Radiating floor

Example for a newly built single-family home of 120 m2 in Barcelona

Below, we present a study of the consumption of the radiant foil system for a newly built 120 m2 single-family home in Barcelona, prepared by Cecather technicians. 

• Studio power: 4.8 Kw
• Total power to hire: 6.9 Kw
• Heating use: 704 hours/year
• Estimated consumption of the radiant sheet: 3,377.66 kWh/year

The installation of Cecather® underfloor heating (TDH Hourly Discrimination Rate. Rate of: €0.14583/kw) would result in an expense of €492.50 /year. In other words… 2.74 euros per day. (Note.- This study has been carried out considering the worst external thermal and operating circumstances).

Example for a 70m2 flat in Barcelona

This study has been carried out considering poor insulation and an outside temperature of 1ºC. These results are considered when all heating is running during the six winter months (180 days). Heating operation at 21ºC is also considered, remembering that each degree that drops below 21ºC reduces consumption by 7%.

• Studio power: 5.6 Kw
• Total power to hire: 6.9 Kw
• Heating use: 704 hours/year
• Estimated consumption of the radiant sheet: 3,940.61 kWh/year

Installation of Cecather® underfloor heating (TDH Hourly Discrimination Rate. Rate: €0.14583/kw) the result is an expense of €574.58 /year. In other words, 3.19 euros per day.

Under normal winter and operating conditions we can consider a saving in consumption between 20/25 % on what is written.

Shall we carry out a consumption study of your electric underfloor heating project without obligation?

2 very different ways of transmitting heat

How do they work?

Convection and radiant heating procedures encompass two completely different physical processes.

Convection heating heats only the air in the room in question, while radiant heating heats interior walls and objects inside the room, as well as people.

Therefore, in convection heating, the operating principle of thermodynamics comes into play. On the contrary, in radiant heat the theory of quantum mechanics is used.

Heat radiation offers a much more comfortable indoor climate than that generated by a convection heating system. Radiant heating does not develop air circulation and the air in the room does not dry out.

In addition, with radiant heating, mold will not form, which only occurs due to condensation with cooling air. For this reason, this heating system is especially suitable for allergy sufferers.

Cecather underfloor heating

The methods of radiant heat are known to us on a day-to-day basis thanks to the radiation of the sun, which heats the objects on which it falls. At home we can benefit from this method through our Cecather system and generate continued comfortable temperatures by radiant heat. Since in our case, only solid objects and people are heated. Thus, the air temperature in the room can be kept cool, which will be much more comfortable than when using convection heating.

The infrared rays used in radiant heating are electromagnetic waves. The wavelength used in our heating is in a range of 2 to 50 µm, totally innocuous values.

With the use of an efficient radiant heating system such as the Cecather system, energy can be saved in many ways. Since the air is not heated, but the objects in a room, little energy is consumed, with a necessary air exchange in hygienic terms. Convection heating, on the other hand, must heat all the air in the room to be able to reach the desired temperature again.

Here a significant percentage of the air will move, causing a constant lifting of dust particles. These stick to the mucous membranes, which is a major disadvantage especially for allergy sufferers and asthmatics and speaks against the use of convection heating.

The reduced air renewal rate caused by the calm air of Cecather radiant heat is not only allergy friendly, but is concerned with saving energy. To heat the air, traditional convection heating and a temperature difference between the air in the room and the radiator are necessary.

A radiant heating system, on the other hand, follows Stefan Boltzmann's law and behaves proportionally to the fourth power with respect to the absolute temperature.

Contrary to what happens with convection heating, Cecather radiant heating also has the advantage that it guarantees a homogeneous heat distribution and leaves no colder zone, as is the case with traditional radiators.

If you need information about electric underfloor heating, we will be happy to answer you. We are specialists.

Sometimes, our clients, and in the case of reform works, ask us how thick our heating system reaches, since this type of project is conditioned and limited, to a large extent, to the current heights of the house.

In the sections that we accompany you, the two installation models of the system are detailed, whether it is a “cold” final floor (porcelain, stoneware, marble, etc.) or a laminate floor, parquet, wood, vinyl, etc. .

Cold tile floors, porcelain, stoneware, ceramic, etc.

• Heating system thickness = 2.07 cm
• G-600 polyethylene cloth (0.30 mm)
• Radiant foil (0.40 mm)
• Extruded rigid insulation (20 mm)
• (Possibility, if there is a height limitation, of installing a 6 mm extruded insulation with which the heating system would occupy 0.67 cm)

Examples of installation and total thicknesses

• Ceramic (8 mm) + dry screed (20 mm) + polyethylene (0.30 mm) + radiant foil (0.40 mm) + insulation (20 mm) = 4.87 cm
• Ceramic (8 mm) + dry screed (20 mm) + polyethylene (0.30 mm) + radiant foil (0.40 mm) + insulation (6 mm) = 3.47 cm
• (If self-leveling is installed instead of dry screed, 1 cm must be added to the previous thicknesses)

Wood, laminate, vinyl floors

• Heating system thickness = 0.67 cm
• Double G-600 polyethylene cloth (0.30 mm)
• Radiant foil (0.40 mm)
• Extruded rigid insulation (6 mm)

Examples of installation and total thicknesses

• Laminate (8 mm) + polyethylene (0.30 mm) + radiant foil (0.40 mm) + insulation (6 mm) = 1.47 cm
• Laminate (8 mm) + polyethylene (0.30 mm) + radiant foil (0.40 mm) + insulation (20 mm) = 2.87 cm

In this last option we want to make special mention of the design of the heating installation, occupying thicknesses of 1.87 cm and even less than this value, depending on the thickness of the laminate. As well as special mention to the speed and cleanliness of the installation.

