Sunday, February 22, 2009

Underfloor Heating is Gaining Popularity in the UK

(My Original Blog Post: http://www.wealthyways4you.com/work-from-home/underfloor-heating-is-gaining-popularity-in-the-uk)
by Tal Potishman


While "traditional" heating sources like radiators, wall units and other types of forced air are still very popular among residents in the United Kingdom, Underfloor heating is quickly gaining quite a following as well. Underfloor heating is a type of central heating that uses radiant heat as well as heat conduction mechanisms for the distribution of heat instead of a convection heating system like the forced air units that most are used to dealing with. With underfloor heating, the heat can be conducted throughout a home or building via cables, film heaters, mesh or even water!

Underfloor heating seems like a modern convenience but it was invented by the Romans more than two thousand years ago. When Underfloor heating was first introduced, it was done in the form of a furnace that was kept in a room under the rest of the house, like a cellar. The furnace would be lit and then the heated air would circulate up and through the rooms of the rest of the house. If the furnace was kept on the first floor of a home, it would have channels attached to it that would carry the heated air to the other rooms of the floor and up into the rooms on the higher floors.

The underfloor heating that is used today was "invented" about halfway through the twentieth century. Electric resistance cables were run through concrete. During the night an electrical current would heat the cables and the warmed concrete would warm the rooms above it. This method was unpopular because the temperature of the cables could not be altered, but it did provide the basic idea upon which today's underfloor heating is based.

The most appreciated benefit of underfloor heating is the money that is saved after it is installed. Wall units and radiators use forced air which is difficult to control and requires more energy. Underfloor heating is used to regulate the temperature of a room, which uses less energy.

Another benefit to underfloor heating is the space it saves. Wall units and radiators take up space, but underfloor heating is contained. Another problem with radiators and wall units is the dust that is stirred up when they are turned on. People with allergies have a hard time being in the same room as a forced air heating system.

Underfloor heating installation is best left up to professionals. There are do-it-yourself kits available but if the homeowner does not have experience with home construction projects, the installation should be done professionally. Otherwise the homeowner risks doing serious harm to the structural integrity of his/her home. If the homeowner does have construction experience, installing the underfloor heating him/herself could prove to be quite cost efficient!

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