Radiator vs UFH vs Kick Plate Heater

Discussion in 'Plumbers' Talk' started by Robot Enthusiast, Feb 22, 2021.

  1. Robot Enthusiast

    Robot Enthusiast Active Member

    Hi All

    My kitchen is unheated at present and I would like to provide some heating to take the edge off the cold in there. Mornings are pretty fresh. I believe I have some options but need a steer on the optimum and the pros and cons. Just for info I currently I have a 15kw boiler serving 7 rads (some smaller than others) and supporting a unvented cylinder system. So:

    1. Electric UF heating (150W/m2) controlled locally in the kitchen via a dedicated electric circuit.
    2. Additional small radiator added to Heating system.
    3. Electric kick panel heater mounted underneath kitchen cupboards (I believe these also come in a wet version so could be like a very small radiator).

    Please let me know the advantages and costs benefits of any of these.

    Thanks in advance.
     
  2. kiaora

    kiaora Guest

    Hi
    If you have a spare bit of wall the extra radiator seems ok ,
    If you have a kick space heater, they need a 22mm flow and return supply, not 15mm tapped off the heating circuit.

    Electric ufh?.. your call, with good temperature control it’s fine, that’s floor temp control , not just room temperature control, if not installed properly, floor too hot , !
    Good luck
    Peter
     
    Robot Enthusiast likes this.
  3. Robot Enthusiast

    Robot Enthusiast Active Member

    Thanks Kiaora. The kick space heater seems a faf with needing a 22mm pipe combo plus i guess it could be noisy too. Is the electrical option not good?
    Do you have a recommendation of any UFH manufacturers for a kitchen floor?

    Thanks
     
  4. BillyBobToo

    BillyBobToo Active Member

    Electric ufh mat will cost a lot to run compared to using the wet system.
     
  5. Txm0984

    Txm0984 Member

    Extra rad seems easiest and best option for me. Make sure you size it correctly using the online BTU calcs.

    underfloor is good but adds another layer of thinking and cost as it heats up slower and may not be suitable for your current flooring
     
  6. Robot Enthusiast

    Robot Enthusiast Active Member

    I thought about this. Electricity is much more expensive that gas fired heated. But maybe it will give better control?
     
  7. Robot Enthusiast

    Robot Enthusiast Active Member

    Estimated required BTU = 4600.
    Would my 15kW boiler handle this do you think?

    Point taken on UFH. My aim was to put in a power supply now and when we redo the kitchen (1 year maybe) rip up all the tiles and see if they filled in the floor void with concrete (sometimes happens) and then choose new tiles suitable for UFH.
     
  8. DIYDave.

    DIYDave. Screwfix Select

    We’ve got a Smiths plinth heater, plumbed into the rads with a twin speed electric fan to help push out the heat when needed

    Speed 1 is silent - even though the heater must be 12 years old. Speed 2 you can hear, but not so much if you have music or tv on in kitchen

    We got rid of wall rad when we had kitchen ripped out 12 years ago as could put the wall space to better use - hence went with a plinth heater

    Not sure if it’s plumbed with 22 or 15mm pipe but works well and we made the right decision going this way

    Don’t need the kitchen as hot as other rooms but we find when the weather is cold, and if we have doors to kitchen open with plinth rad off, it seems to suck the heat from other adjoining rooms (could be in our minds though o_O)

    So tend to keep it on fan speed 1 and heat selection (you can have the fan blowing minus the heating, say in the summer) Unit has a thermostat built in so switches on and off with the central heating (or perhaps a flow switch ?)

    Never need it on speed 2, regardless of the extra fan noise

    Guess your above considerations also depend on the amount of work and destruction your prepared to go with as to what method you decide on - plus having the wall space for a radiator

    Good luck with your decision
     
    Robot Enthusiast likes this.
  9. Robot Enthusiast

    Robot Enthusiast Active Member

    Thanks Dave. I take your point on the kitchen being cold and sucking heat from the neighbouring dining room - its not in your mind! :)
    My other half is more against a radiator as it takes up wall space as you note.
    Do you find that the kick space heater heats the cupboard/storage space above it? Just conscious of food items perishing due to heat.

    The kitchen will be totally ripped out in a years time and refitted. I just wanted to try and build the infrastructure in now if possible. Hence getting a 16A electrical circuit in on the wall ready for the eUFH may be easier that getting 2no. capped 22mm heating system pipes ready for the kitchen re-fit.
     
  10. Nis999

    Nis999 Member

    Like DIYDave we have a Smiths plinth heater, piped in 15mm and never need to put it on the high setting. The cupboard above is a little warmer than the others but not a lot, so we use it for tins, pasta & dry stuff. I also wired it through a wall mounted roomstat, so if the kitchen gets hot from cooking, the Smiths goes off thru the stat and the room doesnt get too hot.
     
  11. Robot Enthusiast

    Robot Enthusiast Active Member

    Thanks Nis, and thanks to everyone else for the help. i think i am going to go forward with the UFH. It is the more expensive option, but she who must be obeyed has a preference too - and after some discussion rads and plate heaters are out.

    Thanks to all.
     
  12. Teki

    Teki Screwfix Select

  13. Robot Enthusiast

    Robot Enthusiast Active Member

  14. Teki

    Teki Screwfix Select

    In which case, a plinth heater may do the job but it depends whether you have a tiled floor and if it's very cold?

    As a quick test, you can try placing a fan heater at the position you are considering installing the plinth heater and see if it adequately heats the kitchen.

    Using a wet heating system will be more efficient than electric though.
     
    Robot Enthusiast likes this.
  15. Robot Enthusiast

    Robot Enthusiast Active Member

    Hi teki, I will try that this weekend. I do have a cold tiled floor which I believe is filled with concrete and not with a void like the other rooms. Thanks
     

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