section of underfloor heating pipe you can repair it quite simply by using a compression socket.

  1. Locate the damaged section of pipe
  2. Make a clear mark either side of the damaged area
  3. Using a good quality pipe cutter, cut through the pipe cleanly along the marked lines
  4. Fit the compression socket to the underfloor heating pipe
  5. Tighten fitting

Yes you can fit underfloor heating in an existing floor. This is often called ‘Retro Fit’ underfloor heating and there are a number of options that you can choose from. These range from a 15mm – 25mm floor build up depending on the method selected.


For more information see diagrams and instructions for installing underfloor heating in different Floor Constructions

In a floating floor, if the floor is already insulated installing an underfloor heating system would add 43mm in total to the height of your floor. This would involve using 25mm timber battens with pipes between and fixed in place using screed or aluminium plates. Then an 18mm structural (i.e chipboard) floor would be fitted on top of the system.

Any competent person can lay underfloor heating with very little difficulty. Many people have misconceptions about underfloor heating but it is actually very efficient, cost effective and simple to fit. We have put together a guide to help – See how to install underfloor heating in 5 Easy Steps

If you don’t feel comfortable fitting your own heating system then we would always recommend hiring a professional plumber. If you would like any further advice there are a number of ways to contact us.

Any floor covering can be laid on top of an underfloor heating system, however some are much better at transferring heat so it is important to consider the type of floor you want carefully. Natural stone and tile floors are the best for transferring heat from your underfloor heating pipes through the stone and into the room, making them incredibly good floor coverings for use with underfloor heating. When using standard central heating, stone floors rarely manage to heat up resulting in a cold floor all year round. With underfloor heating, stone floors can be delightfully warm even in the middle of winter.

When using carpet as your finished floor covering, we recommend using a maximum tog rating of 1.5. Any higher than this and the carpet can affect the efficiency of the underfloor heating system.

For more information see diagrams and instructions for installing underfloor heating in different Floor Constructions

If you have any further questions relating to underfloor heating then feel free to contact us.

Underfloor heating can be on average 15%-40% cheaper to run than central heating due to the low running temperatures needed. Most underfloor heating systems usually run between 30-55 degrees which can help save up to 40% on your energy bills.

Underfloor heating can be controlled by either programmable thermostats in every room, or by room thermostats with an overall time control (Programmable room thermostat or Time clock). There are a range of thermostats and controls available nowadays with WiFi and smart controls that let you control your heating from your phone. These systems are surprisingly easy to set up and give you full control over your home heating no matter where you are.

Buy Quality Underfloor Heating Pipe

If you are planning on installing underfloor heating in a kitchen and know exactly where your kitchen units are going then you should not put underfloor heating in these areas as it will warm the units and their contents. This could cause issues with food kept in these units due to the warmer temperature.

It is a good idea to avoid installing underfloor heating pipes where baths or showers are to be fitted. When it comes to fixing your bath/shower to the floor you run the risk of drilling through pipes so the layout of your underfloor heating should be considered and planned in advance.

View Complete Bathroom Underfloor Heating Packs

Underfloor heating works very well in conservatories. Not only is it an effective way to heat the space but because the heat is transferred directly through the floor, you feel the full effect the second you step into the room and the heat being lost through the roof is reduced considerably. The underfloor heating system is controlled independently by its own thermostat (necessary to comply with part L of the building regulations code) so you can set the temperature to suit without affecting any of the other rooms in the house.

Buy Complete Underfloor Heating Kits for your Conservatory

You do not need any special tools to fit underfloor heating, just something to cut the pipe, an adjustable spanner and a hose pipe. We always recommend using a good quality pipe cutter to ensure you get clean, straight cuts. Contact us for advice on fitting your own underfloor heating system.

Yes the boiler pump only pumps water to the manifold then the manifold pump circulates the water around the floor.

Yes, you need a manifold so you can lower the water temperature and circulate the water around the floor.

Buy Underfloor Heating Manifolds here

Underfloor heating can take up to 3 hours to warm up from stone cold. This is dependent on heat losses in the room and the amount of screed on top. You can set your system to come on at the right time so your underfloor heating is at full temperature when you come to use it.

The initial warm up period will take longer because the floor is cold. The floor will warm up quicker once the heating is up and running because the floor will still be warm from the previous heat cycle. The optimum way to run underfloor heating is to maintain the building at a constant temperature using set back settings on programmable thermostats.

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The underfloor heating pipework has a manufacturers warranty of 50 years. It is likely to exceed this by many years.

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Check the head on the underfloor heating manifold is open and pump and boiler has fired up. Check the return valve on the manifold is open. This is located on the bottom left hand side, underneath the nickel plated dust cap – open this by using a 6mm allen key.

Check the thermostat is calling for heat
Check the batteries in thermostat (if applicable).

Buy replacement thermostats here

If your underfloor heating system is not warming up then there are a few simple things that you should check.

  • Check flow and return valves are open.
  • Check plastic caps on the top body are open turn anticlockwise (single zone manifold).
  • If the actuator valves are open and pump and boiler has fired up check the Flow & Return Ball valves on the manifold (Multi zone manifold).
  • Check under caps on the bottom body use 5mm alan key (anticlockwise) and slotted screwdriver (single zone manifold).
  • Check the flow gauges are open. Pull off orange cap and turn flow gauges anti-clockwise (multi zone manifold).

You should check that the thermostats are opening the right actuators.

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