If you need information about electric underfloor heating, we will be happy to answer you. We are specialists.

Temperature control in a heating system is one of the most important sections for said system to be as energy efficient as possible, basing its operation on intelligent thermal regulation. First of all, we must clearly define how we can manage our heating system. For this we have some small devices called thermostats whose basic function is to keep the system on only when it is really necessary, depending on the ambient temperature.

These devices affect two key temperatures:

• inertia temperature: minimum temperature in the house.
• Comfort temperature: the one that the home must reach so that its inhabitants are comfortable.

In this article we will analyze the options available in the market…

types of thermostats

analog thermostats

These manual wheel thermostats turn the heating on and off to keep the set temperature constant. Its temperature reading is unreliable and it has been some time since they have fallen out of use in the market.

digital thermostats

They are more efficient and precise than the previous ones. They have a digital LCD liquid crystal display where we can see the temperature of the room and the temperature that we really want.

programmable thermostats

Also called chronothermostats. They are smart, digital and programmable thermostats. With them you can program the heating on and off throughout the week with multiple time slots, at the time you want, reducing consumption and avoiding energy waste.

Smart timer thermostats with Wi-Fi

We arrive at star in thermal regulation. With its technology they can turn on, turn off, manage and program the heating remotely through a Smartphone or tablet.

They have a built-in sensor that controls the temperature of the pavement so that it does not exceed the established limits. They are convenient to program, with precise and accurate thermal reading reliability in real time. They have a backlit screen and time reserve in the event of a specific power outage.

Being its individual installation in each heated area, this allows us perfect control of our radiant heating, which results in a high energy efficiency of the heating system.

The feet is the point of the human body where there are more nerve endings and with it, it is the area that is most sensitive to cold. Hence, our underfloor heating transmits heat to them that gives us a pleasant sensation of comfort to the rest of the body.

Our radiant foil heating system creates hardly any air movement. Other convection systems do generate it by making dust and bacteria always in suspension, therefore, the system is highly recommended for hospitals, nurseries or geriatric residences.

Through a intelligent management through Wi-Fi chronothermostats allows you to adjust the room temperature and reduce energy consumption at the same time; In this way, air conditioning requires low supply temperatures and, therefore, the energy consumption of our system is much lower compared to other systems.

It's the only one heating system recommended by the World Health Organization, since it takes into account the absence of visible objects or pipes that could cause burns, as well as less environmental dryness.

Being installed underground we forget to place elements on the walls such as radiators or convectors. The living space is thus completely free and clear, leaving complete freedom for interior design.

Unlike the system with hot water, our radiant system would occupy a thickness of 0.67 cm, ideal in the case of reforms. Our system even allows a dry installation, without works, under a laminate floor and on top of an existing floor.

It is one of the preferred systems and mostly installed by our cold Nordic neighbors such as Sweden or Denmark.

As you have seen, information is essential. Therefore, when choosing a heating system for our home, it is advisable to let yourself be advised by experts in air conditioning, who will know how to assess the technical requirements of your home to achieve the greatest comfort with the minimum expense.

If you need information about electric radiant film, we will be happy to answer you. We are specialists.

the roman hypocaust

Back in the time of the Roman Empire, a certain Cayo Sergio Orata, an engineer by profession and a chilly nature, had the great idea, in order to combat the cool Roman nights, to invent a system called Hypocaust.

This consisted of an oven outside the building which, once the wood was lit, the hot air produced was carried through pipes located under the ground. A great invention that made dispense with the rudimentary fireplace to use, at least for the wealthier population.

I don't know if the engineer was flattered by his fellow citizens for such an idea, although it was the least he deserved. I already have my doubts with the person in charge of having the oven at full capacity... My imagination makes me think of an unhappy slave of the time whose mission would be none other than to be able to control the fire in such a way that the temperature of the hot air did not exceed some limits. It would be, to put it in some way, a human thermostat always with the anguish of not roasting the patrician on duty, who could send him, without thinking twice, to the Roman circus as food for the animals that lived there. It was another era.

The Castilian Glory

After some time, let's talk about centuries, a Spaniard of Castilian origin (we Spaniards have always proven to be great inventors), further developed the invention of our friend Cayo, achieving a heating system based on the same physical principles, giving rise to the glory.

And what did the Glory consist of? Well, this was based on a home where firewood or straw was burned. This hot air from the combustion was passed under the flooring of the house through ducts, producing a pleasant sensation of heat, that is, they were in heaven (allow me the easy joke…)

Such was the success of the system that it is still used in some Castilian ancestral homes today.

From that moment until today, the relentless technology would develop a thousand and one ways to warm us. That sarmiento used in the home became gaseous or electric fuel but like everything in this life, the good things endure and in this case, the idea of how to warm ourselves in the best possible way that the Roman Cayo bequeathed to us, returned to its rights.

Cecather underfloor heating

And here we have the "Radiant Floor". At this point, few explanations should be given to describe what this system consists of.

The idea of that simple hypocaust and our Castilian Glory gave rise to a invisible and clean heating, since we will no longer need any oven or home. That heat derived from the embers will now be provided by our ally the sun, which will provide us with sufficient, ecological and clean energy to have our comfortable homes.

For the memory remains that self-sacrificing slave. We have replaced it with a simple device that will control the temperature of each room, even if we are far from our home.

Finally, I can only thank those heroes who, through their ingenuity and ability, made it possible to currently enjoy healthy heating, although with a modern and high-tech profile, with many years of history.

If you need information about electric underfloor heating, we will be happy to answer you. We are specialists.