ᐅ Underfloor Heating / Wall Heating / Ceiling Heating – Alternatives?
Created on: 2 Nov 2017 09:30
D
DieScholz´ens
Hello,
I’m currently stuck with our heat distribution system.
I’ll briefly explain the situation... we currently have an oil heating system (not new, but also not old enough to replace). Our first thought (and still is) was to install underfloor heating in all rooms. The radiators are old and not particularly attractive (they interfere with the windows, etc.).
Now a colleague of mine made me quite uncertain (his father is an architect, now retired), and he doesn’t think much of underfloor heating (says it doesn’t heat well, and if something goes wrong it’s hard to access, etc.).
Does underfloor heating even make sense? Will it be able to warm the house sufficiently (since it’s not a low-energy building)? Another disadvantage is that if something breaks, you have to break up the floor again.
We also have a huge glass facade (the windows will only be replaced later due to cost; it’s a tilt-and-slide element made of mahogany with double glazing. The glazing was replaced five years ago, but the frames are old) in the living room. There is currently a radiator recessed into a trench with a grille on top — not very nice but probably there for a good reason given its size.
Our exterior walls are insulated on the inside with calcium silicate panels (is that correct?). Tiles will be installed, and in the living room a suitable wooden floor will be laid on top.
What alternatives are there anyway (it should be hydronic, so no electric heating)? I found heating baseboards online (very nice aesthetically, because they are very unobtrusive), but I am not sure if they would be sufficient.
Thanks and best regards,
Claudia
I’m currently stuck with our heat distribution system.
I’ll briefly explain the situation... we currently have an oil heating system (not new, but also not old enough to replace). Our first thought (and still is) was to install underfloor heating in all rooms. The radiators are old and not particularly attractive (they interfere with the windows, etc.).
Now a colleague of mine made me quite uncertain (his father is an architect, now retired), and he doesn’t think much of underfloor heating (says it doesn’t heat well, and if something goes wrong it’s hard to access, etc.).
Does underfloor heating even make sense? Will it be able to warm the house sufficiently (since it’s not a low-energy building)? Another disadvantage is that if something breaks, you have to break up the floor again.
We also have a huge glass facade (the windows will only be replaced later due to cost; it’s a tilt-and-slide element made of mahogany with double glazing. The glazing was replaced five years ago, but the frames are old) in the living room. There is currently a radiator recessed into a trench with a grille on top — not very nice but probably there for a good reason given its size.
Our exterior walls are insulated on the inside with calcium silicate panels (is that correct?). Tiles will be installed, and in the living room a suitable wooden floor will be laid on top.
What alternatives are there anyway (it should be hydronic, so no electric heating)? I found heating baseboards online (very nice aesthetically, because they are very unobtrusive), but I am not sure if they would be sufficient.
Thanks and best regards,
Claudia
What you need is a heat load calculation, done room by room. This will determine how many watts each room requires.
You currently have excellent conditions. You want to insulate indoors anyway, which can usually cause issues with mold. Now I’ll share a not-so-secret tip: consider wall heating! It’s like underfloor heating but installed on the wall.
Advantages: the screed stays in place, it’s applied on top of the wall insulation, can be integrated into drywall construction, can be installed by yourself, and each heating circuit uses a single pipe (no solder joints or similar connections).
The insulation will already reduce your heat load significantly. Re-glazing your windows is also very cost-effective if the frames are still in good condition; a complete replacement is then unnecessary.
Also look into insulating the roof, which is just as doable as insulating the basement ceiling with a relatively small investment in DIY work.
Even small thermal bridges like attic stairs and roller shutter boxes can be easily handled on your own.
After implementing these measures and determining your heat load, have the wall heating system designed for a low supply water temperature. This will prepare you well in case you decide to install a heat pump later on.
One more question: does your garden need to be redesigned or should it remain as it is? And how large is the property?
Do you have average oil consumption figures from recent years?
You currently have excellent conditions. You want to insulate indoors anyway, which can usually cause issues with mold. Now I’ll share a not-so-secret tip: consider wall heating! It’s like underfloor heating but installed on the wall.
Advantages: the screed stays in place, it’s applied on top of the wall insulation, can be integrated into drywall construction, can be installed by yourself, and each heating circuit uses a single pipe (no solder joints or similar connections).
