Underfloor Heating Install

Underfloor Heating Installation

Heatwell has decades of underfloor heating installation in the greater Auckland region. We have been installing since 2000.

Heatwell has designed and developed its own exclusive range of underfloor heating cable and thermostats that suit the New Zealand style of building. We install our Pro Series of underfloor heating cable and our HT4 thermostat into all of our projects.

We install into:

Residential

Commercial

Apartment Buildings

Retirement Villages

All Heatwell needs is a floor plan or a square meter area for us to Quote. We even have an app to help determine underfloor heating area! Ask us to Quote today.

Heatwell uses our Best Practice System during install. Using Best Practice allows us to guarantee our product and guarantee our install. For more on Best Practice see below.

The Heatwell System

Heatwells installation process has been perfected over years of experience.

With the Heatwell system, we install the cable on the floor, cover it with a fiberglass mesh, and apply a thin layer of self-leveling compound (screed). The fiberglass mesh makes sure the heating cable does not float to the top of the screed. The system ensures the cable is firmly locked in place, provides a level of protection, and adds only 4-5mm of depth to the floor. Please see our video below.

The floor must be level BEFORE we install underfloor heating. If leveling is not done before underfloor heating install, you will get an uneven distribution of heat. Cooler where the cable is deep and hotter where the cable is shallow. Other companies flood a floor with leveling compound. A practice that will get inconsistent heat.

Heatwell does not use mat style of underfloor heating. Our system allows for more flexibility around shapes like toilet bowls.

Our system is suitable for installation under tiles, machine wood, carpet, and vinyl.

Heatwell Installation Video

Best Practice System

Heatwell over many years of underfloor heating installation has developed a "best practice" set of guidelines.

The time period between installing the underfloor heating cable and the final flooring product is where the greatest likelihood of damage to the cable will occur. Undiagnosed damage to the underfloor heating cable will result in the expensive process of fault finding and repair. Something that is best avoided, as this can prove to be time and cost expensive.

Following our Best Practice Guidelines are essential for the Heatwells cable warrantee to apply.

Best Practice Installation Video

Heatwells Pro Series and Gold Series cable have been independently tested. Each cable will have an ohm's value on the spool. kOhms are the resistance of each cable and will vary depending on the length. Ohms readings will vary slightly with temperature.

Taking Ohms readings during the installation process is essential. A continuality alarm and will sound when the circuit has been broken. A continuality alarm will not warn the installer if the cable has been crushed or damaged. A crushed cable will increase the resistance and create a hot spot at the crushed point. Only an increase in an Ohm reading will show damage to a cable.

Crushing can occur if something heavy is dropped on the cable. A crushed cable can happen during the cable installation process or during the installation of the final flooring product. Crushing can also occur if the cable is pinched (imagine a pinched garden hose) during the install process. Heatwell uses a horizontal cable roller to reduce the possibility of cable damage. If you pinch the cable accidently, or drop something on the installed cable, an Ohm reading should be done immediately. There is no use in continuing to install a damaged cable.

Our system of putting fiberglass mesh over the cable and locking the cable in with a self-leveling compound (screed) helps protect the cable during installation of the final flooring product. However, you should never assume the cable has not been damaged during the final flooring product install.

All installers will need a multi-meter capable of reading kOhm's.

Best Practice Installation Steps

Take a photo of the test readings that come with the underfloor heating cable.
Test the cable with a multi-meter. Make sure the test is very similar to the recorded test. The reading may vary slightly due to room temperature. Take a photo of the test.
Fully install the underfloor heating cable including the cold tails to the flush box. If anything happens that may incur damage during install, test immediately.
When all the cables are in place with the cold tails drawn through the flush box, test the ohms against the test readings from Step two. We are ensuring no damage has been done during the install process. Take another photo of the test.
Write the ohms test reading on a piece of tape and attach it to one of the cold tails. Take a photo. The installer is now fully covered!
The installer of the thermostat (electrician) will then check against the ohms reading. The electrician should take a photo of the test. The installer of the final flooring product can also check against an ohm reading if necessary.
There is still significant risk of cable damage from the final flooring installer or from an installer drilling a hole in the wrong spot. Please test the ohms reading immediately if there is any possibility of damage.