FLOOR HEATING
THE CLEAN SILENT & ECONOMICAL HEATING SYSTEM
Electric slab heating uses electric cables embedded in a concrete slab floor to store heat at night and steadily release it to provide continuous warmth to the home during the day. Charged during the afternoon and at night using low cost off-peak electricity, slab heating is an economical method of providing 24 hour heating in a well insulated home.
Do
Switch the system on at the start of the heating season (typically May to October) and simply leave it to run
Set the lowest comfortable thermostat temperature, and keep the system on this. Every degree the thermostat is turned up adds approximately 10% to your running costs
Use a zoned system and maintain appropriate temperatures in each zone
Consider using slab heating to provide background heating, especially in areas such as bedrooms, where lower temperatures are satisfactory
Supplementary heating may be required in bedrooms and similar areas during periods of exceptionally cold weather
Do not
Switch the system on and off to deliver instant heat
Use in homes where occupants are only home for short or irregular periods
Use in homes designed for solar efficiency
The system runs on cheap off-peak electricity
Furniture placement is unrestricted
No building modifications are required for installation in a new home with a slab floor
Suitable for people suffering from allergies or respiratory complaints
Quiet, clean and safe
A combination of radiant and convective heat provides excellent comfort, with little vertical variations making slab heating suitable for homes with high ceilings
Low maintenance with few moving or wearing parts
Cable breaks can be accurately located and repaired
Expected incident free lifetime of approximately 40 years
Limited immediate control
Can be less economical to run if kept at higher temperatures
Is unsuitable for uninsulated suspended slab floors where the space underneath is unoccupied
Zoning A zone is a group of rooms used for a similar purpose. For instance the kitchen, living, dining and family rooms constitute the "living" zone, and bathroom, toilet and laundry the "service" zone in a typical home. In-slab systems should always be zoned, with individual zones having separate, wall-mounted thermostats, this allows you to adjust the temperature to suit the users of the various rooms. Usually 18°C-20°C is a comfortable temperature for living areas, as is 16°C-18°C for bedrooms. Laundries may not require heating at all. The lower the temperature the greater the saving
Floor coverings Vinyl and ceramic tiles or slate allow easy heat flow from the slab to the room
Insulation Up to 20% of heat is lost through the edges of heated on-ground slabs. High-density polystyrene insulation around the perimeter can cut losses in half. Heated suspended slabs should have full under-slab insulation if heating cannot be controlled to the area underneath. Bulk installation in the form of boards, batts or blankets is suitable for this