Underfloor heating is the perfect match for a development of this calibre, offering invisible warmth and energy efficiency that enhances the clean lines and elegant finishes throughout each home. From the moment you step into the beautifully appointed bathrooms, the attention to detail is evident—warm tiles, contemporary fixtures, and a refined, coastal-inspired aesthetic.

It’s always a pleasure to be part of standout projects that raise the bar in residential construction. Bathers is no exception—delivering a benchmark for design, comfort, and quality living on Sydney’s Northern Beaches.

For more information

Comfort Heat

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After all, home underfloor heating projects can be costly, and depending on the scale and scope, the project may involve significant financial outlay. That means it’s essential to compare several quotes before choosing a company to install your new heated floors. Whether it’s in-slab, in-screed, under-tile or under-carpet with heating, you need to make sure you the quote you choose really is the right one.

The Lowest Quote Isn’t Always the Best

Naturally, we all want the lowest price when shopping around for a quote, but as underfloor heating represents such an important investment in the functionality and comfort of your home, it’s vital to carefully compare each quote and not just go with the lowest. While you may find that the lowest quote is the best choice, you’ll first have to do your research.

Is the Company Reputable?

What’s more important than price? Quality and safety. It really is that simple. Don’t overlook the importance of getting a high-quality electric or hydronic underfloor heating system for your home, as a quality system that’s safe is important for:

• Energy-efficiency and cost-effectiveness
• Your family’s safety and peace of mind
• Your household’s energy consumption
• The value of your property

Therefore, it’s vital to have a reputable company advise you on the available solutions and your options, and supply and install your new heated floors. So, how can you select the right underfloor heating company? Start by doing your research online to find companies that offer underfloor heating solutions in your local area and be sure to read the online reviews.

While they’re not always 100% trustworthy, you’ll get a good idea of which companies have a strong reputation and which don’t. Along with their Google My Business page, also look at Trustpilot and similar review sites. And if you know anyone who’s had heated floors installed, ask them about their experience. Word-of-mouth recommendations are often the best.

Do They Listen to You?

Most of us have experienced pushy sales people, so if you’re to take control and ensure you get the right underfloor heating system for your home, steer clear of anyone who’s pushy or tries to convince you to get a system you aren’t interested in. Only work with a company that puts your best interests first by listening to you and taking the time to explain the pros and cons of the different heated floor solutions as they relate to your situation. While the price may be slightly higher, accessing the right advice that ensures you get the right underfloor heating system for your home can be much more important than the bottom line.

At Comfort Heat, we provide transparent quotes to ensure our customers know exactly what’s involved and provide friendly and experienced advice to help you choose the right heated floors for your home. The team welcomes all enquiries about our market-leading underfloor heating solutions, so when you’re ready to get a quote from a trusted underfloor heating specialist, please contact Comfort Heat on 02 9133 8125.

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Heating and cooling can be 20 to 50 per cent of energy use in Australian homes, depending on your climate zone. Amid rising energy prices and concerns for the planet, there are a growing number of homeowners choosing to live in an off-grid home.

Off-grid houses avoid reliance on traditional utility services. Instead, most use renewable energy sources, such as sun and water, to heat and cool a home.

Hydronic floor heating is one of the most energy-efficient forms of heating, as well as one of the most comfortable. Homeowners can power their system using electricity from a photovoltaic solar array, and hot water from a heat pump to provide efficient, renewable-energy heating in an off-grid home.

How does hydronic heating work?

Water is the primary medium of a hydronic heating system. Experts view water as an excellent conductor of heat. This is because it has a high heat capacity (more than 4,000 times that of air), and thermal conductivity (25 times that of air). This means it takes more energy to increase the temperature of water, which helps regulate the rate at which air changes temperature.

A hydronic heating system warms the water at its source. An off-grid home heats water in many ways using renewable energy sources, including:

•slow-combustion wood fire stove or heater (wetback);
•solar panels or evacuated tubes (installed on
the roof);
•geothermal pumps (utilising heat from the soil);
•air-sourced heat pumps (extracting heat from the air).

Material considerations of heating an off-grid home

Hydronic floor heating systems use the thermal mass of concrete flooring to warm an interior space. Thermal mass is the ability of a material to absorb and store heat energy.

Like water, concrete requires a lot of heat energy to increase in temperature. This means that, once heated, it takes a long time to cool down. Thus, concrete flooring can store heat during the day and release it at night to help a home stay warm in winter. This heat can come from solar energy captured through windows or from hydronic floor heating.

