Grant’s underfloor systems operate at their most efficient when they are not frequently switched off and on. This is because the floor screed takes time to heat up but, once up to temperature, it only requires a small amount of energy to maintain this condition.
Switching the system off and on, as is commonly the case with a radiator system, results in the floor losing temperature, requiring more heat input to reach that temperature when switched back on again, and so on.
Operating systems with a ‘setback’ (unoccupied) control, maintains the floor at a minimum temperature during these times and avoids the wasteful use of energy to reheat the floor from cold. With this type of control the normal room temperature can be achieved during periods of occupancy, but during other periods the ‘setback’ control automatically drops the room temperature to a lower level. This keeps the floor warm and reduces the heat-up time when the control switches back to provide normal room temperature again.
Over time, ‘setback’ control will reduce the overall demand on the heat source, increasing system efficiency and lowering running costs.