ᐅ Electrical system, underfloor heating, gas condensing boiler instead of radiators?

Hello experts,

I am currently struggling with how to distribute the underfloor heating in our planned new build.
We have a small child under 1 year old and will be starting construction soon.

On the ground floor, we are quite certain that we will install underfloor heating in all rooms.
However, upstairs we are still unsure, especially regarding the two children's bedrooms.
The heat source is a gas condensing boiler system.

What worries me is the relatively long response time of underfloor heating since it operates at low temperatures.
In your opinion, would it make sense to use radiators upstairs, or are there other options such as electric heating? If so, how cost-effective are these, and what about installation costs? Also, what do you recommend in terms of maintenance?

I would appreciate some informative feedback.

Good morning,

The most expensive way to generate heat is with electric radiators. Combining radiators with underfloor heating is energy-wise nonsense because radiators require a much higher supply temperature. It might be possible to find low-temperature radiators, but you have to wonder if they can heat the room adequately.

I’m sure €uro will share some more insights with you.

Good luck

Where exactly do you see the problem with the long lead time?

A modern well-insulated house can keep the cold of winter outside for quite a while. The heating easily has enough time to reach the necessary temperature to warm the rooms adequately.

Hello,

Vit84 schrieb:

What puzzles me is the relatively long lead time of the underfloor heating since it operates at low temperatures.

That is (almost) true, but it is no longer as long as it used to be in the past.

Vit84 schrieb:

In your opinion, is it sensible to use radiators upstairs, or are there other options (electric heating)? If so, how economical are these, and what are the initial costs? What about maintenance, etc.?

It usually doesn’t make sense to combine radiators and underfloor heating.

By the way, the most uneconomical action is to tamper with the control system. Unless it is turned off completely during the summer, it is actually, from an energy consumption perspective—just look at the annual bill—more cost-efficient. Another advantage is that the likely slower-reacting underfloor heating is triggered immediately with the smallest drop in temperature (via the outdoor sensor), which noticeably reduces the perceived "slow" response.

This applies equally to radiators; I personally enforced this rule years ago in one of our rental properties, ensuring the heating was not turned off during the summer. All neighbors, including us, were pleased with the refund and, I am fairly certain, continue to follow this approach today.

There are low-temperature radiators, which are well developed and effective; however, they are not very attractive because they are considerably larger in size and also relatively expensive per unit—if you want them to look good, that is. This leads to the next problem since they require space, making placing shelves or furniture at that location impractical.

What are your reasons for wanting to install both underfloor heating and radiators?

Best regards, Bauexperte

€uro schrieb:
Hello,
With some users, I can also hold back and just read along

Best regards.

Thank God!!!!

Bauexperte schrieb:
Hello,

What are your reasons for installing both underfloor heating and radiators?

Regards, Bauexperte

Hello Bauexperte,
thank you for your explanation.
I don’t have any specific reasons yet. Just some considerations, since a few homeowners I know have raised concerns. Initially, my opinion was to install underfloor heating throughout the entire house, without those ugly, space-consuming radiators.
Then I was told that with underfloor heating it takes quite a while for the room to reach the desired temperature and, similarly, a long time to cool down again. Radiators, on the other hand, are said to be easier and more comfortable for the children to use, even when they are older. Through my thread, I wanted to gather your opinions since I have no personal experience with underfloor heating. Our parents have it on the ground floor, and we find it very comfortable. That’s basically all the experience I have with it. However, my feeling is that it makes sense to install underfloor heating throughout the house, as it creates a continuous system and provides a nice feeling when your feet are warm. Additionally, I also think that underfloor heating warms the room more evenly compared to conventional radiators.