Complete solution for underfloor heating pipe placement
Opting for underfloor heating instead of traditional radiators in his conservatory has enabled Chas Smith, a retired export manager from Chippenham, to use his conservatory all year round – including on the coldest day of the year.
He had installed the OSMA UFH system plates design from Wavin Plastics the 4×3 meter space in just five hours, including laying the polystyrene insulation.
Chas says: “I decided to go for a stand alone underfloor heating installation because I didn’t want to have to connect the system to the main boiler for hot water, as that would have meant I’d need temperature control valves on all the other radiators in the house. This was the simplest solution without doing any major work or upgrading the existing system.”
The OSMA UFH system plates concept is a cleverly designed complete solution for underfloor heating pipe placement. Vacuum-formed tough plastic sheets have an upstanding grid of integral clips to hold the OSMA UFH pipe in place. The system plates lie on top of the insulation and clip together.
The system plates are versatile and easily trimmed to size to fit the room space. Full and half turns are held securely and even diagonals can be included if needed. The system gives full flexibility for layout and spacing and protects the pipe while the screed is laid. The pipe is held in place even while it’s walked over!
Flooring tiles over the underfloor heating keep the conservatory at an optimum temperature.
More information: www.wavin.com
New underfloor heating system for upper floors
Same cost as conventional radiators?
Warmdec claims to be “a revolutionary” new underfloor heating system for upper floors developed and patented by Alvesta Ltd. It overcomes the current barriers of cost and safety when it comes to installing an upper floor system.
The main break through, it is claimed, is that the Warmdec costs the same to install as a conventional radiator system. It has no joints apart from at the control manifold and can be installed by semi-skilled staff at first fix without the need for safety bagging or boarding.
Under floor heating can show a 25% energy saving over conventional radiator systems as it requires water heated to only 50-60oC instead of the 70-80oC that radiators require.
Warmfloor also has a partnership agreement with Mitsubishi Electric Europe to distribute their latest reversible air source heat pumps which can be installed in most loft or garage spaces and, being reversible, they not only help to heat the property but also cool it in the warmer months.
Alvesta chief executive, Adrian Ladds, says: “These pumps take energy efficiency to a new level and when combined with our Warmdec under floor heating and solar collectors we can get very close to a zero carbon footprint.
“Energy efficiency is becoming very important in the building of new housing and, provided that the householder uses a “green” electricity tariff, Alvesta is probably unique in being able to offer an ongoing effectively zero carbon footprint option at such a reasonable cost.”
More information: www.warmfloor.co.uk
Wireless control for heating systems
Greater efficiency saves money and CO2
Householders can improve the efficiency for their domestic central heating system by selecting the right control system to integrate with their boiler to achieve complete heating system efficiency.
Buderus has introduced a new dual channel ModuLink controller which is ideally suited for use with its 500 and 600 condensing combi and system boilers. This wireless, combined room thermostat and programmer incorporates various features plus the added advantage of independent control for heating and domestic hot water.
The fully controllable one-day programmer meets the City & Guilds Best Practice recommendations and offers ‘intelligent system’ operation.
It enables boilers to be sited in virtually any area of the home because all programme functions can be adjusted remotely, in fact, the radio frequency will work up to 30m away from the boiler. When space is at a premium, it allows the boiler to be located in the garage, cellar or even the loft to gain extra space where it is most needed, but with no loss of heating and domestic hot water system control.
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Both single and dual channel ModuLinks make full use of the latest modulating technology and automatically adjust the output of the boiler, using room temperature modulation rather than flow temperature which results in increased energy efficiency and improved comfort levels.
The single and dual channel programmers are part of a range of Buderus heating control systems designed to offer installers a range of choices to meet customer needs. They are simple to fit, easy to operate and can improve heating system efficiency. They are an important additional factor in any domestic heating and hot water system.
Comments
One of the biggest problems with modern heating systems are inefficient controls. You can install the most efficient boiler but if you haven’t got the controls right then what you gain on the roundabout you lose on the swing. So make sure you’re all under control.