The Expert Specification Guide To Floor And Air Temperature Sensors
Floor sensors are required for:
• All Bathrooms
For rooms that are not bathrooms:
Floor sensors are required to be installed for rooms with the following floor finishes:
• Natural wood
• Luxury vinyl tiles (LVT), such as Karndean and Amtico
• Vinyl
Floor Sensors are not required to be installed for rooms with the following floor finishes:
• Tiles
• Carpet
Why are floor sensors installed in all bathrooms, instead of thermostat controls?
Floor sensors provide an alternative way to measure the temperature of a room when it’s not suitable to install thermostatic controls, such as within a bathroom.
Thermostat controls are not typically installed in bathrooms as most are not IP rated and, as they measure air temperature only, the readings may be inaccurate due to spikes and inconsistencies in the air temperature created by steam from hot showers and baths.
For those reasons, in a bathroom setting, a floor sensor should be installed as close to the floor surface as possible to get the most accurate floor surface temperature reading. It’s then connected to the thermostat to ensure the room temperature is more precisely measured. Using this setup can also accurately maintain a standard CIBSE bathroom UFH Design Temperature of 22°C measuring via the floor temperature, ranging between 30-33°C.
Why are floor sensors installed in rooms with natural wood, LVT or vinyl?
When installing underfloor heating with these more sensitive floor finishes, floor sensors are installed to protect the finish by preventing the floor temperature exceeding 27°C. This can be set as the upper limit to eliminate the risk of any potential long-term damage to floor finish.
Why are floor sensors not installed in rooms with tiles or carpet?
Floor sensors are not required when underfloor heating is installed beneath tiles and carpet, as these finishes are more durable and do not require protection from potential overheating above the water temperature a UFH system may achieve.
When should thermostat controls or air sensors be installed?
In any room other than a bathroom, standard thermostat controls alone are designed to accurately measure the air temperature and can be relied upon to maintain the desired room temperature. When thermostat controls are in place in a room, an air sensor is not required.
Air sensors are typically installed for aesthetic, logistical or tamper proof reasons and also when the controls are installed in a different zone/room, to the one you would like to measure. In this instance air sensors can be installed in each room to measure the individual air temperatures – then each air sensor should be wired back and set-up accordingly with its thermostat control.
Read our blog about floor coverings and UFH here
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If you would like a quote for an upcoming project please contact Ambiente Systems today on info@ambienteufh.co.uk or call 01707 649 118 to discuss your requirements
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