Devi underfloor heating,

Much is written about conservatories as a whole but not so much about important details like how best to heat them in winter.

It is a fortunate coincidence that the growth market in conservatories is matched by growth in underfloor heating, but not enough differentiation is usually made between electrical and wet underfloor heating systems.

Devi UK is one of the European market leaders in the underfloor heating field. Part of the Danfoss group, it has ISO 9001 accreditation to back its 10-year warranties, reliable systems and wealth of experience.

The Deviflex cabling system

The Deviflex electric cabling system is recommended for conservatory use, as distinct from the alternative Devimat which simply provides a warm floor. Deviflex is in fact, the cheaper of the two and can be strongly competitive with the expense of conventional heating systems, both on initial and running costs, especially in the newbuild applications for which cabling is often suggested.

It is worth pointing out that the benefits of such a system can accrue not only to customers but, alternatively, add value to conservatory suppliers who incorporate underfloor heating in packages offered.

The fact is that heat rises, and cables can be laid so that the entire floor area is warmed. The result is that a temperature of 19 degrees C with this type of system feels as comfortable as 22 degrees C with a conventional wet alternative. Running-cost savings of 15% can be easily achieved. In fact, the warmth for feet and slightly cooler head temperatures feel more comfortable.

There are also numerous but seldom-mentioned advantages of electric over wet heating systems. They are quiet, invisible, there is no need for annual servicing, no dangerous carbon monoxide fumes or carbon dioxide pollutants, and they never leak.

They need less ventilation, cause less airborne dust, keep floors dry, and replacing a control thermostat (every ten years or so) costs far less than replacing a boiler.

Of course, if a conservatory is put in at the same time as a new house is built, electric underfloor heating can be considered for the whole building, although it is more common for a conservatory to be added to an existing home.

A growth market

Suitable quantities of cable, together with the appropriate controls and accessories, can be supplied for one room or zone, such as a conservatory, or indeed for any size of domestic or non-domestic structure.

With so wide a range of potential applications, we believe the current 5% market share for electric underfloor heating could treble within the next five years, provided its good reputation is not tarnished in the meantime by less reputable suppliers.

For conservatories in particular, even more than for most other rooms in a home, one of the biggest advantages of underfloor heating is the lack of space obstruction by radiators, which in any case can be inappropriate against glazed walls, where they would need to be replaced by trench or skirting heat emitters.

Underfloor heating also provides better scope for furnishings and decorating.

The versatility of electric underfloor heating enables its use with any type of floor construction and all types of floor covering. The only proviso is that floorcovering manufacturers might need consulting on the best adhesives to use, while correct installation procedures entail commonsense measures such as damp-proofing floors, and separating cables from insulation materials.

Low maintenance

Although the cabling tends to last the life of the building, if anything does go wrong a repair can be easily made with no more disruption than the width of a floor tile. This, again, is a big advantage over ‘wet' systems and explodes the common misconception that underfloor heating malfunction requires extensive disruption to floors.

Excellent control is something we focus on. The electronic Devireg 550 control combines a room temperature sensor, floor temperature sensor and timer which can be programmed for variable day-to-day requirements. This device is ‘intelligent' in the sense that it can pre-heat a room for the comfort both of people and plants at lower than usual temperatures, saving running costs.

Installation is quick and easy, comparing favourably with the time and work involved in linking with or installing a wet system. The one proviso on this aspect, is that a qualified electrician needs to be used to make the final connections. Full installation instructions are available, as well as any training required.