By delivering heat where and when needed, hydronic heating systems improve thermal comfort and reduce energy use. Thermostats detect when a room temperature becomes lower than the programmed target temperature. Then, zoned hydronic systems enable unoccupied rooms to remain at lower temperatures. Floors that receive enough solar energy throughout the day can also remain without heating.

Combining hydronic floor heating with a heat pump and photovoltaic system

For an off-grid home, the most energy efficient heating system is combining hydronic floor heating with an air-to-water heat pump and photovoltaic array. The entire system uses renewable energy sources.

Heat pumps utilise electricity as their power input. They use more than 60 per cent less electricity than a traditional electric water heater. An off-grid home using a photovoltaic system to generate electricity will create greater savings and environmental benefits.

Combined with solar panels, a heat pump can operate like battery storage. By using built-in timers, it can be programmed to run during the warmest hours of the day to extract the most heat from the air. This heated water is then stored in the floor slab or a water tank for use as hydronic heating later in the day.

Comfort Heat’s hydronic floor heating for any off-grid home

Comfort Heat’s hydronic floor heating systems are reliable, effective and offer energy-efficient performance. A range of heating controls can automate and maximise the performance and efficiency of the heating system. These include thermostats, sensors and control stations – all products the company can supply.

Comfort Heat works alongside project architects and specifiers at the design phase. This ensures delivery of the most efficient and effective heating solution for the homeowner. Specifications are well-documented. All stakeholders in the project, including structural engineers and builders, are made aware of the impact of hydronic systems. This includes the installation process and technical requirements. Comfort Heat also provide comprehensive post-sales support and service, ensuring success and efficiency of the solution throughout its lifecycle.

For more information

Comfort Heat

The post Your guide to sustainable, renewable floor heating for an off-grid home appeared first on Completehome.

The Hydro Majestic hotel in the Blue Mountains has long been notable for its eclectic mixture of architectural styles, including Art Deco and Edwardian, and as a result a restoration of the property was never going to be easy. Any new additions would have to blend seamlessly into the aesthetic that makes the hotel unique, and it was for this reason that hydronic heating was chosen as a significant component of the hotel’s heating system.

How hydronic heating works

Hydronic underfloor heating relies on pipes laid in the concrete slab or screed to carry heated water. The water can then be heated by various energy sources, the most efficient of which is a natural gas boiler. Other sources can also be used such as electric heat pumps, geothermal heat pumps, wood-fired stoves, and to a more limited extent, solar hot water systems. This makes it very effective for efficiently heating large areas.

How The Hydro Majestic hotel incorporates hydronic heating

The Hydro Majestic hotel is heated by a mixture of hydronic floor heating, hydronic floor mounted cast iron radiators, Air Handling Units with hydronic heating coils and huge gas open log fireplaces. A building management system controls all services within the Hydro Majestic including the heating systems.

Centralised boilers are used to provide heated water to the kitchens, accommodation and the hydronic heating system. The existing cast iron radiators were maintained to heat the wooden and brick structure due to the age and style of the heritage buildings. However, the new building additions have new slab floors which allowed hydronic floor heating to be installed.

When Comfort Heat visited to see the results, the spaces heated with the floor heating were clean, dust free, quiet and warm. The Building Management System in use ensured only the energy needed to heat the spaces comfortably was used. The hydronic floor heating installed by Comfort Heat Australia is working well for the hotel and will continue to heat the Boiler House Café and the Pavilion, maintenance free, as long as needed into the future.

For more information

Comfort Heat

The post Hydronic heating helps to give a historic hotel a new lease on life appeared first on Completehome.

Leading provider of in-floor heating Comfort Heat has introduced a range of DIY Floor Heating available to tradespeople as well as to owner-builders. These allow you to install a system that will heat your home in the highest quality way.

The future of heating

In-floor heating is considered by many to be the future of heating due to its ability to generate a great deal of warmth while maintaining energy efficency. As a result, it has rapidly grown in popularity among many new home builds and is worth including as a feature in any new home build or major renovation.

Easier than you think!

Comfort Heat’s DIY kits come with detailed installation guides, step-by-step instructions and a start to finish cable design layout displaying the cable layout plan. On top of this, all kits also include service through Comfort Heat’s technical support line (1300 13WARM).

DIY Floor Heating options:

Comfort Heat offers two ranges of DIY Floor Heating:

• DIY Electric Underfloor Heating
• DIY Hydronic Radiant Floor Heating

The DIY Electric Floor Heating kit includes all equipment including heating cables/mats, electronic wall thermostat with floor sensor, retaining mesh, clips and cable ties, design layout and wiring diagrams. A high level of support is also offered to tradespeople and consumers through handy instructions and the availability of phone support. The final connection and the electrical connections during the building phase must be completed and signed off by a qualified electrician for this type of floor heating.

