ᐅ Underfloor heating in the shower?

Hello,

I spoke with my construction manager today about underfloor heating in the walk-in shower. He said it’s definitely possible, but since a different type of screed will be used there, there might be long-term issues at the transition. How have you handled this?

Good luck,
daniels87

Hello,

we have underfloor heating installed in both of our walk-in showers. It is the same screed as used everywhere else, specifically cement screed. In other words, there is no transition or joint separating the shower area from the rest of the bathroom. Due to the risk of moisture damage, as far as I know, only this type is used in showers. What type do you have?

Best regards,
Andreas

There is no underfloor heating in our shower; in my opinion, the slope (in the shower) is the main reason. I haven’t had cold feet so far. I would not install heating there if it could cause long-term issues at the transition.

The same procedure must be applied as with the expansion joints. A protective sleeve will be installed over the pipe at that point to accommodate the different movements of the two screed elements. I would also recommend having a separate circuit for the shower so it can be shut off if necessary. This is less about the pipe itself and more about the heating. I have already heard from various sources that the warm surface can negatively affect the scaling of the tiles.

I would like to have a physical explanation for that – limescale certainly doesn't form just because water hits a surface that is 25°C (77°F) warm.

We have it installed as well, but it's only the bathroom heating pipes included. It dries faster and feels nice when the underfloor heating is on because you don’t notice a strong temperature difference. When showering, you wouldn’t really feel it anyway, since the water quickly warms the area.

Take a close, critical look at your floor heating system... often the surface temperature is more advisable, as bathrooms rarely (in theoretical calculations) reach the desired indoor temperature.