Why Does The Cost Of Underfloor Heating Vary Between Suppliers?
If you’re comparing quotes for the average cost of underfloor heating then you’ll notice that quotes can vary greatly between suppliers. The reason for this is that not all heating systems are created equal. There are different ways that suppliers can reduce the cost of their underfloor heating quotes in order to make themselves more competitive. The problem with this is that a cheap quote is likely to mask future problems, including higher heating bills and the reduced lifetime of your system. In order to ensure you’re choosing the right supplier for you when comparing the cost of underfloor heating, it’s important to be aware of the main factors suppliers can use to cut corners. These include the following issues:
The Heat Pump Is Undersized
It’s essential that the heat pump installed is manufactured by a reputable supplier and is designed to suit the climatic conditions prevailing in Ireland. Unfortunately, all too often suppliers will cut corners by supplying an undersized pump for your property. This enables them to to reduce the cost of underfloor heating in their quote, but will cause massive expense to the homeowner in the future. The main problem with an undersized heat pump is that it will struggle to heat your property to the required temperature, burning lots of excess fuel to do so, and consequently sending your heating bills skyrocketing. The lifetime of the heat pump will also be significantly reduced due to the excess stress the components are placed under in order to account for its smaller size.
The Quality & Layout Of The Pipes Is Poor
Another key factor to look out for when comparing the cost of underfloor heating from suppliers is the quality and layout of the pipes. One way in which suppliers can offer a cheaper quote is by using cheap imported pipes and/or reducing the quantity of the pipe that is buried in your concrete floor. When installing underfloor heating, it’s crucial that the spacing of the pipe is carefully planned so that enough low temperature water runs through each room to reach the desired heat output. If the pipe spacing is increased, with the quantity of pipe decreased, the heat output will be too low in each room, resulting in the system having to work harder. These problems will be highly disruptive and expensive to fix due to the fact that the piping is buried in the floor of your property and therefore inaccessible.
Pipelife is the only underfloor heating provider in Ireland to manufacture its own pipe here on home turf. Our Guaranteed Irish “Qual-PEX” pipe is Ireland’s leading heating pipe and has been manufactured in Cork for the past 30 years. The pipework we use in our systems always comes with a 50 year guarantee.
Undersized Radiators
It’s not just an undersized heat pump that can reduce the cost of underfloor heating that suppliers can advertise, undersized radiators are also a common method used by suppliers to cut corners. The problem with undersized radiators is that they put a huge strain on your heat pump to overcompensate for the size of the radiators, which is incredibly costly. The radiators will need to be heated to a much higher temperature in order to achieve the same desired heat output of a properly sized radiator. An incomplete heat distribution system like undersized radiators, completely undermines the benefits and savings that should come with installing underfloor heating in your home.
Reduced Control Of Your System
A well designed heating system should give you the maximum level of control to vary how you would like to heat each room of your house. So, when comparing underfloor heating quotes, make sure to look out for the amount and arrangement of thermostats the provider is proposing to install. It’s important that there are thermostats in every room, enabling you to control the temperature of your house zone by zone, and therefore cost-efficiently. Some suppliers may try to reduce the cost of underfloor heating that they offer by reducing the number of thermostats supplied. Having only one thermostat per floor will result in some rooms overheating, with comfort levels reduced and your system having to work harder.
At Pipelife, using our 50 years of experience, our experienced engineering team designs every home heating solution in-house to ensure it suits the individual requirements of the property perfectly. All our heating solutions come with full design indemnity insurance, so you can be safe in the knowledge that you can rely on your heating system for decades, with the continued support of the Pipelife team.
To hear more about Pipelife’s underfloor heating solutions, please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.