The DIY Hydronic Floor Radiant Floor Heating kit includes all specific components except standard plumbing materials; You’ll have to purchase your own lagging, saddles and copper. The benefit of hydronic heating is that it is available with a range of heat sources and Comfort Heat can custom design them to suit any individual needs. All kits also include a full design manual, installation guide, custom schematics and phone support.

For more information

Comfort Heat

The post DIY Floor Heating: Why it’s worth the investment appeared first on Completehome.

Working out the running costs of an electric in-floor heating system is a simple calculation that consists of:

• The heat load of your heated floor, measured in watts
• The price that you pay for electricity

How to work out the heat load for your electric in-floor heating system

The heat load of your floor is noted on all documentation from Comfort Heat. The load is measured in watts and for a typical bathroom will range from around 500 watts to 1200 watts.

If you’re a Comfort Heat customer and unsure of the heat load of your heated area, you can call their office (02 9133 8124) or calculate an estimate based on 175 watts per m2.

How to break down the price you pay for electricity

Finding the price you pay for electricity is on the back of your electricity bill. The unit of measure for your bill is listed in kilowatt hours. If kilowatt hours means nothing to you then then think of it like this.

If your electricity pricing schedule is a flat rate, (Option 1), then to run your 1000 watt vacuum cleaner for 1 hour will cost you 26 cents. If you are on a time of use pricing schedule, (Option 2), then to vacuum for one hour during peak times will cost you 52 cents, off peak time 13 cents and shoulder times 22cents.

There are a few options when it comes to pricing.

Option 1 : One flat rate usually around 26 cents per kWh (kilowatt hour)

Option 2 : Time of Use rates as seen below;

Peak times – 52 cents /kWh [2pm-8pm Monday – Friday]

Off peak – 13 cents /kWh [10pm-7am Monday – Sunday]

Shoulder – 22 cents /kWh [All other times]

How to calculate the cost of your electric heating

Comfort Heat’s formula for calculating the cost of your electric in-floor heating system is:

[watts ÷ 1000] x [price you pay for electricity] x 0.65 = cost to heat your floor per hour

Although only an estimate, it converts the wattage of your floor into kilowatts (the measurement your bill uses), multiplies this by the price of your electricity, and then multiplies this by 0.65 – as Comfort Heat estimates that your floor will be on 65% of the time after hitting its ideal temperature. Keeping doors closed and the heat within a room can lower this number further.

For more information

Comfort Heat

The post What are the running costs of an electric in-floor heating system? appeared first on Completehome.

1. Ambient heating evenly heats your home

Whether heating a small or large area, floor heating provides just the right amount of ambient, even heat. This means that it is a great choice for open-plan homes, or other areas with large spaces where convection heaters and other devices may do an inefficient, ineffective job of heating the whole space.

2. Underfloor heating is more energy efficient

In-floor heating systems work by warming the surface, which subsequently warms the air in the room. From a scientific point of view, the warm surfaces reduce the rate of heat loss experienced by the people in the room. This means that they feel more comfortable in temperatures a few degrees lower than other heating methods. There is also less heat lost through ceiling insulation.

According to leading underfloor heating supplier Comfort Heat, hydronic floor heating – which uses a water-based system heated by gas under the floor – is even more energy efficient for large floor areas. This can lead to a reduction of as much as two-thirds of your heating bill.

3. A quiet way to heat your home

In-floor heating delivers heat without noise, unlike many other conventional systems. There is no mechanical noise and no air or water noise.

4. No matter your choice, all underfloor heating systems are concealed from view

Fitting pipes and cables under your floor mean that the entire heating system is hidden, without compromising the look of your home. This makes it a perfect option for new home builds or any residence with a minimalist aesthetic or modern decor that may be impacted by unsightly heating appliances.

5. Underfloor heating provides a safer, healthier, hypo-allergenic way to warm your home

Any heat system that forces air around a space carries the risk of spreading dust and germs, leading to increased health risks and allergies. Alternatively, in-floor heating circulates air much more subtly. This means that it is safer and healthier for allergy sufferers. A completely concealed system also voids the risk of young children touching dangerous holes or hot surfaces.

For more information

Comfort Heat

The post 5 reasons to choose underfloor heating appeared first on Completehome.

As the controlling mechanism of your entire home’s heating, the thermostat serves an important part of any system. Leading provider of electric and hydronic underfloor heating and electric heated mirror pads Comfort Heat offers a range of quality heating solutions and divides thermostats into these key types:

Standard Thermostat

A standard for underfloor heating, such as Comfort Heat’s MTD2, has an air and floor sensor that allow a constant temperature to be maintained. An on/off switch provides the user control with just a single press.

