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Floor Heating Control Systems
Unlike conventional radiator systems, each room with underfloor
heating is able to have its own thermostat which can be controlled
independently, thus saving energy and money on running costs.
Standard Control
The water temperature flowing in the floor is set and adjusted
by the end user to suit the occupants requirements, this coupled
with individual room thermostats (including bathrooms), time control
and a wiring centre provides a comprehensive control system. The
end user will alter the flow temperature according to the external
conditions, from approximately 35-40 deg C in spring and autumn
to approximately 50-55 deg C in the winter.
Weather Compensation Control
Using this method the flow temperature is constantly being adjusted
to suit the prevailing conditions. Once time and temperature settings
have been programmed into the control unit no further input is
required by the end user. The floor warming system will operate
at optimum efficiency within the programmed inputs, providing
the best possible comfort level at the lowest running costs.
Proponents of radiant-floor heating argue that someone normally
comfortable at 72°F (22°C) will be comfortable in a building
with radiant-floor heating kept at 68°F (20°C). If this
is true, one would expect people with radiant-floor heating to keep
their thermostats lower and thus realize significant energy savings.
(See page 13 for further discussion.)
The second opportunity for energy savings with radiant-floor heating
is through keeping the boiler temperature lower than is necessary
with conventional baseboard hot water distribution. The typical
European approach with radiant-floor heating is to circulate fairly
low-temperature water on an almost-continuous basis, varying the
water temperature as needed to satisfy the load. This practice
might reduce heat loss into unconditioned space if boiler and
piping are located in an unheated basement, but experts EBN spoke
with suggest that the savings would be very small at best—especially
because of the additional electricity consumption to operate pumps
for long hours
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