DIYbanter - View Single Post - Electric Underfloor Heating

wrote:
Hi all,
I am new to this and I am only posting my question after reading a
bunch of threads regarding the electric underfloor heating. I am
rennovating a large apt (230 m2) and I am looking into underfloor
heating. I am between the conventional water pipe system vs the
electric heating system.

My question is really if someone out there has used the AHT-Heating
systems which seem promising and promise great energy savings (assuming
a well insulated house). The edge of this technology is that it uses an
amorpous alloy ribbon that increases the actual heat transfer area over
more widely used wires and has a much lower profile of 20-30 microns.

Has anyone used this system? I would like to hear some comments on it.

Not this particular system, but it sounds just like any other electric
UFH system to me. Basicly the bottom line is not to do with energy
transfer from the heater (whether it be electric wires or water-filled
pipes) but the cost of the energy required. Using a gas boiler to heat
water-filled pipes is still MUCH cheaper than electric heating.

For 230m2 I would say you are looking at a truly enormous electricity
bill. Of course, you probably can't fit a wet system becasue it would
entail removing all the concrete floors first. If you don't want rads,
there are other options that are less intrusive but still a lot cheaper
to run than electric-based heating. I have seen flat panel radiators
that you then paint over so they're virtually invisible. Sorry, can't
remeber where I've seent ehm though.

Good luck. And ignore the company's hype about specific heat capacity -
completely negligable compared to the specific heat capacity of the
floor!

Jon.