Under floor heating (UFH) is becoming increasingly popular in homes throughout Europe and it is no wonder as its benefits for health, energy efficiency, visual appeal, space saving and cost effectiveness are vast.
Under floor heating is most commonly used in bathrooms but it is also a popular choice for extensions and conservatories or anywhere wall space is limited or there is a desire to maintain a high standard of visual appeal without wall mounted radiators spoiling the look.
How Under Floor Heating Works
Under floor heating has been used since Roman times as a central heating system.
Any type of gas fuelled boiler can be used to provide the heat for a UFH system. Pipes are usually run underneath the floor surface and the heat from the water passing through the pipes transfers directly into the floor.
A warm floor creates warm air convection and this in turn heats the surrounding living space. Under floor heating is an exceptionally straightforward but highly effective way of providing a comfortably warm indoor climate with an even distribution of heat.
Five Reasons to Choose an Under Floor Heating System for your Home
There are many benefits associated with Under Floor Heating and these include:
1. Comfort
Heat radiating from the floor upwards is far more evenly distributed than heat that emanates from wall mounted radiators. Heat from wall mounted radiators is confined to a small area and rises upwards. This means that the warmer air stays around head height which does not tend to create the most comfortable feeling. Additionally, compared to traditional radiator systems there are no irritating noises arising from expanding and contracting pipes.
2. Cost effectiveness and energy efficiency
Under floor heating systems can give you a 15-40% energy saving over traditional heating methods.
3. Health
Under floor heating helps to keep moisture content levels low which means that house dust mites can be reduced. This will benefit anyone with asthma or breathing difficulties or any other allergies.
4. Ease of control
With a UFH system, the temperature of each room can be controlled individually. Being able to adjust temperature settings in each room of the house is a major benefit for any family.
5. Space and Aesthetics
Under floor heating saves space and offers heightened visual appeal in a home by eliminating the need for wall mounted radiators. Additionally, wet floors dry more quickly and décor is maintained due to a lack of damp walls.
If you are re-thinking your home heating system, refurbishing a room or adding an extension or conservatory to your property then you should give serious consideration to installing an under floor heating system as opposed to a traditional wall mounted radiator central heating system; the benefits are many!
By: Ivor Bates
Small is beautiful and convenient and so is the portable air conditioner as it can be shifted from one place to the other very easily. Read on to find out all the other advantages.
With the onset of the damp weather, it becomes difficult to survive without constant central air conditioning but that can prove to be quite expensive. The answer to this problem is a portable air conditioner as it has many advantages. It is easy to shift from one place in the home to another and that makes a portable air conditioner the ideal cooling system solution for your home, office or industrial site.
The portable air conditioners are easy and quick to install, as they do not involve any lifting or tearing up of windowsills. Moreover it can be shifted very easily from one place in the home to the other. For taking care of the hot spots in the central air conditioning, the portable air conditioners are far more convenient than window air conditioners. It is also ideal for window shapes, which present problems for installation. There is nothing like portable air conditioners for use as a spot cooler in the home.
A portable air conditioner is an excellent choice for saving money as just one unit needs to be purchased and it can be shifted easily to where you need it as it is mounted on castors and some can weigh only about 36 pounds. Moreover, as only one room is cooled at a time instead of the whole house, the total energy consumption is very low as compared to other air conditioning systems.
Another advantage of portable air conditioners is the energy efficiency that they provide. The average efficiency is in the 8 to 10 range although some are as high as 15, which is 50 percent better than most older central air conditioners. The small size of the portable air conditioners is very advantageous and as such it can fit in a corner or against a wall. It functions like an effective dehumidifier if you do not vent the warm exhaust air out through a window and its size is also the same as that of a room dehumidifier.
In order to reduce humidity and allergies, even the small ones remove 35 pints of moisture per day from the room air. The portable air conditioners also use the heat-exchange principle as the other air conditioners to cool and dehumidify the air. The operating principle is also similar to a window air conditioner as the room air circulates over cold evaporator coils to cool and dehumidify it inside the unit. The room air is exhausted outdoor after flowing over the hot condenser. There is no chance of already-cooled indoor air escaping outside as two ducts are now used.
Nowadays, you have electronic controls in most models and you can set the desired room temperature, blower speed, start and stop timer, and operation mode (cool, dehumidify, heat). The portable air conditioners also have hand-held remote control with which you can conveniently change all the settings as per your need.
The other features of portable air conditioners include a built-in air cleaner with an optional charcoal filter and oscillating louvers to distribute the cool air throughout the room. You can also switch off the louvers to direct the flow of air towards yourself, if you so desire.
By: Allan Wilson
There’s a new way to keep your home cool when the weather heats up. It’s known as ductless air conditioning. The most common incentive for putting in one of these systems is because of its energy efficiency. The explanation for this is straightforward. The standard type of air conditioner equipment utilizing ducts has to redistribute cold air down to the lower levels and then propel it back up throughout the residence. A ductless system positions the unit up high, generally only a couple of inches below the ceiling. So the cool air can travel downward through the residence without being forced by a fan. With gravity providing the largest part of the effort, you are sure to notice significant savings on your energy costs.
Often, ductless air conditioning systems have both an inside and outside component. The compressor unit is positioned next to an outside wall of your home. Two pipes run into the residence through a wall, delivering coolant to the interior units. With this style of air conditioner system, you can experience the benefits of more than one internal unit. This means that you have the ability to cool down only certain regions of your residence as needed. For instance, you can turn off the bedroom unit throughout the day, and your daytime living areas will still be pleasantly air conditioned. This simple step alone could slash your energy expenses in two without even feeling any difference.
Since the chilled air is released from near the ceiling, your floors won’t be as cold as they can get with central air. In addition, the area will become cool much faster. That is because the temperature of the air being distributed from the ductless air conditioning equipment is normally much colder than central.
You can also get some handy attachments for your ductless air conditioning unit. Some kinds operate as an air cleaner, and others can remove humidity from the air without changing the temperature. Many have louvers that move automatically to distribute the air throughout the entire living space. A few units can even provide you warmth in cooler weather.
However, ductless also has some strikes against it. Typically they’re up to 30 percent pricier than other forms of temperature control. Additionally, they pretty much have to be installed by a professional. To some extent it’s a lot trickier than putting in than a central air conditioner, and a great deal more involved than installing a window air conditioner.
After having weighed the advantages and disadvantages of ductless air conditioning, you may determine that this type of system will work satisfactorily for you. Many people find it more effective, easier to use and very reliable. And ultimately you’re certain to recoup the added cost of this type of equipment through lower energy bills.
By: Paul Cameron