Floor cooling

Is it possible to cool with underfloor heating?

28 Dec 2022

Leestijd 3 minutes

uipkes

It is possible to install a herringbone floor on a heating system which can cool the floor
Foto: Uipkes

Yes, cooling with underfloor heating is possible if you use the right system. With a system that can cool as well as heat, you will be less bothered by the cold and hot days, because the temperature in the house is always pleasant. In this blog article we tell you everything about the possibilities of cooling with underfloor heating.

Floor cooling and the right heat pump

Cooling with underfloor heating is only possible with the aid of a reversible heat pump. This type of heat pump can both heat and cool the water in the system. There are different types of reversible heat pumps:

· Air/water heat pump

· Hybrid heat pump

· Soil/water heat pump

· Water/water heat pump

Air/water heat pump

This heat pump uses the outside air or ventilation air as an energy source. The pump converts the energy into cold or heat with which the water in the floor system is cooled or heated.

Hybrid heat pump

A hybrid heat pump consists of a combination of an air/water heat pump and a high-efficiency boiler. On days when it is too cold or too warm and the hybrid heat pump cannot sufficiently heat or cool the home, the high-efficiency boiler takes over.

Soil/water heat pump

With this heat pump, a pipe system is installed in the ground through which a liquid is pumped around. With the help of this liquid, cold or heat is created. You do not have to replace the fluid and the pipe system is closed. That is why we also speak of a 'closed system'.

Water/water heat pump

This system extracts energy from the groundwater with which the water can be heated or cooled. Compared to other types of heat pumps, the installation costs for a water/water heat pump are high.

Is cooling with underfloor heating possible with a central heating boiler?

No, if the floor heating is connected to a central heating boiler and no heat pump is used, cooling is not possible. This is because the liquid temperature must be lower than the ambient temperature for cooling.

An example to clarify this: if it is 30 degrees in the house, the temperature of the water in the central heating system is also 30 degrees. As a result, you cannot use the water for cooling.

Can floor cooling cause condensation?

Yes, but only if the floor cooling temperature is set too low. You can easily solve this by choosing a system with a dew point protection that prevents condensation. If this is not possible, we can apply a "moisture barrier" to the subfloor.

Underfloor heating and cooling in combination with a wooden floor

Contrary to popular belief, underfloor heating and cooling go well together with wooden floors. A wooden floor in the form of engineered wood flooring is made of cross-glued waterproof plywood with a top layer of solid wood.

This construction of the floorboards ensures that both cooling and heating hardly affect the working (shrinkage and expansion) of the floor. The work of the floor is so minimal that it is even possible to lay the wooden floor tightly against the wall without skirting boards.

Would you like to know more about the possibilities of having a wooden floor installed in combination with underfloor heating and floor cooling? Then visit one of our showrooms in Alphen aan den Rijn, Amsterdam or Naarden. Get some inspiration? Request our magazine for free.

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