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Underfloor Heating FAQ’S

Many people still think (quite incorrectly) that underfloor heating is more expensive than radiators – a luxury that it is not accessible to everyone. However, underfloor heating can be installed in both small rooms and very large spaces and brings you cost-savings on your energy bills; making it an affordable luxury, suitable for every project.

What is underfloor heating (UFH)?

Underfloor Heating, or UFH as it is commonly abbreviated to, is the method of heating a room in the home with a heat source that is installed into or onto the floor, beneath the layer of flooring. Underfloor heating allows for the creation of a room free from wall clutter such as radiators, this is especially true when fitted in conjunction with Warmup’ wall heating mat.

Underfloor heating is the perfect heating method for wet rooms and bathrooms, providing warmth underfoot when stepping out of the shower or bath.

How does electric underfloor heating work?

Electric underfloor heating works by embedding a thin heating wire beneath the overlaid floor covering. This heating wire is often installed in tile adhesive or a self-levelling floor screed. The heating wire is then connected to an underfloor heating thermostat, to control the temperature, and dependant on the thermostat used, provide a timing capability.

Unlike traditional radiators which ironically only radiate a small amount of heat, (with over 70% being convected), underfloor heating is largely radiant. This immediately eliminates the excessive heat loss through windows and ceilings that is attributed to radiators.

With underfloor heating the air is not overheated, so it does not loose its moisture to the building fabric and the therefore the user does not feel stuffy.

Why should I choose Warmup underfloor heating?

Warmup are the market leaders in underfloor heating systems. Accredited to ISO 9001:2008 and based in the UK, Warmup have been in operation for over 23 years, selling over 2.1million under floor heating systems in over 70 countries worldwide.

Warmup has the highest quality products. Having the toughest, dual-fluoropolymer, thin (1.8mm diameter) heating wire on the market. It won’t raise floor levels and is BEAB approved, meeting the highest safety standards for electric underfloor heating.

Warmup offer world leading service & support. Warmup are the only company who have a technical helpline for all clients, homeowners, installers, specifiers, retailers and any other Warmup client 24 hours per day / 7 days per week / 365 days per year. This technical Helpline serves all parties in questions from setting up a thermostat to any issues with installation of either electric or hydronic underfloor heating system.

All Warmup products are backed with industry-leading guarantees as a result of extensive testing and research. Warmup offer Lifetime Warranty on their electric and wet underfloor heating ranges. Additionally, they offer a SafetyNet™ Installation Guarantee to heating wire and pipe: should a system be damaged during installation, Warmup will replace it free of charge (subject to terms & conditions). Rest assured, with Warmup you have the very best system in the market.

Warmup are the only underfloor heating company whose product are European compliant, CE marked and accredited by more independent 3rd party institutions. Warmup product accreditations include BEAB, cUL, CSA, FIMKO, SEMKO and UL. In addition, they are members of BEAMA and TTA.

Warmup Guarantee

Warmup StickyMat, Loose Wire and DCM-Pro systems carry a lifetime warranty for greater peace of mind.

Furthermore, the above systems are backed by the Warmup SafetyNet installation guarantee.
If you accidentally damage the heating system during installation, simply return it to Warmup and they will replace it with another heater of the same make and model FREE!

All Warmup thermostats come with a 3-year manufacturer’s warranty, the 3iE and 4iE warranty can be optionally upgraded to an Extended Lifetime Warranty.

Why should I purchase Warmup underfloor heating from Wetrooms Online?

When you purchase any Warmup product from Wetrooms Online, you are not only purchasing from an authorised Warmup retailer, you are also purchasing a market leading brand from the UK's Wet Room experts. We work closely with Warmup to ensure that we offer the best possible Warmup buying experience. We are able to offer help on the most suitable Warmup products and their applications.

Wetrooms Online are proud to be Warmup authorised retailers.

Which Warmup electric underfloor heating systems are available from Wetrooms Online?

Wetrooms Online sell three types of Warmup electrical underfloor heating: Loose Wire System, StickyMat System and DCM-PRO system.

What is Warmup's Loose Wire System?

Warmup Loose Wire System uses an ultra-thin (1.8mm) dual core heating wire that is flexible, easy to install and will not raise flor levels. Ideal for more irregular shaped areas for precise installation.

What is Warmup's StickyMat System 150 & 200w/m²?

