3277 Under floor heating

Hi Viola

I hoping to fit underfloor heating when I replace the floors next year.

A local plumber is at the moment sorting a quote out for me.

Previous thread that may help.

[url]http://www.italymag.co.uk/forums/building-renovation/610-underfloor-heating.html[/url]

The thread to which libero has directed you talks about various types of underfloor heating, and alternative energy supplies,and you will probably find it useful.
One thing which I think should be considered is that any form of underfloor heating is a very slow response system - once you have warmed up the floor surface you can't simply switch it off as you would a radiator. It takes much longer to cool off. If you have a house which gets a lot of sun (this is particularly relevant in Oct/Nov and March/April), you will find yourself opening windows to prevent overheating.
It is generally accepted that underfloor heating creates the most comfortable environment, and if you are heating a semi-underground, or under windowed space, it will work as well in Italy as in England. (Where as we all know, the sun doesn't shine!!)

[QUOTE=Viola]My wife and I are having plans for our Italian build drawn up by our geometra as I post this mail.
My wife wants underfloor heating, is it widely available in Italy? What are the costs of running it? Are there any other problems with it?

I want solar panels, the above questions also apply.

Also I would like a wind turbine linked to our house and the grid.

Any help, observations or comments would be greatly appreciated.

Viola.[/QUOTE]
While doing some research for a client (who bought a farm in Tuscany and wanted underfloor heating, geothermal energy and other eco-friendly solutions) I came across a company that seems reliable and competent; they are based near Siena and distribute the products of a French company that offers solutions with the best specs I could find, these aren't too expensive and can be installed by conventional plumbers (besides providing you with free and healthy heating/cooling).
If you want to contact the company they are called Geotermitalia and the person I was in touch with is Ing. Matteo Burrini at [email]info@geotermitalia.it[/email] - you could mention that you had the contact from Roberto Battista in London.
I hope this helps

Regards

Roberto

We are doing the installation of the underfloor heating ourselves at our house in Marche this year. I am buying the heating manifolds from a company in the UK and installing the underfloor pipework and manifolds as we do the new foundations downstairs. We are having our old Oil Boiler changed for LPG soon by a local heating engineer and he will connect into the existing system for now. The heating for the upper floors will also be underfloor but with wooden floors. We will be backing up the heating system with woodburning stoves with piped hot air round the house. We are also looking at solar energy systems as well. There is a very good UK based company to log onto [url]www.nu-heat.co.uk[/url]. If you dont understand what you are doing the DIY approach is not to be recommended, I have heat and vent experience so for me , not a problem.

May I ask a favour of a member who can write in Italian. :o

Would they ask the firm in Roberto's post how they achieve these systems with the Italian electricity supplies. Or is it that the wealthy Tuscans all have 6kW supplies? :D

At the moment we were under the impression that our soon to be attached 3.5kW supply cannot handle the power required for the heat pump.

Grazie

Dave & Dawn

If you need more than the "standard" 3.3kW supply to do whatever you want to do, have you asked ENEL for a 6.6kW supply?
It is conceivable that they are not able to oblige (if you are at the end of an old long overhead supply link), but much more likely that they will be quite happy to let you have more power.
It isn't cripplingly expensive to have 6.6 rather than 3.3kW on the installation, and the tarriffs have changed over the last few years - so there isn't a disproportionately costly ongoing charge for having the facility to use more of their juice.
ENEL will give you a preventivo for 6.6kW at the drop of a hat - just ask!

We are planning a self build, with polystyrene blocks that are filled with concrete,also having underfloor heating, in summer from solar to heat water and pool and in winter it will be run fron the stuffa.
A friend of ours has just finished a build of this kind and its amazing, so well insulated dont think he will need heating!
My hubby works with GE wind energy and works on turbines.
I would really like a mini on our land but dont think they are wind energy friendly where we are, so planning may be a problem. And of course they are'nt cheap! ( but apparantely pay for themselves within 5 years)
They have an average life of 25 years so a good investment.
Depending on where you are in Italy (I know there are a lot in Puglia) you may be able to get your energy thru the turbine but Enel will still be your provider I think.

hallo all,if anyone is interested and contact me I can send photos of an under floor heating system we have just installed for a client and also a facsimile of planning for that house.
this system is more expensive to install but pays for itself
just with the money you save on fuel and electricity