FAQ's
The Box
Q: How many 'Box' kits do I need?
A: That will depend on the overall floor area you are wishing to heat. The Box is available in three different sizes of system - 6, 9 or 12 m² - each of which can be installed separately, or combined as required to build larger systems of up to 36 m².
The chart below shows floorheater's suggested combinations of Box kits to build various sizes of systems - as well as the pump and type of manifold supplied with each combined system.
Floor area:
| 1-6 m² | 6 m² Box kit + pump. |
| 7-9 m² | 9 m² Box kit + pump. |
| 10-12 m² | 12 m² Box kit + pump. |
| 13-15 m² | 6 m² Box kit + 9 m² Box kit + pump + double outlet manifold. |
| 16-18 m² | Two 9 m² Box kits + pump + double outlet manifold. |
| 19-21 m² | 9 m² Box kit + 12 m² Box kit + pump + double outlet manifold. |
| 22-24 m² | Two 12 m² Box kits + pump + double outlet manifold. |
| 25-27 m² | Three 9 m² Box kits + pump + triple outlet manifold. |
| 28-30 m² | Two 9 m² Box kits + one 12 m² Box kit + pump + triple outlet manifold. |
| 31-33 m² | Two 12 m² Boxes + one 9 m² Box kit + pump+ triple outlet manifold. |
| 34-36 m² | Three 12 m² Boxes + pump + triple outlet manifold. |
Click here to let floorheater work out the Box set-up that suits your requirements.
Q: Can The Box system be used anywhere in the house?
A:Yes!
Q: Just how flexible is the 'Box' kit?
A: We've designed it to be as flexible as you need it to be. The panels can be cut and shaped to fit any room, and the pipe is flexible enough to follow any circuit you design.
Q: Do I really need a pump?
A: In the vast majority of cases, the answer to this question is yes.
Since the floor is a much larger surface than a radiator, the temperature of the floor has to be a lot lower than the temperature of a radiator. So, if you plan on heating your house with a combination of radiators and an underfloor heating system you will need a pump to bring the temperature of the water in the floor circuits down. The pump and mixing unit will mix the hot water from the boiler with the lukewarm return water from the UFH circuits to achieve a temperature that is good for the floor.
If, on the other hand, you are to heat the whole house with underfloor heating only, there is no need to buy a pump from us.
Q: What if the floor area I need to heat is larger than 36m²?
A: For systems larger than 36m² – click here.
The Panels
Q: Can I tile directly over the Floorheater panels?
A: Yes.
Q: How are the panels fixed down?
A: Floorheater panels can be glued, stapled or even nailed down to any existing floor.
Q: Do I need to use a special adhesive if I am gluing down the panels?
A: Yes. For most dry floors and concrete floors with a damp course, Floorheater recommends using a water-based tile adhesive called 'Laybond L73'. For gluing down to a concrete floor or foundation base that has no damp proof course, use a regular cement-based tile adhesive.
Q: Does the aluminium coating on each panel require cutting with any kind of special tool?
A: No. The Floorheater system's bonded foil coating is only 0.1mm thick, so you simply cut the panel and that's it.
Q: The panels feel rather flimsy... Will they support the weight of my piano/AGA/pool table?
A: Yes they will! 100x100mm of panel will support 300 kilos!
The fact that the polystyrene feels light is really an advantage! – It makes it a lot easier to work with. Besides, this IS high-density polystyrene, and there is a LOT of research behind this system.
The Pipe
Q: What if it leaks?
A: It won't. As soon as you have put the pipe into the channels you pressure test it at a pressure that is higher than the pressure the pipe will hold when the system is in use. This gives you the peace of mind that the pipe will hold. Then, when you have laid the flooring on top of it all there is really nothing that can happen to the pipe unless you drill or hammer a nail through it...
Q: Just how durable is the floorheater water pipe?
A: European Union regulations state that this kind of pipe has to be able to last for over 50 years, but our pipe will last you much, much longer than that. According to simulations of the wear and tear of the pipe it is estimated that our water pipe could last, in use, for up to 500 years!
Q: What about calcium build-up? Won't that clog the pipes?
A: A water heating system is a closed system. Since it is a closed system, the same water will go around and around, and so there is really no calcium build-up because there will be only a very small amount of calcium in the water. If there is an extreme amount of calcium in the water where you live, you can always fill the heating system with water from somewhere else. If the pipes clog for some reason, there is an additive called 'One Shot' which dissolves calcium build-up in pipes. This is frequently used on Iceland where the heating systems often are open systems, as they have free warm water in the ground.
The Installation
Q: Does the surface that the underfloor heating system is to be installed onto need to be level?
A: Yes.
Q: Can I install the system myself or will I need to employ a specialist to do that for me?
A: Although we recommend that a qualified plumber is employed to connect the pump to your heater, and also to pressure test the system once it has been installed, the main installation is so simple that it can be carried out by anyone - it requires no previous experience of installing an underfloor system whatsoever.
Flooring Materials
Q: What types of flooring can I lay over the floorheater panels?
A: Almost any kind of flooring material can be laid on top of the panels. However, different flooring materials require different methods of fixing down onto the panels.
Wood floors can be laid directly on top of the panels, but due to wood's "live " expanding and contracting nature, must not be glued or fixed to them in any way. Hardwood floors should be left "floating" on the panels. However, some hardwood flooring manufacturers may state specifically that their particular flooring must be glued to an underlying surface. Where this is the case, plywood sheeting can be laid directly on top of the panels to create an intermediary surface that the hardwood flooring can then be glued down onto.
