Electric underfloor heating offers energy-efficient warmth for your home with quick installation times. Because electric systems use mains-connected electricity, it is understandable that you may have some queries about the safety of installing a system as part of your upcoming refurbishment project.
In this guide we’ll review the many ways in which Warmup’s electric floor heaters have been designed with your safety in mind, including:
- The safety of using UFH in a bathroom
- Why there is no risk of shock
- The safety accreditations of our technology
- How floor heaters can help ease allergies
Floor heating is a particularly popular heating method for bathrooms. The radiant warmth produced by floor heaters dramatically increases comfort levels and brings a real sense of luxury to cold tiled bathroom floors after a relaxing shower.
One of the questions people may have regarding installing an electric system in a bathroom is whether the system will be 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 due to Warmup’s state-of-the-art technology which prevents any accidental harm to you before, during or after installation.
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.
Warmup’s floor heating systems are proven to be a safe and clean way to heat your home. Always remember to have your system installed by a fully qualified engineer and tested by a certified Part P electrician.
If you ever have any concerns, please get in touch with our technical team and we’ll be happy to assist. You can also find comprehensive installation guides and simple troubleshooting advice on our Warmup Support website. All Warmup systems are covered by extensive warranties for your peace of mind and include our renowned SafetyNet Installation guarantee, which protects you against any accidental damage to your heater during installation.
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