Warmup StickyMat underfloor heating is suitable for all projects; new-build, retrofits, and refurbishments. The StickyMat System consists of a thin loose wire evenly spaced and taped to a glassfibre mesh with pressure sensitive adhesive, reducing installation time, for the fastest and most secure installation method of electric underfloor heating.

Also available is Warmup StickyMat 3D wall heating mat:
StickyMat 3D offers radiant warmth for cold bathroom and wet room walls. It’s the perfect way to increase heating power in smaller spaces. Featuring a self-adhesive backing for easy installation, the StickyMat 3D is available in a range of sizes and features unique in-built earthing technology, making it the only system suitable for use on walls straight out of the box.

What is the DCM-Pro System?

The DCM-Pro System is the fastest way to install a heated decoupling system in all areas; in fact 40% faster than standard underfloor heating membranes. The patent pending self-adhesive underside acts as a self-healing decoupling layer and eliminates the need for an adhesive layer, reducing both time and costs.

What are the benefits of Warmup electrical underfloor heating?

Electrical underfloor heating systems have many benefits, especially compared to traditional radiators. 

Floor heating is simply the only way to create the ideal environment in a family room to balance floor and air temperature, advantages include:

Suitable for every type of project: - new-build, refurbishments, and renovations.

Appropriate for use under a wide range of floor finishes: - stone, tiles, wood, laminate, engineered wood, carpet and vinyl.
Warmup is also fully tested and compatible for use with Karndean and Amtico.
With its low operating temperature, warmth is evenly spread across the whole floor area, with no cold spots, heating from the floor upwards without creating a stuffy atmosphere.

Energy efficient: - underfloor heating gives the homeowner control, provides rapid heat-up and high efficiency heating. It requires significantly less energy as you are not heating the ceiling area and it enables the temperature to be accurately controlled as needed, allowing the users to heat the rooms(s) they want, with less energy wasted compared to traditional heating systems.

Temperature control in each zone: - Warmup’s comprehensive range of thermostats, including the 4iE Smart Wi-Fi Thermostat, allow the homeowner to choose the temperature levels that they require, to effortlessly control their heating with optimised schedules and temperatures through smart learning features to accommodate their lifestyle.

Cost savings: - because underfloor heating uses a lower temperature than standard radiators, heating costs are reduced and savings can be achieved on energy bills.

Design freedom: - underfloor heating means no bulky radiators to take up valuable wall and floor space.

Safety: - delivers a family-friendly and safe environment. No low-level hot surfaces or hard metal edges that come with a traditional heating system, creating a potentially unsafe and dangerous environment for small children, the elderly or people at risk.

No maintenance: - there is no maintenance required for electric underfloor heating systems.

Can Warmup underfloor heating help reduce my energy bills?

Radiant heating is an energy-conscious heating solution for your project and can provide great savings on your heating bills.

Underfloor Heating can offer substantially lower running costs compared to traditional central heating. This is because floor heating systems offer much quicker heat-up times than central-heating based systems whilst also running at lower temperatures yet still producing the same level of warmth in the room.

Running costs can vary depending on your home’s design, how well insulated it is, what energy tariff you are on and how you control and monitor your homes heating.

Warmup’s range of insulation boards are of paramount importance when lowering running costs of underfloor heating. Properly insulating your floor with insulation boards can reduce the heat-pu period of the system significantly, reducing the overall underfloor heating running cost by as much as 50%.

Is Warmup electric underfloor heating safe to use in a wet room or bathroom environment?

Electricity and water are an extremely dangerous combination; therefore, it is natural to have reservations regarding using electric underfloor heating systems in a wet room or bathroom environment. However, the reality is that electric underfloor heating is a very safe form of heating for use in a wet room or bathroom.

The chances of getting an electric shock from Warmup electric underfloor heating are virtually zero! All Warmup underfloor heating products go through an extremely rigorous research and development process to ensure that a truly safe product is produced, with safeguards built in from the design process. The electric heating cable wires are surrounded by a sheath, which will redirect any current leakage away from the floor finish and therefore the user. The electrical heating cable is BEAB (British Electrotechnical Approvals Board) approved meeting the highest safety standards. Every Warmup electric underfloor heater is individually tested at 5000 volts before it is shipped.

