ECN Forum Forums General Topics of the Trade Non-US Electrical Systems & Trades Power Boost to Floor Heating

Thanks alan. Trumpy, Those photos reminded me of back in the mid seventies when I did a similar floor heating installation, one of the first of its type, and the element was copper sheathed,similar to Pyrotenax cabling.
I remember that it worked well but for how long I do not know as I went abroad not long after.

James,
Where are you in New Zealand?.
I hope you aren't from Canterbury, like Kiwi and PaulusGnome and myself.
Be nice to have a North Island perspective on things here.
As long as it isn't Auckland!. Grrr
Believe me mate, there is more than enough collective wisdom to solve the toughest of dilemma's here.
Keep coming back, we like that.

I can't say I've ever installed one of these heating systems, but as I work on new builds only rarely, that's not surprising.

Underfloor heating was popular in the U.K. for a time in the late 1960s/early 1970s, but fell out of favor.

When used with solid concrete floors, it also suffers from the same sort of problem as storage heaters -- Difficult to predict temperature and to control. That's a big point in the English climate where day-to-day weather can be very unpredictable.

Trumpy.... From the good old Bay of Plenty. born in Rotorua and now living in Tauranga, Semi Retired I like to call myself these days.I agree re Auckland but I must admit I got a really good apprenticeship with an all round Electrical Engineering firm in Parnell. Believe it or not Auckland still had DC power generated from Kings Wharf in those ancient days. ( You should have seen the arcing and carry on with the clapper typ contactors in the Lift rooms ! No heating needed !
Kiwi2

Thanks for that James,
So you're in Winston country?
BTW, that Pyro heating element wouldn't have lasted long being buried in concrete.
I'd be even more worried about lightning with a thing like that under the floor, especially considering that the power would have come in by Overhead reticulation back then.
The underfloor heating system would have just about made the ideal Earth mat.