Underfloor heating systems are suitable for dry construction and heat pumps
Underfloor-heating specialist Timoleon has developed two products in response to the increased use of timber and other dry construction methods and the growing popularity of low-energy systems served by heat pumps. They are designed to integrate with a timber building to provide the same performance that can be expected from screeded systems but at lower water temperatures.
A study for Timoleon by BSRIA shows that a really good underfloor system can deliver the same output for water up to 10 K cooler, representing a 20% improvement in COP for most heat pumps.
The Toron flooring system (illustrated) combines a floor deck with an underfloor heating system in a single, structurally loaded entity.
FoilBoard SRB screed replacement board comprises high-efficiency insulation with a layer of aluminium bonded to the upper surface into which preformed channels can accept 15 mm polybutylene heating pipe. The system is then topped with a floating floor of screedboard.
When required, pipework centres can be closer than the standard 200 mm to maximise the efficiency of the heat pump.