The insulation will already reduce your heat load significantly. Re-glazing your windows is also very cost-effective if the frames are still in good condition; a complete replacement is then unnecessary.
Also look into insulating the roof, which is just as doable as insulating the basement ceiling with a relatively small investment in DIY work.
Even small thermal bridges like attic stairs and roller shutter boxes can be easily handled on your own.
After implementing these measures and determining your heat load, have the wall heating system designed for a low supply water temperature. This will prepare you well in case you decide to install a heat pump later on.
One more question: does your garden need to be redesigned or should it remain as it is? And how large is the property?
Do you have average oil consumption figures from recent years?
DieScholz´ens2 Nov 2017 12:45Yes, it is included in the offer, but I was just a bit uncertain because my colleague’s father-in-law is strongly against it, and some acquaintances who recently moved said they are glad to no longer have underfloor heating (they experienced swollen feet, etc.). That’s why I wanted to ask, so we don’t install something expensive unnecessarily when there might have been better alternatives (so I thought it’s better to ask beforehand).
DieScholz´ens2 Nov 2017 12:53Joedreck schrieb:
What you need is a heating load calculation, done for each room individually. This way, you can determine how many watts each room requires.
You currently have excellent conditions. You plan to insulate the interior anyway, which can often lead to issues with mold. Here’s a not-so-secret tip: look into wall heating! It’s a type of floor heating installed on the wall.
Advantages: the screed stays in place, it’s applied to the wall insulation, suitable for drywall construction, can be done as a DIY project, and each heating circuit is installed with a single pipe (no solder joints or similar).
Your insulation will already reduce the heating load significantly. Upgrading your windows with new glazing is also very cost-effective if the frames are still in good condition; a full replacement wouldn’t be necessary then.
Consider also insulating the roof. This works just like insulating the basement ceiling and involves a relatively small investment if done on your own.
Even small thermal bridges like the attic stairs and roller shutter box can be easily addressed DIY-style.
Once you have taken these measures, you can size the wall heating accordingly, aiming for the lowest possible flow temperature. This also prepares you in case you decide to install a heat pump later.
One more question: does the garden need to be redesigned or should it stay as it is? And how large is the plot?
Do you have an average oil consumption figure from recent years?
Wall heating, yes, but I haven’t really looked into it yet; it was mentioned once as an alternative to the panels. The roof is completely new with a warranty until 2020—flat roof—so we won’t be touching that. The only stairs are to the basement (it’s a bungalow).
The garden is about 80–90m² (860–970 sq ft), it’s an atrium, so everything that needs to go into the garden has to be lifted over the house or through the house; for now, it has to stay as is.
Alright, if the roof is new, it was probably insulated at the same time. You should look into that. Especially since you plan to install internal insulation anyway, this creates ideal conditions.
The thick feet are a result of older times. There was no insulation back then, and the windows were poor quality, etc. Because of this, the underfloor heating had to be operated with a high supply temperature. That’s what caused the "thick feet."
When properly designed and well installed, you won’t even notice the underfloor heating anymore.
The thick feet are a result of older times. There was no insulation back then, and the windows were poor quality, etc. Because of this, the underfloor heating had to be operated with a high supply temperature. That’s what caused the "thick feet."
When properly designed and well installed, you won’t even notice the underfloor heating anymore.
Oh, you can also install a ceiling heating system. But a wall heating system really makes sense for your situation because of the planned insulation anyway.
By the way, I would recommend using PUR boards for insulation. They provide very good thermal insulation compared to other materials.
By the way, I would recommend using PUR boards for insulation. They provide very good thermal insulation compared to other materials.
DieScholz´ens2 Nov 2017 13:09Oh yes, I don’t have an exact house-specific average consumption since the owners did not live in the property. According to the chimney sweep who services the entire complex, the average consumption is around 3500-4000 liters (depending on the house type and, of course, personal heat preferences). Almost all still have the "old" windows or window frames installed.
We need to replace the kitchen and bedroom because structural changes will be made there. The rest has been postponed for later.
We need to replace the kitchen and bedroom because structural changes will be made there. The rest has been postponed for later.
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