The water in hydronic underfloor heating is regulated by a thermostat to keep the room at constant temperature. The thermostat is a quintessential component of the hydronics system as it senses the room temperature and regularly maintains it at a set point.

A well designed thermostat is an essential component to a well operating hydronics heating system. The user can set the desired temperature of a room and the thermostat will regulate the valve and heat. This is also known as a feedback system, a self-regulating way for a heating mechanism to be controlled.

Old fashioned techniques used in places such as open fireplaces required the heat source (i.e. the fire) to be manually increased or decreased in size by the user. However, self regulating systems automatically make any adjustments fast.

 

The Wet Back Boiler

The boiler is the main provider of heating in an underfloor heating system. It is important to consider the initial cost, the installation and the outgoing running costs when deciding with a boiler. Wet back boilers are now almost exclusively used for heating water in small to large housing.

The two most common types of boilers are wet and dry back. Wet back boilers have become far more common as they are considerably more efficient and require far less maintenance than a dry back boiler. The term ‘wet back’ is derived from the fact that the reversal chamber of the boiler is surrounded only by water. This means that the maximum amount of heat is conducted by water whereas dry back boilers lose some of its heat to the atmosphere.

 

The Advantages

• More fuel/energy efficient
• Can be efficiently set to a wide range of temperatures
• Requires little maintenance and fees to maintain
• Lasts decades
• Has separate tube sheets between all temperature changes
• Very tolerant of load changes
• Any access door is constructed of durable material
• Access doors require no cool down period so they can be opened at any time
• Efficiency is maintainable because hot gases cannot short circuit in wetback design