Omnie Torfloor

[richie9648]

Hi

 

i wondered if anyone had had any experience of putting an omnie torfloor system down - what’s the performance like? 
I’m having a few issues with height buildup and this seems to go straight on to joists which would be reduce any height build up 

 

thanks 

[Adsibob]

36 minutes ago, richie9648 said:

Hi

 

i wondered if anyone had had any experience of putting an omnie torfloor system down - what’s the performance like? 
I’m having a few issues with height buildup and this seems to go straight on to joists which would be reduce any height build up 

 

thanks 

It’s a decent product but expensive for what it is. If you need to keep the build up low, why don’t you lay a between the joists UFH system: Aluminum spreader plates are fixed to the joists using screws or nails, the plates have 16mm preformed groves in them set at 200mm centers to accommodate the  pipes.

A standard installation for this system assuming the joists are deep enough would be to fix batons to the sides of the joists (about 70mm from the top of the joist) then a 50mm foiled faced insulation like celotex/kingspan is cut and placed onto the batons, the pipe work is then clipped directly into the spreader plates.

A bit more labour intensive, but cheaper and just as effective, and no increase in floor height.

[richie9648]

Is the heat output from an aluminium spreader plate better than a torfloor?? 

[Adsibob]

it should be comparable or possibly even better. Torfloor just uses a “foil diffuser” on top of an insulated panel that looks rather thin and certainly thinner than the 50mm insulation I suggested. The amount of insulation is probably the determinative factor of performance here, so i can’t see the system I suggested (which is a pretty standard detail for in between the joists UFH) being any worse than torfloor which is so much thinner. 
i presume this is not for a ground floor? If it is, you need much more insulation than 50mm.

Edited May 6, 2021 by Adsibob

[AdamSee]

I used the omnie torfloor in my 1930 house renovation. Personally, I think it's great, more than enough to heat the upstairs of the house on it own (no heating downstairs to rise up and help)

It's quite a time consuming job to fit and you need to plan your returns to your manifold carefully. I had access from below, which made it easier....but still a pain. 

Don't use PU glue when sticking it down, it can bubble up through the boards and block the pipe channel. Becuase you have only a thin Alu spreader and a thin piece of ply over the top, you can make out where the pipes are laid. I don't notice, except where it's tiled over.

[richie9648]

2 hours ago, Adsibob said:

it should be comparable or possibly even better. Torfloor just uses a “foil diffuser” on top of an insulated panel that looks rather thin and certainly thinner than the 50mm insulation I suggested. The amount of insulation is probably the determinative factor of performance here, so i can’t see the system I suggested (which is a pretty standard detail for in between the joists UFH) being any worse than torfloor which is so much thinner. 
i presume this is not for a ground floor? If it is, you need much more insulation than 50mm.

I’m planning 100mm of kingspan - 150mm if I can !!! 

[PeterW]

11 hours ago, richie9648 said:

Is the heat output from an aluminium spreader plate better than a torfloor?? 

Yes - TorFloor is a gimmick. If you can lay a deck then you can lay spreaders with ordinary P5 flooring. I’ve seen one install with an issue where  the floor doesn’t get very warm as they have had to install 9mm Ply to get structural stability and with adhesive and tiles, the output is only 48W/sqm when run from a heat pump as the 12mm pipe needs a very high flow temperature. 

[richie9648]

1 hour ago, PeterW said:

Yes - TorFloor is a gimmick. If you can lay a deck then you can lay spreaders with ordinary P5 flooring. I’ve seen one install with an issue where  the floor doesn’t get very warm as they have had to install 9mm Ply to get structural stability and with adhesive and tiles, the output is only 48W/sqm when run from a heat pump as the 12mm pipe needs a very high flow temperature. 

Thanks Peter.  I am looking to put Karndean down as a final flooring.  

In terms of spreader plates - is there a particular product you would recommend ?