Underfloor Heating Repair and Installation in London

Wet and Electric Underfloor Heating Explained

Wet underfloor heating uses loops of plastic pipe laid in the floor and fed with warm water from a manifold. It runs at a lower water temperature than radiators, and it pairs well with a condensing boiler or a heat pump. It suits larger areas, whole floors and new extensions.

Electric underfloor heating uses thin heating mats or cables laid under the floor finish. It costs less to put in and is quick to fit, so it is common under bathroom tiles. Running costs are higher per square metre, which is why it is usually kept to small rooms.

Underfloor Heating Installation

The subfloor decides the method. On a concrete slab, pipes are clipped to insulation and covered with screed, which gives an even heat but adds depth and drying time. On timber floors, or where height is tight, we use overlay or low-profile boards with channels for the pipe, finished with the floor covering directly on top.

Every wet system is run from a manifold with a pump and mixing valve, split into zones with their own thermostats. We check the floor finish too, as thick carpet and underlay hold heat back while tile, stone and engineered boards pass it through well.

• Screed systems for new slabs and extensions
• Overlay boards for timber floors
• Manifold, pump and mixing valve
• Zoned room thermostats

Underfloor Heating Repair

Our underfloor heating repair work starts at the manifold. A failed actuator on one port will keep a zone cold, a pump that has stopped leaves the whole floor cold, and a stuck mixing valve can send water that is too cool or too hot. Wiring centre and thermostat faults are also common, especially after decorating.

Air in the loops is another frequent culprit, cleared by purging each circuit in turn. For electric systems, we test mat resistance and insulation to find damage, often caused by a nail or a tile cutter. Each repair ends with a test run to prove every zone heats.

Retrofitting Underfloor Heating in Period London Homes

Inner London is dominated by Victorian and Edwardian terraces and mansion blocks, many with solid walls and no cavity. That makes a retrofit more complex than in a new build. Heat escapes through the walls faster, so the floor has to work harder, and there is no easy route to hide pipe runs or wiring.

Suspended timber floors are the other challenge. We can fit pipe between the joists with spreader plates from below, or lay low-profile boards over the top. Raising the floor changes door thresholds and skirting heights, so we measure the available height before recommending either method.

Running Underfloor Heating Alongside Radiators and Boilers

Plenty of London homes use both. A kitchen extension gets underfloor heating while the rest of the house keeps its radiators. The manifold's mixing valve blends the hotter boiler water down to a safe floor temperature, and the underfloor zones are wired so they call the boiler just like a radiator circuit.

The boiler needs enough output to cover both, and the controls need setting so the floor and radiators do not fight each other. The underfloor side should be checked whenever the boiler is looked at, so it makes sense to add it to your annual boiler service visit.