Energy Efficient electric underfloor heating
Electric underfloor heating is not usually associated with energy efficiency in the underfloor heating world, but, there is two electric underfloor heating mats that are proving their credentials. The flat ribbon underfloor heating system and the carbon underfloor heating system have similar heating characteristics.
The Flat ribbon underfloor heating system dominates over all of the other technologies as it can be installed directly under any flooring product including, tiles, wood, laminate and even carpet as a primary heating system with no need for radiators.
Carbon film underfloor heating is also efficient if installed correctly, the only downside is that carbon film underfloor heating should only be used with laminate or engineered wood flooring. Carbon film underfloor heating is easy to install and ideal as a DIY project.
Cable underfloor heating - Cable mat underfloor heating can still be more efficient than standard gas central heating dependent on the installation method but cannot distribute the heat in the same way as the above underfloor heating technologies.
Kitchen and bathroom underfloor heating is one of the most common applications and either the cable mat underfloor heating or ribbon underfloor heating can be used if you are installing tiles, slate or stone in your kitchen or bathroom, if you are using other flooring products we would recommend that you use the flat ribbon underfloor heating system.
Underfloor heating insulation is very important when you are looking to keep your running costs low, Allbrite offer 2 types of insulation for underfloor heating, 1) Easy-Heat rigid insulation boards 2) Therm-All soft insulation. Easy heat insulation is used with stuck down floor coverings. Therm-All is a soft insulation which is used for floating floors.
Underfloor heating thermostats, fully digital and programmable the All-116 thermostat is highly sophisticated but easy to use making it the ideal partner for use with any electric underfloor heating. The All-116 underfloor heating thermostat is able to be configured to many modes Air Only / Floor only / Air and Floor meaning one thermostat for all applications.
The Flat ribbon underfloor heating system dominates over all of the other technologies as it can be installed directly under any flooring product including, tiles, wood, laminate and even carpet as a primary heating system with no need for radiators.Carbon film underfloor heating is also efficient if installed correctly, the only downside is that carbon film underfloor heating should only be used with laminate or engineered wood flooring. Carbon film underfloor heating is easy to install and ideal as a DIY project.
Cable underfloor heating - Cable mat underfloor heating can still be more efficient than standard gas central heating dependent on the installation method but cannot distribute the heat in the same way as the above underfloor heating technologies.Kitchen and bathroom underfloor heating is one of the most common applications and either the cable mat underfloor heating or ribbon underfloor heating can be used if you are installing tiles, slate or stone in your kitchen or bathroom, if you are using other flooring products we would recommend that you use the flat ribbon underfloor heating system.
Underfloor heating insulation is very important when you are looking to keep your running costs low, Allbrite offer 2 types of insulation for underfloor heating, 1) Easy-Heat rigid insulation boards 2) Therm-All soft insulation. Easy heat insulation is used with stuck down floor coverings. Therm-All is a soft insulation which is used for floating floors.Underfloor heating thermostats, fully digital and programmable the All-116 thermostat is highly sophisticated but easy to use making it the ideal partner for use with any electric underfloor heating. The All-116 underfloor heating thermostat is able to be configured to many modes Air Only / Floor only / Air and Floor meaning one thermostat for all applications.Solar Water Heating
Solar water heating ss one of the quickest and easiest ways to get onto the self generation ladder. It has been a myth that solar water heating is expensive to install but this is not really the truth although there may be some companies our there taking advantage.
Vacuum tube / Evacuated tube solar collectors is the most efficient of the solar water heating technologies, although the title of this paragraph may imply that vacuum tubes and vacuum tubes are different they are in fact the same, the name is simply personal preference. The evacuated tube collector is the choice of most installers and most prefer Heat Pipe technology over Direct Flow technology.
Flat Plate solar panels are not deemed as efficient compared to the evacuated tube panels but they have a practicality if you are looking for a different installation method such as in-roof, canopy or facade installation. Flat plate can be a bit more difficult to install due to its size a weight compared to the vacuum tube solar panels.
Domestic solar water heating is one of the more common ways of using solar panels, the solar panels will heat the water in a solar cylinder which is a direct replacement for your existing cylinder if you have one. The solar water heating system can provide upto 80% of your domestic hot water for baths, showers, dishwashing, etc.
Solar water heating with a combi-boiler is not advisable and this is not just by us but also under the design procedures of MIS3001 which is part of the microgeneration certification scheme, so don't be tempted by this form of installation. You can however bypass your combination boiler and reap the rewards of solar water heating.
Solar water heating with swimming pools is also a major part of our activities within the water heating industry, it makes perfect sense to heat a swimming pool with solar as it would normally use a very large percentage of your annual CO2 not to mention cost a small fortune to heat. Heating a swimming pool with solar can pay for itself within 18 months to 3 years making it a good investment.
Vacuum tube / Evacuated tube solar collectors is the most efficient of the solar water heating technologies, although the title of this paragraph may imply that vacuum tubes and vacuum tubes are different they are in fact the same, the name is simply personal preference. The evacuated tube collector is the choice of most installers and most prefer Heat Pipe technology over Direct Flow technology.Flat Plate solar panels are not deemed as efficient compared to the evacuated tube panels but they have a practicality if you are looking for a different installation method such as in-roof, canopy or facade installation. Flat plate can be a bit more difficult to install due to its size a weight compared to the vacuum tube solar panels.Domestic solar water heating is one of the more common ways of using solar panels, the solar panels will heat the water in a solar cylinder which is a direct replacement for your existing cylinder if you have one. The solar water heating system can provide upto 80% of your domestic hot water for baths, showers, dishwashing, etc.
Solar water heating with a combi-boiler is not advisable and this is not just by us but also under the design procedures of MIS3001 which is part of the microgeneration certification scheme, so don't be tempted by this form of installation. You can however bypass your combination boiler and reap the rewards of solar water heating.
Solar water heating with swimming pools is also a major part of our activities within the water heating industry, it makes perfect sense to heat a swimming pool with solar as it would normally use a very large percentage of your annual CO2 not to mention cost a small fortune to heat. Heating a swimming pool with solar can pay for itself within 18 months to 3 years making it a good investment.