Hi,

With an ASHP we are considering UFH but confused as to what would be the best option. Ive heard some say it gets too warm upstairs with UFH. 

If UFH is upstairs, does it affect the floorboards with respect to expanding and contracting?

 

TIA

 

FF

Definitely rads upstairs 

Weve not used the rads in six years 

1 hour ago, Fallowfields said:

Hi,

With an ASHP we are considering UFH but confused as to what would be the best option. Ive heard some say it gets too warm upstairs with UFH. 

If UFH is upstairs, does it affect the floorboards with respect to expanding and contracting?

 

TIA

 

FF

New build or existing house? may make a big difference.

 

UFH is just too slow to react for bedrooms - do you need any heating at all, electric panel heater, quick blast of heat then off again for the next 23 hours?

 

We are well insulated, airtight, but have our bedroom window open at night, so really no heating is needed. We are single storey, so would be even less need in a normal house.

1 hour ago, Fallowfields said:

does it affect the floorboards with respect to expanding and contracting

If new build and well insulated flow temperature of UFH is around 30 (or below), floor temp 2 to 3 degrees above room temperature so not much effect.

22 hours ago, JohnMo said:

New build or existing house? may make a big difference.

 

UFH is just too slow to react for bedrooms - do you need any heating at all, electric panel heater, quick blast of heat then off again for the next 23 hours?

 

We are well insulated, airtight, but have our bedroom window open at night, so really no heating is needed. We are single storey, so would be even less need in a normal house.

If new build and well insulated flow temperature of UFH is around 30 (or below), floor temp 2 to 3 degrees above room temperature so not much effect.

Thank you, its a new build.

If you are well insulated I would put provisions in for electric panel heaters in bedrooms, many on here have no rads or heating on bedrooms.

 

Upstairs bathrooms will need heat. Electric towel rail is good, would also look at electric UFH directly under the tiles.

I'm currently leaning towards an ASHP with UFH in the slab for the ground floor, and Fan Coil Units (FCUs) in the first-floor bedrooms. I doubt the FCUs will be required for anything beyond very occasional heating duties, but they'll allow us to control summer cooling in a much more individual manner. I know they're quite an expensive addition, but "comfort" is one of the big areas in our decision criteria for expenditure, and I've convinced myself not to have a battery initially and to use that saving to fund them!

 

As others have mentioned, you'll need heat in the bathrooms. We're planning for an electric UFH mat and an electric towel rail in each ensuite/bathroom. From experience in our current home, we may not ever switch the electric UFH mat on, but given the relatively low materials cost, it's worth having the comfort of knowing it's there if needed!

Nothing at all wrong with UFH upstairs IF you actually need heating.  Even if you do need some heat upstairs, it will be less than downstairs so the slower performance of UFH with carpet does not matter.

 

Again if you have done it all properly you should have a house that does not heat up and down quickly so heat up times are irelevant.  And like many of us on here you will find the upstairs heating never needed.