Underfloor Heating is still a growing in popularity as a form of domestic heating system, and as such it is common for people to be unaware of the levels of safety surrounding the systems.
Underfloor heating is in fact one of the safest forms of heating system. Whether using a dry (electric) system or a wet (water) system, there are many health and safety benefits to sing underfloor heating over other types of system.
Why Underfloor Heating is the Safest form of Heating
Underfloor heating is considered the safest type of heating system because:
- The heated elements of a dry system and the heated pipes of a wet system are hidden completely from areas where they might cause harm. Unlike hot radiator pipes, underfloor heating pipe will not cause burns or scalds to which young children especially are vulnerable.
- The heat of the water in a wet system is relatively low, and the floor temperature of any system is normally no greater than body temperature.
- The inner heating element of the electric system is earth-sheathed and electrically insulated, meaning that there is no risk of electric shock.
- Electrical underfloor heating systems are connected to dedicated fuses in the consumer unit and protected by a circuit breaker.
Underfloor heating and its Health Benefits
An underfloor heating system can provide many health benefits over other heating systems such as radiators. By heating from beneath the floor, underfloor heating lowers the humidity within floor coverings such as carpets, meaning that dust mites are unable to live in the carpet at all – or, if they are able to, they will live at the surface level where vacuuming or other cleaning will remove them.
Underfloor heating distributes heat differently from radiators. Radiators transfer heat by convection currents which carry dust and fungi spores in the air in a circulating motion. Underfloor heating heats by radiation, meaning that heat is transferred upwards to the objects in the room and the air itself moving steadily upwards. This means that any dust or fungi spores are not carried in the air to irritate allergic occupants or sufferers of asthma and other respiratory issues.