Programmable Thermostat

A programmable option offers greater control, with the option to schedule on/off times and temperatures using setback functions. Comfort Heat’s MWD5 combines a floor and air limit sensor, and also includes WiFi which connects to an app on mobile devices.

Home Automation Thermostat

A home automation thermostat integrates with home automation systems. As well as being programmable with setback functions, these types of controllers – such as Comfort Heat’s ETN4 – can be installed into a central switchboard.

Benefits of these Thermostats

The best part of these digital thermostats is the way they work with heating. Your electric floor heating can be activated at the beginning of winter and forgotten about without affecting your energy bills. The device automatically turns the floor heating up and down throughout the day, guaranteeing warm floors when you need them and switching off to save power when it’s not required. This makes our system one of the most energy efficient ways to heat your home.

For more information

Comfort Heat

The post How to choose the right thermostat when planning your home heating appeared first on Completehome.

What are some options for someone who is looking to install underfloor heating?

Floor heating systems are available for most floor installations, and the type of floor installation will dictate the system that is best for each particular project. If a bathroom floor is to be heated usually tiles will be laid and there will be a 20 millimetre (mm) bed of cement laid under the tiles to ensure all water on the floor runs to the floor waste. The In Screed electric cable is best for this installation and is installed over the waterproof membrane within the 20mm cement bed under the tiles. If the tiles are to be directly stuck to the floor. the ultra thin electric cable system will be required as this will fit within the 5mm of tile glue used to stick the tiles to the floor. Under carpet and under timber floor heating foil mats are available and these are installed directly under the carpet or floating timber floor over the underlay. All the above systems are quick heating systems and are usually used for bathrooms or renovation projects of larger floor areas.

If someone were wanting to invest in underfloor heating, how will the size and frequency of use impact the system they were to choose?

If a cement slab is being installed, then the size of the slab will dictate the floor heating system which is best to use. If it is a small addition to an existing property, an electric In Slab heating cable can be installed in the slab. The slab will hold the heat for long periods of time, so this heating system can utilise the off peak rates of electricity available overnight. This makes the running costs of the electric In Slab heating cost effective. If larger areas of a new home build are being heated, the hydronic heating system will become a preferred option. This system will utilise a heat source to provide hot water to pipes located in the oor. This will then heat up the base slab or a 50mm cement bed topping on a sub oor. The heat source can be varied depending on the services available on the site. Natural gas is the cheapest to install and has the least impact on the fabric of the building. Electric heat pumps are the next option when natural gas is unavailable. They can provide 4 kilowatt (KW) of heating for the expenditure of only 1KW of electricity. This means that instead of using 16KW of electricity to heat a large floor with electric floor heating cable, only 4KW of electricity will be needed to get the same result from an electric heat pump. This also makes a heat pump an ideal choice if solar photovoltaic (PV) panels are available on the project.

What control options are available?

All the floor heating systems are controlled by thermostats which have floor sensors. This gives maximum control of the system to minimise wasting energy and maximising comfort. The new thermostat range available at Comfort Heat has WiFi capability which means multiple thermostats can be controlled together on a mobile phone or mobile device from anywhere in the world.

How can a customer maximise cost-effectiveness when installing a new system?

The type of floor heating system will dictate how the system is used in practice. A bathroom floor heating system will be quite small and have a low electricity demand. As such the cost of running the system can be quite low and the benefits of having a warm dry bathroom are many. If the floor heating is left running at a low heat then all the floor will remain dry, towels will dry, there will be no musty smells or mould, grout will not discolour and overall the bathroom will age better.
If an In Slab electric system is installed you can set this system to heat at night making use of the cheaper electricity tariffs. If a hydronic In Slab system is installed you could run this all day maintaining a constant low temperature in the slab.
Floor heating is not hot heat and it is not instantaneous. Over time the radiant heat from the floor will heat everything in the room and the furniture and walls will radiate heat into the room. A constant comfortable heat will permeate the home from all points in the floor.

Is there a particular time that is best for installing floor heating – during renovations, for example?

Floor heating systems are limited for renovations of existing homes where the floor is not being renovated. The most common time for installation is when bathrooms or any rooms where the flooring is being replaced with tiles, carpet or floating timber floors. A new building has more options depending on the stage the floor heating is designed into the build. All options are available at the start of the design phase, and less becomes available as the construction phase begins. The earlier floor heating is designed into a new build the more flexible the options will be to meet the needs of the finished product.

For more information

Comfort Heat Australia

The post Underfloor heating for your renovation appeared first on Completehome.