Each Warmup heating cable has four different layers. The two internal wires are twin conductors which means that the magnetic fields cancel out reducing interference and potential for induced currents in other household electricals. The second layer is for the inner insulation of the wires made of advanced fluoropolymer. Third layer is covered with Earth Braid. The Warmup Earth Braid is a copper sleeve that makes the wire flexible and more durable. Earth Braid has a higher conductivity rating than conductor wires in the case of a short circuit. This means that the power will be safely conducted down the sleeve, rather than just blowing up or shocking any item (such as a drill, in case someone for example drilled through the floor) that has pierced it. The outer layer of the cable is again advanced fluoropolymer making sure that the cable is extremely safely insulated.

Warmup products feature globally recognised safety accreditations, including the Intertek BEAB Approved Mark, the BEAB Component Mark, the ETL Approved Mark and the CSA and CSAus Marks.

For guaranteed safety, it is important to always have your heating system installed by a fully qualified installer who has worked with floor heating before, the electrical connections should only be made by a qualified electrician.

How long does Warmup underfloor floor heating take to warm up?

Warmup electric under floor heaters provide quick heat-up times but the exact time it takes to heat up a room depends on a few variables, such as:

- The size of the room
- The heat-loss and the insulation of the space
- The floor finish used.
- The type of system and heat source

However, you can expect an electric underfloor heater in a tiled bathroom to reach an optimal comfort temperature in as little as 20 minutes.

The ideal temperature underfloor heating should be run at also varies; for wood, carpets and vinyl floor finishes we recommend a maximum heat temperature of 27 degrees and for stone and tiles, a slightly higher temperature of 29 degrees.

How do I control the temperature of underfloor heating?

As with most heating systems, electric underfloor heating is controlled by the use of a thermostat. Depending on the type of thermostat installed the underfloor heating system can be programmed to come on and off at set times, or even when the temperature falls / reaches a pre-set level.

Choosing the correct thermostat for use with your underfloor heating system is key to ensuring that the system works both correctly and efficiently, helping to save money on energy bills.

Warmup offer three types of underfloor heating thermostats:

Smart:

A smart thermostat can connect to the internet and is the most advanced type of thermostat available from Warmup. Smart thermostats offer the most features for control of the system, as such they can offer the greatest efficiency and help generate the largest savings on energy bills. A smart thermostat can be controlled via a mobile phone app, taking advantage of the smart phone’s location settings allows the smart thermostat to control your heating automatically whilst ensuring your home will always be at the ideal temperature using as little energy as possible.

Programmable:

A programable thermostat allow you to set both time and temperature. You program the heating to be on or off by setting up target temperatures and times – the thermostat takes care of the rest, ensuring you have got the right temperature at the right time. Active Energy Management™, found in some Warmup programmable thermostats can help you save up to 10% off energy bills by helping you find the ideal temperature for your room.

Manual:

Manual thermostats are the easiest to use. Simply set the desired temperature, and then switch on or off at your desire. A manual thermostat has limited energy saving capability, and is therefore best suited in rooms that have the same heating requirement all day, every day, or where the heating requirements are infrequent - perhaps a guest bathroom.

Is Electric underfloor heating easy to install?

Electric underfloor heating is quick and easy to install, especially the StickyMat system and DCM-Pro system. The StickyMat system has heating wires ready-spaced on a self-adhesive backed mat, for a quick installation. The DCM-Pro system is a loose wire system that is fitted into a self-adhesive backed mat, which features decoupling proprieties. The mat for the DCM-Pro system easily allows the user to choose the distance between the cables and thus set the wattage of the system.

Electrical underfloor heating should be laid on top of an insulated surface to provide the best possible energy efficiency and cost savings.

All electrical underfloor heating systems should only be connected to the mains by a qualified electrician.

What types of flooring can underfloor heating be used with?

Warmup electrical underfloor heating systems can be used with all flooring types including: stone, tiles, wood, laminate, engineered wood, carpet and vinyl.
Warmup is also fully tested and compatible for use with Karndean and Amtico.

The following details system compatibility with flooring types:

StickyMat System: Tile & Stone, Hardwood, Laminate, Carpet & Vinyl

Loose Wire System: Tile & Stone, Hardwood, Laminate, Carpet & Vinyl

DCM-Pro System: Tile & Stone, Hardwood, Laminate, Carpet & Vinyl

Do I need to use insulation board with underfloor heating?

We strongly advise that electric underfloor heating is always installed on top of thermal insulation board. By installing on thermal insulation board, you are helping to prevent heat loss to the cold subfloor, or space underneath the floor, as is the case with suspended wooden floors.

Using Warmup insulation board, a warm floor can be achieved in as little as 20 minutes, compared to over 2 hours with no insulation. This saves energy and money on utility bills.