Electric underfloor heating is particularly popular in small spaces such as bathrooms. Goes without saying that the warmth underfloor heating produces and emits from the ground up to the surface of the floor increases comfort levels, specifically during the chillier months of the year. Bathrooms are also most commonly covered with tiles that as soon as the winter arrives feel plain and cold. There is no question that warmth up from the floor wasn’t luxuriously pleasant during those months.
Understandably one of the questions people have regarding electric underfloor heating in a bathroom is whether the system is safe taking into account the fact that water and electricity are a dangerous combination.
The simple answer is yes, electric underfloor heating is a very safe form of heating. This article expands on why and discusses the regulations of electric systems at home and the lifetime warranties Warmup underfloor heating is guaranteed with.
IS IT POSSIBLE TO GET AN ELECTRIC SHOCK FROM ELECTRIC UNDERFLOOR HEATING?
Worries about the chance of an electric shock?We explain next why this is almost an impossibility. The wires have gone through a rigorous R&D process and we end up with a truly safe product. Moreover, every heater is individually tested at 5000 volts before it is shipped. When it comes to the design of the electric heating cable, the wires are surrounded by a sheath, which will redirect any current leakage away from the floor finish and therefore the user. The heating cable is BEAB approved meeting the highest safety standards and furthermore, it is very quick and easy to install. The Warmup wire is the thinnest dual-fluoropolymer coated multi-strand heating wire on the market with a heating cable that is only 1.8mm in diameter, so it will not raise the floor levels.
Warmup heating cable has four different layers. The two internal wires are twin conductors which means that the magnetic fields cancel out reducing interference and potential for induced currents in other household electricals. The second layer is for the inner insulation of the wires made of advanced fluoropolymer. Third layer is covered with Earth Braid. The Warmup Earth Braid is a copper sleeve that makes the wire flexible and more durable. Earth Braid has a higher conductivity rating than conductor wires in the case of a short circuit. This means that the power will be safely conducted down the sleeve, rather than just blowing up or shocking any item (such as a drill, in case someone for example drilled through the floor) that has pierced it. The outest layer of the cable is again advanced fluoropolymer making sure that the cable is extremely safely insulated.
When installing underfloor heating, RCD should be used to ensure that the system is working properly. RCD (stands for Residual Current Device) is nowadays a requirement by the British Standards Regulatory Guidelines for installing electric underfloor heating (more information regarding this later on in the article). RCD is a device that ensures the system is working without any errors by testing if there is any imbalance in the flow of the current in the wire. If there is, the device will shut down the current flow preventing any chance of an electric shock. In short, RCD ensures the system will cut off if there were any breakages or anomalies.
HAVE THE WIRES BEEN TESTED?
The wires in the Warmup electric underfloor heating systems are designed to conform with electrical regulations not only in the United Kingdom, but also in Europe and the rest of the world. Subsequently, the Warmup underfloor heating has numerous test certificates from electrical test houses from around the world. Warmup holds test certificates for: BEAB, VDE, FIMKO, UL, CSA and ETL.
So what does the testing process entail? The test houses submit the heating system to numerous tests, where the product is tested for its operating and physical features. This is to ensure that the product is physically durable, electrically safe and operates as designed.
THE BRITISH STANDARDS REGULATORY GUIDELINES
As mentioned earlier, all Warmup products are designed to comply with The British Standards Regulatory Guidelines for Installation of Electrical underfloor heating (Article BS7671, Section 753). Warmup provides comprehensive and detailed manuals that ensure the correct installation to these guidelines.
BEST HEATING SYSTEM FOR AN ALLERGY SUFFERER
A further safety bonus of electric underfloor heating is that the heat radiating from the floor does not only increase comfort levels but also ensures an improved air condition in a room as opposed to other heating systems. Being predominantly radiant heat the underfloor heating heats “bodies” within a room rather than the air, keeping the air fresh whilst warming you up. Other conventional heating systems heat the air around the heater leaving cold spots in other parts of the room. This is because conventional heating needs conduction and convection for the heat to circulate thoroughly throughout the room. Circulation of air does however increase the movement of dust which can cause breathing problems in allergy sufferers. Conventional heating reduces also the humidity of the room, making the air dry and uncomfortable. Underfloor heating is therefore a highly recommended heating system for allergy sufferers.
On a final note and to summarise it all, the Warmup underfloor heating systems are designed to be very safe. The Warmup installation manuals ensure a guideline for a safe, best-practices installation and use of safety equipment. All systems need to be tested after installation by a certified Part P electrician to ensure guidelines have been adhered to and that the underfloor heating works flawlessly for years and years to come.
