Undertile Heating Systems

[Steve W]

Evening Guy's,

Ok everyone im interested in how many of you guy's install or have installed the WARMUP DWS UNDERTILE HEATING SYSTEMS and what you think of this product and where you have purchased the system in the past or present...

Do you incorporate the system in a qoutation for a new job as an extra or do you recommend this particular product to your customers?

If you would be kind enough to let me know that would be great. Also if anybody would like any information on Warmup then please do ask me or Gaz@Topps and we would be more than happy to help.

Kind Regards

Steve@Topps

 

[Dan]

Also. Note that you can get underfloor heating from a UK manufacturer at www.floorheating.ltd.uk too people. And you get an extra 10 discount when you register as trade. Their prices beat warmup's by up to 45% already.

Sorry. Just always thought warmup need to bring their prices down dramatically. And their system only recently converted to twin-core. Which means EVERY other manufacturer has long gone past the 'tweaking' stages of the systems life.

And by having a lifetime guarantee, it doesn't mean it doesn't fail.

And for insulation boards for concrete floors. The Warmup board, made by Marmox is well overpriced too. www.floorheating.ltd.uk supplies Fastwarm boards which are just as good but upto 45% cheaper also.

Just thought I'd stick my two pence in.

 

[maxamus]

hi steve
personally have not used your product,i use thermonet just my preference at the moment :yes:

 

[Dan]

Thermonet is ok. Not the cheapest again. There are a bunch of topics including a range of suppliers in the Other Trades/Skills forum. http://www.tilersforums.com/other-trades-skills/
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Note that as a Tiler, providing you shift a few. You can cut out these middlemen as you yourself are a supplier, to your customers.

Just prove you've been trading a while and pay-as-you-buy rather than getting an account and send them the usual stuff you use to open trade accounts and you can get some seriously cheap prices on underfloor heating. Not that much more expensive than the tile shops / online stores get it themselves.

 

[White Room]

To lay under floor heating I thought you had to have part P electrics

 

[DHTiling]

As long as you don't do the actual connection to the power supply then its ok...
check for continuity before and during installation....never connect up unless qualified to do so..........

 

[White Room]

Thanks dh

 

[Dan]

Correct. And actually, depending on the area you live in, the customer can sometimes connect it (if they're that way inclined) and just get the council to check it for a fee.

I used to connect mine, and then disconnect just the live and get my regular sparky around to do that final connection again and check the rest and pass it, or fix and pass I suppose but I'd done a fair few so never got it wrong.

This way the sparky doesn't charge you much providing you send him a few a year or something.

And it's always useful to do a free no obligation quote on any floor jobs where it is possible to lay it as believe it or not most customers still don't know it exists or think it is really expensive.... with topps having such a mean retail price n' all. lol dig dig.
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As long as you don't do the actual connection to the power supply then its ok...
check for continuity before and during installation....never connect up unless qualified to do so..........

I used to use a gizmo that was battery operated that you connected the heating cable wires to and as you tiles, if you ever snagged the cable you'd hear a loud bleeping. Excellent system but thankfully I never heard the bleep other than when pressing the test button. As I followed the instructions to the T!!!!

 

[DHTiling]

99% of the time now i level over the mat/cable..this gives a safe floor to tile to and a nice flat floor as well......

Have seen those loud voice detectors...pricy though...........

 

[Dan]

To be honest, you tend to find the type of person doesn't mind forking out for SLC if they are buying UFH so as you make a few quid per bag on that too, why not level it and go home early one day while it sets. Plus giving you and easy to tile floor the next day.

Anything from 5 - 2 meters I used to fit insulation boards and get the cable down and levelled on the first day. And go home when I'd done. A 25 meter floor could take the best part of a day - ALWAYS make sure the heating cable or mat supplier has done you a diagram of where the cable or mat is going - this is where Topps lack a bit I found (may have changed now? - I know the salesperson in some stores gets commision per sale on warmup paid by warmup).

Then on the next day you have a good floor to tile.

When I was in the heating game I heard that topps started to stock another brand in some stores after warmup said no to a kick-back based on sales (something that gets done with the BAL gear - the prices you see on the Computer topps guys... isn't actually the price Topps pay for BAL - if it is still the same setup - they get a back at tax time).

So warmup said ok, we'll provide an 0800 number and we'll take the technical calls, and we'll give your staff extra training and POS, and we'll take back ANY cables as a return no quibble, give it a lifetime guarantee, and give the salesman in the store their own incentive - so some commision.

Problem being, any cable now that gets damaged by the tiler or DIYer gets taken back for a refund - no quibble. So big loss for warmup - resulting in more price fixes.

Note I've been out of the trade for a while, but that was the news within the whispers we used to hear.

Warmup are a good company. But you can get it cheaper online where guys are willing to take a big cut in profits to compete with the REAL average price.

Devi are another expensive heating system but are far bigger than warmup, part of the danfoss group. And have had twin core cables for decades. tried and tested systems are the best in my opinion.

There are loads of new ones now. And most re-brand the gear. The suppliers thread in the other skills forum shows the real few manufacturers and their suppliers.

 

[TheWrightTiler]

i use flexell mate as find warmup too expensive, customers balk at the price

if it came down a lot id use it as its ok

andy

 

[Dan]

Flexel are spot on and will look after you mate. Stick with them.

 

[GazTech]

i use flexell mate as find warmup too expensive, customers balk at the price

if it came down a lot id use it as its ok

andy

Andy mate...if you do plenty of ufh...have a word with your topps manager see if he will bend on the price for you...I know I would..Gaz

 

[Dan]

But the cable is a much newer design that Flexel's. And their systems are FAR cheaper. Not just a bit cheaper. And their range it bigger and better. And their thermostats are the Heatmisers stats - the best stats on the market.

And you can get your own seperate account at heatmiser if you want and get their programmable digital stats for about £22. Again, much better and cheaper than the warmup X stat.