Maple and beech should never be used with any underfloor heating system.
For a more in-depth description of how best to lay a hardwood floor on top of an underfloor heating system, please download the 'Wooden floors over underfloor heating' document from our 'Download' page on this website.
Ceramic tiles and natural stone can be laid directly on top of our systems.
IMPORTANT:
The only tile adhesive that should be used on our systems is Mapei Kerabond with Mapei Isolastic. Tiles smaller than 15 x 15 cm require either a load distributing board (for example a gypsum board - or chip floorboard) or a layer of fiber-reinforced screed above the system.
Q: Can I really tile on top of this?
A: Yes you can! We have been tiling on top of our systems for 15 years in Sweden with excellent results.
Q: How soon after installing the system can the flooring material be put down?
A: Immediately. Unlike a traditional concrete embedded system where the concrete can take weeks to fully set.
Q: Do I need to use a special tile adhesive?
A: Yes. You MUST use Mapei Kerabond together with Mapei Isolastic.
Q: Can you install this in a wet-room?
A: Yes. In wet rooms you just create a slope down to the drain with fibre reinforced screed, put a moisture barrier on that, and then tile on top of it all using any regular tile adhesive.
Q: What about carpet?
A: We generally advise against combining underfloor heating with carpet because carpet insulates too much.
If you really want to lay carpet on top of our system, use a thin one, and lay down an intermediary layer of thin plywood onto the system first.
The truth is that with UFH you don’t really need carpet! Your floor will be warm and comfy to walk on anyway!
Q: Won't the wood insulate and prevent the heat from reaching the room?
A: Yes, the heat output will be 30% lower with wood compared to tile. In other words, if you are to lay wooden floorboards onto the UFH system it's even more important that your house is well insulated (to keep the heat inside).
Q: What if I'm laying down carpet or some other resilient flooring material?
A: Carpet and other soft floorings, like vinyl, linoleum, cork, polyurethane, rubber, and asphalt composites, are too soft to be placed directly on top of our systems. They will therefore require a simple intermediate layer that is plane and load bearing, for example chipboard, hardwood or a fibre-reinforced screed.
Connection to the central heating system
Q: Does the Floorheater system connect to the central heating system?
A: Yes.
Q: What types of boiler/heat will work with a Floorheater system?
A: The floorheater system can be used with almost any type of boiler. However, as a general rule, the system will require a boiler capable of producing 100 watts of heat for every m² the underfloor heating circuit is going to be heating.
If you know the heating capability of your boiler, then it is easy to work out whether it will provide enough hot water for the size of system required to heat your home. Simply measure the square meterage of floor space in your house/apartment and then multiply that number by 100 to get the total amount of watts needed.
Q: Does the system work with a combi-boiler?
A: Yes it does.
Q: Do I really need a pump?
A: In the vast majority of cases, the answer to this question is yes.
Since the floor is a much larger surface than a radiator, the temperature of the floor has to be a lot lower than the temperature of a radiator. So, if you plan on heating your house with a combination of radiators and an underfloor heating system you will need a pump to bring the temperature of the water in the floor circuits down. The pump and mixing unit will mix the hot water from the boiler with the lukewarm return water from the UFH circuits to achieve a temperature that is good for the floor.
If, on the other hand, you are to heat the whole house with underfloor heating only, there is no need to buy a pump from us.
Q: Do I need a pump and mixing unit (shunt) if I'll be creating a combination wall-radiator and underfloor heating system?
A: Yes.
General information
Q: What is the heat output for this system?
A: The heat output depends on the flooring material:
Wood: around 70 W/m².
Tiles: around 100 W/m².
Q: Will this save me money in the long run?
A: If you want to save money on your heating bill, then you need to insulate your house as much as possible.
Our system uses a low water temperature, but if you also have radiators you still need to heat water to a high temperature... The best possible combination is to have a well-insulated house heated by a heat pump together with an underfloor heating system.
Q: Can this be used anywhere in the house?
A: Yes.
Q: Is the Floorheater system as efficient in operation as the more traditional embedded system of floor heating?
A: It's actually far more efficient, thanks to its surface-mounting and unique 0.1mm foil coating which radiates heat in a way that an embedded system simply cannot match.
Click here for more advantages!
Q: What are the advantages of a Floorheater underfloor heating system over a conventional heating system using wall mounted radiators?
A: Heat rises, so having an underfloor system means that not only is your floor warm, but that the room is heated thoroughly, across its entire floor space - right from the very lowest point to the ceiling. This means that a Floorheater underfloor system delivers heating with an efficiency that a radiator system just can't hope to match. No cold spots and no ugly radiators and pipes either.
Click here for more advantages!
Q: What is the warranty and which parts are covered?
A: All components have a 2 year limited warranty.
NB: It has been established through careful testing that the PEX water pipe used in the system could last, in use, for over 400 years.
Delivery
Q: How long does it take to order a Floorheater system?
A: The delivery times are as follows:
Box systems will in most cased be delivered the day after it's been ordered if the order is placed before 14:00.
Custom ordered systems take about 8 to 10 business days since we always ship these from Sweden.
Q: What if something is missing or damaged upon delivery?
A: Anything missing or damaged upon delivery will be promptly replaced.
