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Technician

—Fittings and installations

Underfloor heating electrics

Electric underfloor heating is a heating load, not just another circuit. It needs its own supply and the right controls.

Electric underfloor heating draws a steady load while it runs, usually on its own circuit from the distribution board. The thermostat reads a floor sensor, switches the heating on and off, and protects the floor from getting too hot. Both the circuit and the controls have to be planned before the floor is laid.

Installation guides cover what a fitting or appliance needs from the electrics before it goes on the wall or ceiling.

The electrical side has to be in place before the screed or the boards go down, because the sensor and the cold tail run into the floor. Getting the circuit, the thermostat position and the sensor route right first avoids opening the finished floor again.

01In short

The points that matter most

  • A dedicated circuit

    The heating usually runs on its own circuit, sized to the load.

  • The thermostat and sensor

    A floor sensor tells the thermostat when to switch, and protects the floor.

  • Before the floor closes

    The sensor and the cable tail go in before the screed or boards.

02Detail

What the installation involves

  • The supply

    A circuit run from the board to the thermostat position, sized to the heating load.

  • The controls

    A thermostat with a floor sensor, positioned where it can be reached.

  • The heating mat or cable

    Laid into the floor, with its cold tail brought up to the thermostat.

03Checklist

Before laying the floor

  • Know the heating load

    The area and the output decide the circuit and the controls.

  • Fix the thermostat position

    Where the thermostat goes, and how the sensor reaches it.

  • Plan the circuit

    Whether the board has a spare way and the capacity for the load.

—In practice

Putting it into practice

Plan the circuit, the thermostat position and the sensor route before the floor is laid, because the sensor and the cold tail run into the floor itself. Size the circuit to the heating load and confirm the board has the capacity. Once the floor is finished, reaching the electrics means opening it again.

Common mistakes

Laying the floor first
The sensor and cable tail sit in the floor. Laying the floor before the electrics are in means opening it again.
Sharing the heating circuit
Underfloor heating is a steady load and should have its own circuit, not share one with sockets or appliances.

04Questions

Questions people ask

Does underfloor heating need its own circuit?
Almost always, because it is a steady heating load. Sharing a circuit risks overload and nuisance tripping.
What does the floor sensor do?
It reads the floor temperature so the thermostat can switch the heating and stop the floor overheating.
Why must the electrics go in before the floor?
The sensor and the cable tail sit in the floor itself. Once it is laid and finished, reaching them means opening the floor again.

05Related

Related guides

This guide sits under installation. All topics are on the guides page.

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Planning underfloor heating?

Tell us the room and the floor area. We will plan the circuit and the controls before the floor goes down.

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