Question from an ignoramus

[AndyNorwich]

Hello all,
Please excuse my utter ignorance, but I'm looking for some advice and help.
Last year I had the ground floor of my house laid with travertine tiling atop a Warmup underfloor heating system (the mat type with wall mounted thermostats - WA-XSTAT)… it looks beautiful and takes the chill out of the tiles a treat.
My problem is I've noticed a massive hike in my electricity bills and I mean like nearly doubled from the same time last year with the only real change being the underfloor heating.
When my builder put the system in, I did that daft thing of not really paying enough attention to what he was telling me about the instructions and now I am feeling foolish.
Basically each of the thermostats (I have 4) are set to Automatic with a temperature of 25ºC.
Does this mean that they will come on at the timed schedules and turn off before that time if the room temperature reaches 25ºC?
Also, if I put them on manual I presume that over-rides all of the scheduled turn on and offs… but what temperature do I dial in? I don't want them to come on at all until winter, when it gets cold enough to… but I can't find a way of turning these systems off completely.
Can anyone help an ignoramus?
Thanks in advance

 

[suave]

:welcome:

 

[Time's Ran Out]

Andy - I'am not familiar with the Warmup system but I assume they all work on the same principle.
If I left my underfloor heating at 25 degrees it would be on 24 hours a day. When it reaches 25 it switches off then back on as soon as the temp drops. The efficiency of the system will depend on your floor construction stone/wood, insulation used and position of your floor sensors - 1 for each thermostat.
We set our system on at 21 degrees to warm the tiles up and 28 degrees to use as a primary source for the whole room but at that temperature it is only on for the maximum of 4 hours in an evening (ie it will take 2 hours to reach temp and run at that for 2 hours before we switch it off for bed, cooling down for the last hour.)
All thermostats should be next to an individual isolating switch/fused spur so you can turn the power off to the unit without switching your whole electricity off at the main board.
Go online to Warmup for a user manual/thermostat set up but with our climate I use mine when needed rather than pre programmed.
Welcome.

 

[White Room]

Was it laid on a wood or screed floor

 

[jay]

:welcome:try lowering thermostats to 18-21 they are only to take the chill of the tiles no as a source of heating

 

[faithhealer]

Welcome andy, as above , whats under the tiles, any insulation of any kind. The worst senario being straight onto a concrete floor

 

[Time's Ran Out]

:welcome:try lowering thermostats to 18-21 they are only to take the chill of the tiles no as a source of heating

'Thermonet' is marketed as a primary source heating mat, and at 28-30 degrees has a output capable of heating our room of floor area 20sq metres.

 

[jay]

sorry

 

[Time's Ran Out]

sorry

No need - most are tile warmers its just I use that particular brand because it does what it says on the tin - (this is a reference to another product altogether that does what it says it does) sorry to confuse.
Anyway you don't use electric UFH down in Tasmania do you? Its winter for you now so what is the temperature?

 

[jay]

yes we do use ufh down here its becoming more popular over the last 7 years and at the moment we have a white frost 8,22 am temp droped to 0 on the coast were we are most of the ufh we use are only to take chill of tiles but will heat room if you can afford it:lol::8:

 

[DHTiling]

Do you have any insulation boards installed prior to laying the heat mat.?

This will contribute a lot to the high running costs if not..