The feeling of being comfortably warm is due mainly to THREE factors.

• The quality of the insulation: this is going to be required more and more by the new European technical regulations.
• The air quality.
• The retained heat solution: that's our specialty.

With regard to domestic heating, there are two main sources of heat deliverance: convection and radiation.

Convection: this is a small distributor of fierce heat (between 60 and 70 deg C in a radiator, close to 100 deg C in an electric heater. This distributor heats the air to 40 deg C above the source of the heat which, like a hot air balloon, rises and causes hot and cold air currents.

It is used extensively because it is cheap but there are disadvantages.

Heating by convection is:

• not very practical: furniture positioning is restricted.
• not very nice to look at: radiators,even designer ones, are rarely aesthetically pleasing.
• not very comfortable: uneven temperatures from one place to another in a room.
• not very economical: if you want 20 - 21 deg in the living room this means 23 -24 deg at ceiling level which is doing no good at all and is expensive.
• not very healthy: not to mention the temperature at ground level which is closer to 16 deg.

Radiation: this is an area heating system which uses a large distributor of low heat (heated floor).

This distributor heats the material (like a wall warmed by the sun), instead of heating the air. A heated floor will be 24 deg C on the surface for an ambient temperature of 20 - 21 deg C.

More and more often people in individual accommodation, are coming to realise that low temperature radiated heat does not have any of the disadvantages of convected heat and also does some good because:

• Its gentle heat because the source of heat is at a temperature close to the required one which eliminates sensations of hot and cold which often comes from a heat source with too high a temperature.
• Its healthy heat by preventing the air from drying out, humidity is controlled.
• Its clean heat since the hot air currents that lift up the dust do not exist with low temperature radiation and so no more marks on walls or ceilings.
• Its even heat wherever you are in the room, from the floor to the ceiling it gives you a feeling of comfort all the time... Even if you've got bare feet!
• Its practical heat because your floor dries almost instantly after you have cleaned it.
  

This is why more and more homes use this solution and there are few people who, having tasted the pleasure of a heated floor, would not put the same system in their new house.

Another huge advantage, is the extremely frugal running cost. When coupled with heat pump technology, running cost's can be as low as 25% of that for fossil fuels.

Examples of under floor heating pipes, fitted prior to the cement screed being laid. We work in close cooperation with Encompas, who's under floor system, we feel, is the best available in the UK. For further information on recommended floor constructions and permissible Floor coverings etc. Log on to www.encompas.co.uk.