Loading...
Loading...

Hydronic Slab Heating

Hydronic Slab heating turns your whole floor into a radiant heater producing that amazingly comfortable warm home that hydronic floor heating is known for. Hydronic slab heating is an ideal heating solution for large open living areas such as kitchens, living and dining areas as well as bathrooms that have a concrete slab beneath them.

download guide

What is Hydronic Slab Heating?

Hydronic slab heating is the standard installation method of hydronic in-floor heating.

It is where the pipes that carry the heated water are laid before the structural slab is poured. The pipes are laid 200mm apart in a snake-like pattern to and from the manifold in 100m lengths. Each circuit covers around 20 square metres of floor space.

Our multi-layered specialist pex-b and are tied directly to the reinforcement mesh (reo) and then the slab is poured directly over the top encompassing the pipe.

When in operation the floor heating thermostat will call for hot water from the boiler. A hydronic heating boiler will heat the water and pump it through the pipe at 50°C transferring its heat into the concrete slab, this heat then radiates through the home similar to how a brick wall radiates heat after the sun goes down on a summers day.

There is no air being pushed around which means that dust isn’t moving around your home, and gives allergy sufferers a huge relief.

Hydronic Slab Heating Diagram

How does Hydronic Panel Heating Work?

Related Information

Ready to get started?

We pride ourselves on providing a quote no matter what size, stage or status of the project. Whether you are close to construction, or just budgeting your next project we can offer you an accurate, no-obligation quote. Each quote is designed to give you the best price and a selection of optional upgrades to suit your preferences.

GET A QUOTE

How long does it take to heat up?

In-slab heating is designed to keep your home comfortable right throughout the cold months of the year. It is a set-and-forget system, in that it is turned on at the start of the cold season and off at the end.

If you require more control and efficiency of your in-floor heating then an in screed hydronic heating system is the way to go.

If you consider your slab is a battery that needs to charge up with heat energy, it initially takes most of a day to become 100% full and able to keep your home at a comfortable temperature. Then it is only topping up the heat energy in your slab as it only has to maintain the temperature and therefore uses far less energy which is how it is extremely efficient to run.

What control and zoning are available?

Standard Single Zone

Most slab heating systems only have 1 thermostatically controlled zone and can still be set up so that bedrooms don’t heat as much as living spaces. This is because a slab heating system is made up of circuits of pipe each covering around 20sqm connected to a manifold with balancing valves.

When we install the pipework bedrooms are generally kept on separate circuits to the main living areas. This enables the balancing of a system when it is commission so that bedrooms don’t heat as much as living spaces.

Multiple Control Zones – Actuator Heads

For a home to consider multiple thermostat controlled zones with in-slab heating, each space must be thermally broken. We then install the pipework to suit and actuator heads to each circuit of pipe at the manifold.

These are wired to an actuator control box as well as the additional thermostats. This way if you select the desired temperature on a second thermostat, that thermostat communicates to the control box to turn on the boiler and open only it’s circuit(s) of in-slab heating.

How is Hydronic Slab Heating Installed?

In slab heating is designed to keep your home comfortable right through out the cold months of the year. It is a set and forget system, in that it is turned on at the start of the cold season and off at the end.

If you require more control and efficiency of your in floor heating then an in screed hydronic heating system is the way to go.

If you consider your slab is a battery that needs to be charge up with heat energy, it initially takes most of a day to become 100% full and able to keep your home at a comfortable temperature. Then it is only topping up the heat energy in your slab as it only has to maintain the temperature and therefore uses far less energy which is how it is extremely efficient to run.

slab heating diagram

Can it leak inside the concrete? NO

The pipe in the slab is encased in concrete which acts as extremely effective protection from puncture. A 2013 study has also shown that PVC pipe is expected to last in excess of 100 years.

The pipe is run in continuous circuits back to the manifold that is outside of the slab which means there are no connections within the concrete. Once the pipe is laid our technician will pressurise it to 10 bar to check for any leaks and to make a puncture during concrete pouring highly visible so that if it should be punctured it will be replaced.

The operating pressure is only 1 bar, so we are testing the pipe at 10 times its running pressure.

Recommended Floor Coverings

The most suitable floor finishes for in-slab heating are polished concrete or tiles. This is because they are all great conductors of the heat energy created from the hot water in the hydronic heating system.

Engineered floorboards and carpet are also suitable but while the room will warm up, it won’t feel as warm underfoot.

We do not recommend natural timbers or glued flooring as the heat from the heated slab can effects them.

Sign up to Newsletter

Our Newsletters help you keep up to date with the latest hydronic
products, services and featured projects once a month.

Learn about Hydronic Heating

VIEW ALL ARTICLES & QUESTIONS

Get A Quote

We aim to get your quote back to you as quickly and accurately as possible. If your request is urgent it is best to call the office.

*Trouble Uploading Plans? – Send the request and an automated email will give you an email address to send them to.

Accepted file types: pdf, Max. file size: 500 MB.