First floor - wet underfloor heating v electric panel radiators - install cost comparison

[Gaz Bancroft]

Hi, 

 

Following a previous thread, I had created on here I've received some good advice and concluded that with a well-insulated airtight new build, underfloor heating on the ground floor only should be sufficient for heating. 

 

However, I would rather ensure there is some heating upstairs in case of particularly cold periods or just as an insurance policy if it turns out the underfloor heating from the ground floor is not sufficient to ensure the first floor is warm. 

 

My options are therefore underfloor heating upstairs or electric panel radiators. Given I am hoping this will hardly be needed my main consideration is cost of install. Has anyone previously compared these two options? My assumption is that electric panel radiators will be cheapest as its very straight forward to supply and fit? 

 

Only negative is that electric panel radiators don't look the best and take up wall space, so underfloor heating has a benefit in that sense but as I say my main driver is install cost. 

 

It's a three-bedroom new build so upstairs I'm thinking panel radiator in each bedroom plus electric towel rail in each of bathroom and en-suite. 

 

Thank you 

 

Gaz

 

 

[joe90]

With my build I had only UFH downstairs with electric rads in the upstairs bathrooms and electric UFH in the en-suite. Rather than panel heaters I was going to use plug in electric heaters fir the very few times they may be needed, just make sure sockets are fitted where heaters may be wanted.

[HughF]

Air to air, either a ceiling cassette in the hallway, or heads in each bedroom.

 

Finest way to heat a house in my experience. Cheap and easy to fit, individual room control without the issues of zoning down radiators, fast to respond, don’t take up wall space for cupboards or other such things that radiators do.

[nod]

We’ve wet UFH on the GF Five bed Solid build and have never used the first floor rads 

We building a larger house UFH to GF 

My wife didn’t want to add any rads this time Our bedrooms are usually within 1 degree of the GF 

I’d seriously look at your insulation levels 

[crispy_wafer]

With ours,

 

3 beds and two bathrooms upstairs.  Electric Towel Rads in bathrooms, ducted air to air in bedrooms.  Cooling as well as heating is a consideration for a good nights sleep!

[Kelvin]

Following threads on here I’ve not extended the UFH to the upstairs. I have wired for two wall panel heaters or will just use portable heaters if needed. We have a electric towel rail in the ensuite and we’ll probably add electric UFH too. 

[ProDave]

Wet UFH downstairs here.  Upstairs has wet UFH in the bathrooms just to stop the tiles feeling cold.  I installed cable and back boxes to power a panel heater in each bedroom.  Never got used, cable not connected either end, cost perhaps £20?  I was only ever going to buy the heaters if we found they were needed, and they were not.