ᐅ Underfloor Heating, Room Thermostats, and Cold Tiles

Not exactly, that’s why I’m asking whether all of this is really correct.

Hello,

Stephan schrieb:
...., I just know from experience (parents’ house) that the floor was kept at a comfortable temperature—not necessarily 25°C (77°F), but definitely warmer than very cold.
Well, apparently I expected too much.

What expectations did you have? Also, I find it unlikely that your parents had underfloor heating powered by a heat pump. Of course, a heat pump can provide a supply temperature for underfloor heating that makes your feet almost warm. However, you should not focus on the electricity meter or plan for high energy costs with that approach.
Basically, you can’t have everything; every system has its advantages and disadvantages. To my knowledge, the "all-in-one perfect solution" has not been invented yet.
During the planning phase, it is essential to set priorities, clarify needs, and weigh them against each other (initial assessment). If having warm feet is a must, it may be better to avoid using a heat pump as the heat source. Additionally, underfloor heating surfaces will look somewhat different in that case!

Kind regards

€uro schrieb:
Hello,

What expectations did you have? Also, I hardly believe that your parents had underfloor heating combined with a heat pump as the heat source. Of course, you can generate supply temperatures for underfloor heating with a heat pump to have reasonably warm feet. However, you shouldn’t focus too much on the electricity meter or be prepared for high energy costs.
Basically, you can’t have everything; every solution has advantages and disadvantages. As far as I know, the “jack-of-all-trades” has not been invented yet.
From the planning stage, you need to set priorities, clarify your needs, and weigh options against each other (initial assessment). If you really want warm feet, you should probably avoid a heat pump as the heat source. Also, the underfloor heating surface area will look different in that case!

Best regards.

Thank you for the (slightly provocative) response, which completely missed my original question, but okay.
I understand that there is no “jack-of-all-trades” solution, and not everyone here is an “energy consultant” who knows everything by heart and can recite it.
Otherwise, this forum would be unnecessary if everyone knew everything...

Alright, topic closed, I got the information I wanted, thank you very much.

Oh, and yes, my parents had a heat pump from 1998, combined with an oil boiler, but I still don’t remember feeling the tiles at around 5°C (41°F)... even with outdoor temperatures at 20°C (68°F).

Stephan schrieb:
... but I still can’t remember feeling the tiles at around 5°C (41°F)… not even with an outside temperature of 20°C (68°F).

Ceramic tiles and similar materials definitely feel cold! Yes, also to the touch! But whether it’s a heat pump or gas heating... why would the heating turn on if the thermostats are set to 20°C (68°F) and the outside temperature is the same?

Wood feels warmer and is often chosen specifically because of the perceived warmth underfoot, as are cork and linoleum.
On the other hand, ceramic heats more steadily and has a “faster” response time, if you can even describe it that way for underfloor heating.

If you want your feet to feel warmer, I would simply try setting the bathroom temperature to 25°C (77°F) and experiment a bit.
I can’t say if that has any drawback for a heat pump, as I’ve never looked into it.

@ypg
Yes, but as I understand it, there should be some heat transfer to maintain the 20°C (68°F), since the response time of the underfloor heating is quite slow. Therefore, completely "turning off" or stopping the flow to the room once the temperature is reached seems pointless.
What surprises me now is that, even though there should actually be some flow, the floor is ice cold.

The heating in the room is probably completely turned off at the moment because it is not needed. Outdoor temperature is high enough / Other appliances are providing heat / Solar gains, etc.