Newsletter

Electrical based floor heating, still the most economical way to create a comfortable ambient temperature!!!!

Strange but true, provided that certain imperative factors were complied with in the design installation and management of the system.

PROPER HEAT LOSS CALCULATIONS

An industry standard of 80 watts per m² is generally used, but this is not always sufficient as many other factors should be taken into account when designing an economical system. Ceiling Heights, double volume, sizes of windows, rooms facing north or south, will all have an impact on the wattage per m² needed to ensure a fast responsive system, with lower duty cycles, thus resulting in lower running cost.

Ensure that your so called heating specialist understands, and conducts comprehensive heat loss calculations, taking all the relevant factors into consideration, as failure to do so can result in you purchasing an inefficient system that will cost you an arm and a leg to maintain, as the chances are that the system will be underpowered with prolonged duty cycles.

LENGTH OF ELEMENT AND ELEMENT SPACING (PITCH), DOES MATTER!!!

A proper heating system should consist of at least 120m of element per 1Kw supplied, with a pitch of no more than 50mm. This results in an even power density output of 200wpm². Certain cheaper versions only consist of 80m of element per 1Kw supplied, with a pitch of up to 100mm.

A shortened element increases the wattage output per linear meter on the element (element runs warmer) thus resulting in a shortened life expectancy on the element and the increased pitch result in slower reaction time from cold, with an increased duty cycle which drastically increases running cost.

   

MANAGING THE SYSTEM CORRECTLY

Floor heating, like geyser systems work exceptionally hard from start up to the point where radiant heat admission takes place and the system reaches the point that it can start regulating at the selected thermostat temperature. To explain in short; if you take a piece of pipe and start filling it with water, it will continue taking up fluid until it is full, at this point, what ever you put in the one end will come out in the same volume at the other end. Radiant heat admission works in the same way.

With tile Heating, during the warm up phase energy is consumed by the floor and screed surface until a certain point where energy is radiated from the floor surface to increase the room ambient temperature. Thus, meaning that the floor heating should rather be switched on and left on during winter, as you eliminate the costly start up phase. If you have a proper system installed the system will only work for approximately 7 to 8 hours in a 24 hour cycle, once it reaches the regulating phase. Individual thermostats can be turned slightly down (From 22°C to

15°C) when the room is not being utilized, but you should never allow tile heating to cool down totally if the room is being used frequently. PIONEER FLOOR HEATING SYSTEMS offer clients the benefit of a digital programmable thermostat module, which can be programmed according to your individual life style and room usage schedule, which proofs to be highly successful in managing your floor heating system more cost effectively.

CONCLUDING

If your floor heating supplier has sold an inferior heating system to you and has not taken aspects like window sizes and double volumes in to account the chances are that your floor heating system doesn’t have the capacity to reach the selected temperature settings on the thermostat. This means that the system will never reach the point of regulating and will remain on 24 hours per day. Have you installed a PIONEER FLOOR HEATING SYSTEM designed and specked in accordance with all the influencing factors and which complies to all the requirements for a fast responsive and economical running system.

You will have the benefit of a system that works for 7 to 8 hours out of a 24 hour cycle, costing you the client a mere R 3.60 per day to create a comfortable room temperature in a average 12m² room. This proofs that electrical based floor heating (provided you choose a reputable supplier) can still be the cheapest possible way of creating a worm, comfortable atmosphere in your home during winter.

Regards,

Your Floor Heating Specialist

For any additional information please contact us.