ᐅ Recommendation for Digital Heating Thermostat

"Warm feet" indicate a complete design or configuration error in the heating system, even with gas.

If the floor is warm enough to feel warming when standing barefoot on it, the new building will be very warm. The only solution then is to ventilate against it.

Energy consumption will naturally be far from optimal in this case. You have to be aware that this level of comfort requires corresponding energy costs.

Constantly warm or even hot feet are actually unhealthy. There is a risk of edema. Consult your doctor.

However, this does not mean that tiles will be as cold as you might be used to. It is acceptable, but simply not noticeably warm. Tiles will only feel warm in our house when the outside temperature drops below freezing (KfW 55 standard) or in areas where the floor contains the floor heating supply lines or near the manifold for the heating circuit distribution.

motorradsilke schrieb:

Honestly? That would be one of the reasons for me to build a new house. I finally want to be able to walk around the house in socks, right now I always need warm slippers.

Yes, you won’t need slippers anymore, but it won’t exactly feel like warm feet either. Provided you don’t want a sauna everywhere or constantly keep the windows open.

motorradsilke schrieb:

Has this changed significantly in the last 10 years or so? In the house of some friends that is about 10 years old, I always have warm feet, which I find very comfortable.

No, it hasn’t really changed at all. Which leads to the question: what does “warm feet” mean to you?

motorradsilke schrieb:



But how do I solve the "problem" that I want 25°C (77°F) in the living room and bathroom, but only 18°C (64°F) in the bedroom? And the 25°C (77°F) in the living room only while I’m at home, not all day or at night? I know that underfloor heating is slow to react. So my thought was to set the temperature in each room to the desired level a few hours earlier and then start cooling it down earlier as well. Does that not work?

That problem basically doesn’t really exist. It just seems unfamiliar because you’re used to radiators everywhere. But that feeling fades quickly, and you get used to the different way of heating and the largely uniform temperatures throughout.

motorradsilke schrieb:

So you don’t lower the temperature at night with underfloor heating like you do with radiators? Isn’t that inefficient?

These are two completely different solutions to the same problem. Quick and loud with radiators, slow and steady with underfloor heating. The slow approach doesn’t require lowering the temperature at night because that would just let the house cool down, forcing the underfloor system to run at higher temperatures during the day — which negates any savings.

Simple explanation: fuel-efficient driving (underfloor heating) versus flooring it (radiators). Both get you there; just at different speeds and with different consumption under the same conditions.

motorradsilke schrieb:

The best solution would be two heating circuits, one underfloor heating, one radiators, that can be switched on quickly as needed? But that would certainly be too expensive?

Not only expensive but completely unnecessary. Underfloor heating can warm the whole building very well; it just needs more time but is cheaper, assuming it’s not a property used only sporadically.

Another analogy to cars: you don’t install both a diesel and a gasoline engine. While possible, the disadvantages outweigh the benefits.

motorradsilke schrieb:

And what do I do in the transitional season, when I currently heat only the living room and hallway with the wood stove (that’s why we’re used to 25°C (77°F))? I guess I would have to turn the heating in the living room down to minimum, since I just want warm feet then.

You do absolutely nothing. Especially don’t keep adjusting the controls. You set the heating once or twice, make small corrections over the first one or two heating periods, and then let the system do its job. Assuming no defects or major mistakes in the system, you will consistently have the desired temperatures during the heating season—all on their own without your intervention.

nordanney schrieb:

No, that hasn’t changed. However, if you don’t necessarily plan efficiently to require a high supply temperature, you can still enjoy really warm floors. With tiles, they even feel warmer compared to parquet, for example.

A gas heating system is significantly more robust in terms of design than a heat pump. Which KfW efficiency level are you aiming for? And why gas at all?

We are not aiming for any KfW efficiency level.
And gas because we already have it on the property. We use it now; it is effective and proven. For a house of about 80 m (260 feet)², with a standard heating system, wall insulation, but little insulation in the roof, we currently pay around €600 per year for heating, hot water, and cooking. Looking at the electricity costs for heat pumps here, I don’t see how it could be cheaper.

Mycraft schrieb:

Yes, you won’t need slippers anymore, but it will still be far from having warm feet. Provided you don’t want a sauna everywhere or constantly keep the windows open.

No, almost nothing has changed. Which brings us to the question: what do you consider warm feet? The problem itself isn’t really there. You just don’t know the other side because you always had radiators everywhere. But that feeling passes fairly quickly, and you get used to the different heating method and the mostly uniform temperatures.

These are simply two completely different solutions to a problem. Fast, with lots of fuss via radiators, and slow and steady with underfloor heating. The slow approach doesn't require lowering the temperature because that would only cool the house down, forcing the underfloor heating to run at higher temperatures during the day, which would negate the savings effect.

Simple explanation: fuel-efficient driving (underfloor heating) versus flooring it (radiators). Both reach the goal, just at different speeds and with different energy consumption under otherwise equal conditions.

Not only expensive but completely unnecessary. Because you can also heat the whole house very well with underfloor heating; it just takes longer but is cheaper—provided it’s not a sporadically used property.

Another analogy with cars: you don’t install both a diesel and a gasoline engine. It’s possible but the disadvantages outweigh the advantages.

You don’t do anything, especially don’t keep adjusting the controls. You set the heating once or twice. It adjusts a bit during the first two heating cycles, then you let the system do its job. If there are no defects or major issues in the system, you will always have the desired temperatures throughout the heating season—all by itself without your intervention.

Hmm, warm feet are just warm feet, how can I define that?
From what I know from my friend who has underfloor heating: when I visit, I can immediately tell that the underfloor heating is on because I can walk around for hours in socks comfortably without getting cold feet. She also has an area without underfloor heating, where the tiles are as cold as ours, and I don’t like standing there for more than a few minutes because my feet quickly get cold.
But then the supply temperature just has to be a bit higher, I don’t mind—I want to feel comfortable.

There’s still the issue of different temperatures in the rooms. How do you handle that? I obviously can’t sleep at the same temperature I have in the living room.

motorradsilke schrieb:

We pay about €600 (approximately $650) per year for heating, hot water, and cooking in an 80 sqm (860 sq ft) house with standard heating and wall insulation, but only minimal insulation in the roof area.

Expensive. With a KfW-55 standard house and a heat pump, it’s half that.

motorradsilke schrieb:

There’s still the problem with different temperatures in the rooms. How do you handle that? I can’t possibly sleep at the same temperature I have in the living room.

Yes, you can. You can have your heating system set slightly lower for the sleeping area and make sure to ventilate well right before going to bed. That’s basically it. You’ll have to accept this — or keep a window open all night and literally let the energy escape. And imagine, it even works with a 30°C (86°F) waterbed 😀

nordanney schrieb:

Expensive. As a KfW-55 house with a heat pump, it costs half as much.

Hmm, here I see consumption around 6000 kWh per year for the heat pump. That would be almost 2000 €. This is also what I find online. 300 € per year would only cover about 1000 kWh. Can you really run an air source heat pump for a whole year, including heating domestic hot water and cooking, with that?